Rosemont launches Victorian Alliance in bid to land stallion prospect
Rosemont Stud will join forces with a core group of prominent breeders in an attempt to unearth future stallion prospects capable of standing at the Victorian farm, starting at today’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The partnership, labelled the Victorian Alliance, is the latest group looking to identify suitable prospects as yearlings rather than laying out the huge sums commanded by owners of elite, Group-winning colts off the track.
“Ultimately, the concept was borne out of the fact that we are really committed to seeing some of these top stallion prospects remain in Victoria,” Rosemont Stud general manager of bloodstock Ryan McEvoy told ANZ Bloodstock News at the Gold Coast.
“Like many Victorian breeders, we run a commercial operation and are obliged to send a significant number of our mares up to the Hunter, which is fine, but we are obviously keen to source a stallion organically and we’ve got a great team of partners involved to help do this.”
Already this season, Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) and Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) have sold for tens of millions of dollars to Kia Ora Stud and Vinery Stud respectively.
The emergence of the Victorian Alliance follows similar strategies employed by the Newgate Farm-China Horse Club partnership and that of Aquis Farm, which has enjoyed immense success with its colts led by Farnan, as well as Prague (Redoute’s Choice) and Holyfield (I Am Invincible).
Rosemont Stud will provide seed capital for the venture with a consortium of breeders joining the partnership, which was only officially established in the latter part of 2020.
While no trainers have officially been appointed, the horses will predominantly be prepared by leading stables in Victoria. However, McEvoy indicated that some Sydney trainers could also be candidates for the Alliance-owned stock.
“We’re certainly not trying to reinvent the wheel here with a colts partnership but, as has often been said, it is difficult to buy a Group 1-winning colt off the track,” McEvoy said.
“From a Rosemont viewpoint, we’re a significant investor in all facets of the industry. We have a real passion for racing led by Nigel Austin and principal Anthony Mithen.
“The Alliance model is quite simple – to enjoy the racing experience together with a like–minded group of partners who share an ultimate aim of securing colts deemed successful enough to stand as commercial stallions at our beautiful Barwon River property in Gnarwarre.”
Rosemont Stud has assembled a buying team led by McEvoy, Mithen, the UK-based Tweenhills Stud duo of David Redvers and Hannah Wall, as well as Victorian agent Suman Hedge.
Wall, who along with Redvers remains in the UK due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, broached the Victorian Alliance in an interview published in ANZ Bloodstock News on Friday.
McEvoy, Wall and Redvers were part of the partnership who identified and subsequently raced Group-winning Zoustar (Northern Meteor) colts Zousain and Sun City, who have just completed their first breeding seasons at Widden Stud and Telemon Stud respectively.
“We feel we’re in good shape leading into the sale and the team have put in a power of work to have a final shortlist completed,” McEvoy said.
“We’ve assembled a strong, committed team of people involved with us. David Redvers and Hannah Wall, who were coming down to the sale before Covid made that impossible, remain officially involved and have been a terrific help as a sounding board and source of research.
“Suman Hedge is also assisting us on the ground and I have known Suman for a long time. Suman was instrumental in launching Written Tycoon and, of course, had the honour of securing Zoustar as a yearling here at the Magic Millions. I believe him to be a talented judge with a great eye, so I think we have all bases covered.”
The news of the Victorian Alliance’s large-scale yearling investment is welcome at a time when Aquis Farm has shut its Victorian stallion arm, while it was recently announced that Sun Stud will also close its stallion operation.
McEvoy pointed to the achievements of Victorian-breds both on the racetrack and in the stallion barn as a reason to be positive about the state’s breeding industry.
“The record of Victorian-bred horses speaks for itself. I have never subscribed to the theory that top-class stallions need to stand in the Hunter,” he continued.
“The last two colts to be sold and syndicated by commercial operations, Ole Kirk and North Pacific, were Victorian born and sired by Victorian stallions.
“The phenomenal season we’re seeing from Written Tycoon, which sees him sit atop the sires table in Australia, is – I would suggest – largely a result of Victorian breeder support.
“Not only are Rosemont committed to the Victorian industry but to have the likes of internationally-owned stallion operations Spendthrift, Yulong and Darley having a major base within Victoria is recognition of the state’s future.”