Waikato Stud secures Super Seth
The three-year-old was a dominant winner of last month’s stallion–making race and will continue to be trained by Anthony Freedman, aiming for more Group 1 success on the track while existing managing owner Jonathan Munz will retain a 20 per cent share.
The remaining shareholders in the syndicate are some of New Zealand’s leading breeders which will add a depth of mares and support to Waikato Stud’s renowned broodmare band and client base.
“This is a big coup for our breeding industry and Super Seth will be one of the most valuable stallions to ever come to New Zealand,” Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick said in a press release.
“We have built our success buying stallions that work well with the New Zealand mare population and are well-performed at the highest level in Australia to appeal to Australian and international buyers.
“Dundeel’s results are incredible and his pedigree is the template of what has worked brilliantly with New Zealand broodmares, High Chaparral and Zabeel.
“Super Seth is also out of a Redoute’s Choice mare, the greatest Australian genetic influence of modern times and champion broodmare sire and that is going to work very well with our mares too, which are largely free of Danehill.
“The next broodmare sire back is Rory’s Jester, which adds further speed and precocity to the equation. On the sire side, what is really surprising and exciting for breeders, is that Dundeel is throwing horses that perform at stakes level as two-year-olds and then train on as older horses in Guineas and Derbies or at weight for age.”
Super Seth was purchased at the Australian Easter Yearling Sale by leading bloodstock agent Dean Hawthorne for $280,000 and was the highest–priced Dundeel (High Chaparral) colt of his year.
“He was an absolutely cracking yearling and I told Jonathan (Munz) we had to have him,” Hawthorne said.
“He has continued in that vein and everyone agreed he was an absolute standout in the yard on Guineas Day. It is a huge advantage when a stallion is such a wonderful type, which is what I always said about Zabeel and Redoute’s Choice.
“And of course, Waikato Stud and its syndicate are very smart getting on the Dundeel train early.”
Super Seth began his career with a six-length romp in a two-year-old maiden (1200m) at Ballarat and followed it up with a victory in a two-year-old handicap (1200m) at Caulfield.
He finished third in the ANZAC Day Stakes (Listed, 1400m) before heading out for a spell and returning to win the McNeil Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) first-up by a length and a quarter to kick off his spring campaign.
After running sixth in the Danehill Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) and fifth in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (Gr 3, 1400m), the colt unleashed a blistering turn of foot, much like the one of his sire, to come from back in the field and win the Caulfield Guineas.
He ran the final three furlongs of the race in 34.23 seconds, 0.7 seconds faster than that of Arrowfield Stud sire The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice) in the previous year, and made up five lengths on Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) in the final 100 metres to win by a nose.
Super Seth’s service fee and other standing details will be released by Waikato Stud upon his retirement from racing.