Rosemont reduces fees for existing stallions, Doull introduced at $11,000

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Rewarding their supporters by lowering the fees of each of their four existing stallions whilst offering a first season sire at a reasonable fee, Rosemont is - said Anthony Mithen “acknowledging the industry is in a tough period.”

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“We want to be truly genuine in our approach to providing ‘value for money,’” he said, proud to announce that the handsome Doull joins Shamus Award, Extreme Warrior, Hanseatic and Strasbourg at the picturesque Gnarwarre property.

Making his debut at a fee of $11,000 (inc GST), Doull has another Snitzel horse to look up to at Rosemont - the well and truly proven Shamus Award whose fee drops down sizeably from $60,500 to $38,500.

Meanwhile the speedy Extreme Choice horse Extreme Warrior stands at $16,500 down from $27,500, the well related Hanseatic also $16,500 as opposed to $17,600 last year whilst Strasbourg - who was $8800 last year - is listed as private.

And each stallion have payment on live foal terms.

Drooling over Doull

Catching the eye from the start, it took $1.2 million for the Rosemont Victorian Alliance and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) to secure Doull at the 2021 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

And he hit the ground running for them - at his debut down the famed Flemington straight showing not only speed but talent, never in any doubt as he raced 2.75l clear of his rivals as favourite on the back of good jump-out form.

In the thick of things at his next two starts in Group company - including a G2 Danehill S. fourth behind Giga Kick (Scissor Kick), Doull continued to race well towards last spring, at his latest outing taking out the G2 Caulfield Sprint.

He did not have his own way in that 1000-metre contest but he showed plenty of heart shaking off his rivals - recording smart sectionals, running his last 600 metres in 33.1 seconds.

“He has always shown above average ability and has matured into a horse with the most beautiful temperament,” trainer Annabel Neasham enthused.

“He has got tactical speed and is just so professional.”

“He is the most beautiful animal and he matches this with Group 1 speed and the best attitude for a colt - he can carve out some astonishing sectionals when we let him rip.”

Doull - who has a Queensland winter campaign to come - is one of his four-time Champion Sire Snitzel’s 32 stallions.

That horse has already well and truly proven his worth as a sire of sires - 28 of his sons siring winners, 15 of those represented by stakes winners - 10 by Group 1 winners.

Doull was bred by Shadwell Stud whose Angus Gold was sad to see him go - “he is simply a stunning type and the one horse I most regretted having to sell in our dispersal.”

“If he passes on his looks and tremendous speed he will have every chance of making a serious stallion.”

Brilliantly fast

Described by Anthony Mithen as “brilliantly fast and magnificent looking,” Doull is, he said, a great example of the breed.

“I can’t think of a better type by Snitzel,” he said, adding that “I am confident when breeders have the opportunity to see Doull they will be as taken with him as we are.”

Bred on the successful Snitzel/Storm Cat (USA) and Snitzel/Redoute’s Choice crosses, Doull is out of the speedy mare Bulbula (Shamardal {USA}). A Listed winner at two and three-time Group 3-placed, she is also dam of the Group 3 winner Aryaaf (Epaulette).

So taken by the family, Rosemont purchased not only Doull as a yearling but also his dam - Bulbula also secured from the Shadwell dispersal; fetching $1.35 million. And for $800,000 they bought Aryaaf as well.

Served last spring by Starspangledbanner with her latest foal, a yearling full brother to Doull, sold to MG Price Racing and Breeding for $500,000 at Inglis Easter.

A half-sister to the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders S. winner Khulaasa (Epaulette), Bulbula is one of the six winners produced by the dual Listed winner Taameer (NZ) (General Nediym) whose multiple city-winning half-sister Lake Como (NZ) (Pins) is dam of last year’s G2 Sweet Embrace S. winner Lazzago (Capitalist).

This has been a big producing family for generations, Doull also able to boast amongst his relations the Group 1 horses Brief Truce (USA), Pour Moi (Ire), Lammtarra (USA), Act One (GB), Hector Protector (USA), Shanghai (USA) and Bosra Sham (USA) (Woodman {USA}).

Cox Plate winner continues to shine

Heading into his 11th year at stud, the G1 WS Cox Plate and G1 Australian Guineas hero Shamus Award must, Mithen said “rank as one of the more attractive options for breeders this year.”

