Vinery catches Hawaii Five Oh for stud duties
Group 3-winning son of I Am Invincible with blue chip pedigree takes up residence in the Hunter
Dual Group 3 winner Hawaii Five Oh (I Am Invincible), a horse with a Group 1 pedigree and a physique to match, has been retired from racing to stand at stud in the Hunter Valley.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Group 1-placed sprinter, who enjoyed a breakout 2023 autumn and winter preparation at the Sydney and Brisbane carnivals, has joined the Vinery Stud roster ahead of the 2024 breeding season.
The farm’s general manager Peter Orton on Tuesday confirmed the acquisition of the Gerry Harvey-bred and raced Hawaii Five Oh, the stud’s first new stallion since the purchase of dual Group 1-winning three-year-old Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) who went to stud in 2021.
“As we’ve always done with our stallions, pedigree is really important and he’s got a fantastic pedigree. The first three dams are all stakes winners by three leading broodmare sires and he’s by the leading sire,” Orton told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“He’s just a beautiful horse. He is a big, strong horse who is well-conformed and well balanced.”
Hawaii Five Oh, who will stand for an introductory fee of $16,500 (inc GST), won his first start early in his three-year-old season before immediately achieving black-type when third in the Heritage Stakes (Listed, 1100m) in September 2022 for trainer Michael Freedman.
Subsequently transferred to Waterhouse and Bott’s Tulloch Lodge by Harvey, Hawaii Five Oh won a Hawkesbury Guineas (Gr 3, 1400m), a Fred Best Classic (Gr 3, 1400m) and rounded out his season with a third in the Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m) behind Think About It (So You Think) and Rothfire (Rothesay).
Out of Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m)-winning mare Aloha (Encosta De Lago), making him a brother to the Group 2-winning and Group 1-placed sprinter Libertini, Hawaii Five Oh’s pedigree also features top-flight winners Seabrook (Hinchinbrook), the ATC Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winning two-year-old, top sprinter Malaguerra (Magnus) and Karaka 2YO Million (RL, 1200m) and Sistema Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winning Newhaven Park-based stallion Cool Aza Beel (Savabeel).
His second dam Tennessee Midnight (Danehill) was twice a stakes winner at two while his third dam Tennessee Morn (Bletchingly) also won three stakes races in Melbourne as a juvenile. His fourth dam Tennessee Vain (Whiskey Road) and his fifth dam Misty Vain (Vain) were also stakes winners.
Hawaii Five Oh finished runner-up in the Premiere Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) last spring and ran sixth and fifth in The Everest (1200m) and the Golden Eagle (1500m) respectively, beaten a combined 3.9 lengths.
“There is no doubt, Hawaii Five Oh was one of I Am Invincible’s most naturally talented sons,” Bott said.
“I truly believe we did not see the best from him. However, in his short career he was able to showcase some exceptional talent.
“He was explosive when breaking through at stakes level with a brilliant Group 3 victory. In an Everest campaign, he ran the eventual winner to a nose at Group 2 level [at the start] prior, before performing creditably in the big event itself, starting well in the market.
“He is an exciting prospect that I’m sure will be well received.”
Backing up Hawaii Five Oh’s pedigree credentials, is the fact that the I Am Invincible-Encosta De Lago cross that the stallion represents has achieved a winners-to-runners ratio of 79.5 per cent while the cross has produced an elite 20.45 per cent stakes winners-to-runners percentage.
“I think when you put everything together [for a stallion], the pedigree, type and their race ability, even if they haven’t tagged the Group 1, the fact that they’ve been in the class races and won Group 3s … you know they are good athletes and that they’re within the bounds of Group 1s [and are worthy stallion prospects],” Orton said.
“With Hawaii Five Oh, you’ve got a perfect athlete on top of pedigree and type, which is really important.”
The four-year-old entire’s owner-breeder Harvey, who is also a partner in Vinery, has promised to heavily support Hawaii Five Oh with a batch of his high-class Baramul Stud mares. They include Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Royal Descent (Redoute’s Choice), No Evidence Needed (Shamardal) – the dam of Te Akau’s recent Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winning colt Move To Strike (I Am Invincible) – two-time Listed winner Me Me Lagarde (Star Turn) who was covered by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) last year.
Baramul Stud’s racing and bloodstock manager Luke McDonald said Hawaii Five Oh had stood out from the pack from the time he was born.
“Frankly, he has Group 1 looks, a Group 1 pedigree and was a Group 1 performer,” McDonald said.
“With the quality this family produces, Gerry and I are extremely confident that breeders will reap the rewards in the sales ring.”
Orton added: “It is good to have someone like Gerry on board because they support the horse with very good mares but they also provide constant support for the horse.
“Every stallion needs constant support and then he follows through with them on the racetrack as well and Gerry is good at that.”
Hawaii Five Oh was retired by connections after finishing unplaced in the Star Kingdom (Gr 3, 1200m) at Rosehill on March 30, having banked $2.1 million in prize-money from his 13 starts. He arrived at Vinery Stud three days ago where he has “settled in like a champion”.
Vinery is expected to confirm the remainder of its 2024 roster and service fees in the near future for the likes of Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m) and Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Ole Kirk, who has had his first crop yearlings sell for up to $1 million at the Australian yearling sales this year, and Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Exceedance (Exceed And Excel).
Exceedance has made a promising start to his stud career with four individual first crop winners so far this season, including Pago Pago Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) and Maribyrnong Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) winner Dublin Down.
Mainstay All Too Hard (Casino Prince), the consistent Star Turn (Star Witness), Headwater (Exceed And Excel), whose two-year-old daughter Pure Aqua won the Without Fear Stakes (Listed, 1050m) at Morphettville last Saturday, and Casino Prince (Flying Spur) are also expected to return in 2024.