Rosemont Stud turns to precocious son of I Am Invincible to boost stallion roster
Rosemont Stud’s development into one of Victoria’s premier farms has taken another step forward with the acquisition of Group 2-winning two-year-old Strasbourg (I Am Invincible) in partnership with international powerhouse China Horse Club.
The Anthony Mithen and Nigel Austin-led operation will stand the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) winner on the Rosemont Stud roster alongside Shamus Award (Snitzel), Starspangledbanner (Choisir), Starcraft (Soviet Star) and Nostradamus (Medaglia d’Oro) in 2020.
The former Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Strasbourg will stand for an introductory fee of $11,000 (inc GST), while a limited number of lifetime breeding rights ($22,000) are also being offered in the rising four-year-old who was an eye-catching yearling with a $750,000 price tag at the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Sale.
“We are thrilled to introduce such a good looking and sharp two-year-old son of I Am Invincible onto the roster,” Rosemont Stud general manager of bloodstock Ryan McEvoy said yesterday.
“As a Group 2 winner, he’s the best performed juvenile by I Am Invincible to go to stud in Victoria since Brazen Beau. In fact, he shares the same two-year-old Timeform rating as the emerging Darley stallion.
“Strasbourg was an easy debut winner in the Max Lees Classic by a big margin as a December two-year-old and then his juvenile season culminated in winning a Sires in impressive fashion which led to Peter Snowden declaring him an ‘elite talent’.”
Strasbourg’s convincing performance in the 900-metre Newcastle feature race on December 2 saw him race solely at stakes level thereafter, which included a fast-finishing second in the $500,000 Inglis Nursery (RL, 1000m) 13 days after his first start..
But it was the Queensland Winter Carnival last year when he took out the Sires Produce Stakes, a race won previously by Zoustar (Northern Meteor) and champion mare Melody Belle (Commands), that assured him of a place on a stallion roster. On that occasion, he defeated Dubious (Not A Single Doubt) who has also been retired to stud this year.
He was also placed in The Schweppervescence (registered as T L Baillieu Handicap) (Gr 3, 1400m) at two and finished close up behind fellow first season sire, Coolmore’s high-profile The Everest (1200m) winner Yes Yes Yes (Rubick), in the Todman Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m).
Strasbourg retired after 12 starts, with his three-year-old season hampered by bone bruising and other setbacks, and it was then that an alliance between China Horse Club and Rosemont Stud came to fruition.
“Hearing how good looking they are is one thing, actually seeing the horse in the flesh is another. As soon as you see Strasbourg you will be booking in. It’s that simple,” said China Horse Club chief operating officer Michael Wallace, who played a key role in selecting Strasbourg as a yearling.
“We buy a number of horses every year, yet this colt stands out as one of the best types we’ve ever purchased.
“He’s by far the best looking son of I Am Invincible we’ve had involvement in. Not only that, he’s the most precocious of his sons we’ve had through the China Horse Club system given he was a dominant debut winner and stakes performer as a pre-Christmas two-year-old.
“He’s got an ideal profile and genetic make-up to be a successful stallion. We’re thrilled to partner with an emerging organisation in Rosemont and excited to be supporting the stallion with a number of China Horse Club mares.”
McEvoy confirmed that China Horse Club and Rosemont Stud would commit a significant number of quality mares to Strasbourg in his early years at stud.
“We see the partnership with China Horse Club as fundamentally the beginning of a strong relationship going forward,” McEvoy said.
“They will be supporting the stallion with a number of lovely mares who will reside at Rosemont.”
Strasbourg is the second first season son of I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) to head to stud in Victoria this year, with Group 3 winner I Am Immortal standing at Swettenham Stud. His first Group 1-winning son Brazen Beau spearheads Darley’s Victorian stallion roster and Overshare has been well supported at Spendthrift Australia in his first two years.
“The Invincible Spirit sire line is clearly one of the most desirable in world thoroughbred breeding today,” McEvoy said.
“When you look at Europe and horses like Kingman and Shalaa in such high demand and the fact that I Am Invincible is a sensation down here, one would think that ‘Vinny’ is going to leave a lasting impression as a sire of sires over the next decade.”
Breeders who elect to purchase a lifetime breeding right in Strasbourg, which carries two nominations for the first three years and one thereafter, will also go into the running to win a business class trip for two to Europe to visit the idyllic city in France which the colt is named after.
“The partnership put their heads together and came up with a rather fun and exciting reward for one lucky investor who, importantly, can determine their date of travel,” he said.
“It’s something a little unique and it’s another attraction to purchase a breeding right at $22,000 in a stunning, Group-winning son of I Am Invincible.
“I understand I Am Invincible breeding rights were sold initially at $30,000 and have subsequently been traded publicly for almost $600,000 so, like all breeders, we live the dream and hope we can replicate a similar phenomenon.”
The securing of Strasbourg is also part of Rosemont’s long-term plan to invest in new commercial stallions to stand at the property near Geelong to offer to Victorian and interstate breeders.
“We’re committed to strengthening the stallion roster over the course of the next few years. That’s an area of the operation that we’re certainly keen to evolve, however, we’re really pleased with the way it’s shaping up this year,” he said.
“We’re rapt with Shamus Award, particularly with what he’s achieved in the past 12 months with so many Group winners, and he’s clearly Snitzel’s most successful sire son.”
Rosemont barnmate Starspangledbanner is another stallion who McEvoy believes continues to provide value to breeders.
He said: “Strasbourg has over six per cent stakes winners to runners and has the ability to get a proper two-year-old. He sired the Inglis Millennium winner this year and had the champion two-year-old filly in the UK last year who won a Group 1.
“We feel they are of unbelievable value when you consider both stallions are under $20,000 and have each sired Group 1 winners within the past 12 months.”