“He boasts (more) superior stakes winner stats than most commercial stallions in Victoria and his ability to sire a high-class Group 1 winner has him amongst the very best stallions Australia wide.”

“He is unquestionably one of the country’s best upgrading stallions.”

With 25 stakes winners amongst his 239 winners, Shamus Award has done a great job with his six Group 1 winners including two particularly outstanding gallopers - the recently retired Duais and the oh so talented Incentivise; those two horses winning six Group 1s between them.

Defeating the boys in the G1 Levin Classic in January, the exciting 3-year-old Quintessa (NZ) is Shamus Award’s latest topliner and there is more to come with Shamus Award’s books over the last four seasons averaging 170 mares.

Which gives Shamus Award, Mithen said “obvious upside off an appealling fee.”

Extremely Talented

It is another sizable price drop for Extreme Warrior who stands his third season at $16,500 (incl GST) having been $24,750 in his first year and $19,800 last spring.

“He has had the support of some of Australia’s most successful breeders,” Mithen said, “and so this year presents a great opportunity to capitalize on that support.”

The highest rated 3-year-old son of Extreme Choice - a horse Mithen describes as “freakish” - Extreme Warrior created a good impression winning three of his eight starts including the G3 Blue Sapphire S. and the Listed Bel Esprit S.

Competitive in the early stakes races, Extreme Warrior was all the better at three and Matthew Hill’s call of his Blue Sapphire win is one well remembered by connections - “this is going to be a demolition!” he cheered.

Describing Extreme Warrior’s first foals as “sharp and stylish,” Mithen is looking forward to the second crop for the horse who hails from a tough local family.

A half-brother to the Listed winner Thrillster (Starspangledbanner), Extreme Warrior is out of the Show A Heart mare Heart Of Thrills - a three-quarter sister to the stakes winners Gotta Have Heart (Show A Heart) and Crossyourheart (Show A Heart); the latter being dam of the G3 Ming Dynasty H. winner Swear.

The Hong Kong-based Group 1 sprinter All Thrills Too (St Covet) is also a member of this family and Heart Of Thrills has as her grandam the dual Group winner Soleil Rouge (NZ) (Red Tempo {NZ}).

A lovely Street Boss

Whilst not everyone can afford Anamoe, there is another lovely son of the high-achieving Street Boss (USA) at stud - the handsome chestnut Hanseatic whose fee drops from $17,600 to $16,500.

With three big books coming through, the horse who was talented and precious enough to win a Group 3 and two Listed events at two - going so close when just beaten by Tagaloa in the G1 Blue Diamond S., is bound to again appeal to broodmare owners.

“He has been hugely popular with breeders and in the sales ring,” said Mithen - pointing out that his first crop of yearlings purchased by the likes of Damon Gabbedy, Anthony & Sam Freedman, Lindsay Park, Peter Moody and Griffiths de Kock sold for up to $375,000.

“It was no surprise that he was the most patronized first-season sire in Victorian breeding history,” Mithen said of Hanseatic who hails from one of Victoria’s most popular and successful families.

A half-brother to the recent Listed winner Austmarr (Exosphere) and to the dam of the Group 3-winning juvenile Krakarib (Ribchester {Ire}), Hanseatic is out of the winning Exceed And Excel mare Itameri whose grandam is the wonderful influence Scandinavia (Snippets).

That two-time Group-winning, four-time Group 1 placegetter has proven to be an outstanding matriarch - dam of the Group 1-winning successful stallion Magnus and grandam of the mighty Black Caviar.

“His trainer Anthony Freedman described him as ‘dynamite’ and with the books he has served he is perfectly set up to make a fast and immediate impact at stud,” Mithen said.

“And so it shapes as a smart pay to consider Hanseatic in 2024.”

Value for money

Also standing I Am Invincible’s G2 BRC Sires’ Produce S. winner Strasbourg whose promising first-crop runners include the stakes placed Flying Straz, Mithen is keen to help breeders out in what he describes as “a challenging period.”

“It is particularly so for those breeders in the middle market and we are steadfast in our commitment to not just saying it, but by offering genuine value for money. We have elected to reduce the fees on all of our current stallions despite some significant results both on the track and in the sales ring.”

Table: Rosemont Stud's stallion roster for 2024