Written Tycoon reaches new heights with $165,000 fee, Tagaloa to stand for $33,000
Written Tycoon (Iglesia), on the verge of a possible maiden Australian general sires title, will stand for a career-high $165,000 (all fees inc GST) as the star stallion prepares for his return to Victoria and first season at Yulong Stud.
The Yuesheng Zhang-owned operation also last night revealed that Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) Tagaloa, the first son of Japan’s heir apparent to Deep Impact (Sunday Silence) in Lord Kanaloa (King Kamehameha) to go to stud in Australia, would stand at an introductory fee of $33,000 at the Nagambie farm.
Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega), Zhang’s European Group 1 winner, will also join the Yulong roster at a fee of $22,000 later this year.
Written Tycoon, who stood at Arrowfield Stud last year, trails the pensioned Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) by just $152,723 in the race for the 2020-21 sires’ championship with a margin over I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) and four-time title holder Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice).
“With his racetrack performances and what he has been able to achieve in the sales ring, Written Tycoon has justified his positioning among the leading stallions in Australia,” Yulong chief operating officer, Sam Fairgray said.
“It’s fantastic to have a horse of his quality here at the farm and there is certainly a lot of excitement here. We are really looking forward to the breeding season with him.”
Last month, Yulong pulled off a coup to secure the rising 19-year-old stallion, the sire of Group 1 winners Ole Kirk, Pippie and Odeum this season, after reaching a deal with then majority shareholder Sheriff Iskander to have Written Tycoon relocate from Arrowfield Stud back to Victoria this year.
From 2013 to 2019, Written Tycoon had been standing at Woodside Park Stud where his service fee rose from $13,750 to a previous high of $110,000 in 2018 and 2019 as his legacy gathered pace through the deeds of Group 1 winners Capitalist and Music Magnate. He stood for $77,000 at Arrowfield Stud last year.
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Tagaloa was officially retired after the All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) at Randwick on April 24, but his fee had not been confirmed until yesterday.
A Magic MIllions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate, Tagaloa won three of his 13 starts, a November two-year-old race at Moonee Valley, last year’s Blue Diamond Stakes and, importantly, the C S Hayes Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) at Flemington in February. He also ran third in the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at the same course two weeks later.
Fairgray is also excited about the arrival of Lucky Vega, who won last year’s Phoenix Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at the Curragh as a juvenile.
Trained by Jessica Harrington, three-year-old Lucky Vega ran third in Saturday’s 2000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) at Newmarket in his seasonal return and the Irish 2000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) is the colt’s likely next target.
“He’s a super looking horse, with a lot of strength and quality about him and a beautiful head. We are really excited to have a horse of his calibre join the roster this year,” he said.
“Lope De Vega has been a fantastic sire and to be able to have a Group 1-winning two-year-old son coming to Australia to stud is fantastic.
“He’ll be popular with that sireline, as we have seen it excel down here.”
Cantala Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Yulong Prince (Gimmethegreenlight), who also won at Grade 1 level in South Africa, as previously announced will stand for $9,900 in his first season at stud while Alabama Express’ (Redoute’s Choice) fee of $24,750 remains unchanged in his second year at stud.
Yulong’s foundation sire Grunt (O’Reilly) will also stand for an unchanged fee of $13,750 in 2021, his third year at stud.
“Of the six stallions we are standing, we have five Group 1 winners on the track and the other one is Written Tycoon, who has left multiple Group 1 winners himself,” Fairgray said.
“We have a diverse roster, with stallions at multiple price points and at different stages in their career.
“We look forward to welcoming breeders to Yulong to check them out in person.”
Yulong Stud roster
2021 2020
Written Tycoon (Iglesia) $165,000 $77,000 (at Arrowfield Stud)
Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa) $33,000 new
Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice) $24,750 unchanged
Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega) $22,000 new
Grunt (O’Reilly) $13,750 unchanged
Yulong Prince (Gimmethegreenlight) $9,900 new