IT’s foaling time again – 2016 style. During my recent Hunter Valley visit I found 2014 Golden Slipper winner Mossfun with her first foal, a filly by champion sire Fastnet Rock at foot, at her owners’ property, Emirates Park, Murrurundi.
By Vinery stud-based sire Mossman, Mossfun won four of nine starts, three at Group level, including the 2014 Golden Slipper Stakes-G1, earning more than $2.5 million.
Young sires based in the Upper Hunter Valley expecting first foals this season include Irish-bred Choisir bay Olympic Glory (at Arrowfield Stud, Scone), Sidestep (Exceed And Excel) and Shooting To Win (Northern Meteor, at Godolphin, Aberdeen); Deep Field (Northern Meteor, at Newgate Farm, Aberdeen); and Rubick (Encosta de Lago, at Coolmore, Jerrys Plains).
In the Southern Districts, young sire The Brothers War is expecting his first crop foals this season.
By in-form Danzig world sire War Front, The Brothers War stands at the Lamont family’s Koorginal Stud near Wagga Wagga and who will be hosting a stallion parade on Sunday, September 18.
While produced from a classic staying family, The Brothers War was blessed with plenty of speed, being a stakes winner in France and was placed in 10 of his 13 starts from 1000 to 1400 metres on turf in Europe and America. The Brothers War’s dam is triple stakes winner Moon Queen, daughter of the all-conquering Sadler’s Wells.
Also standing a season in France earlier this year, Sidestep was a two and three-year-old Sydney Group 2 winner. Also second in the Golden Slipper Stakes-G1 (to Overreach) Sidestep earned over $1.3m.
He served 134 mares at his first Australian season last year. Among his first foals born include a filly foal from Octagonal’s stakes winner and stakes producer Hosannah. Other mares to foal include former Barbara Joseph-trained wonder-mare Delabombell, a winner of nine races.
Among first foals expected for a Queensland-based sire includes Better Than Ready, who stands his second season at the Kruger family’s Lyndhurst Stud. Serving 138 mares at his first season, Better Than Ready provides breeders with a More Than Ready alternative to Widden Stud’s high-flyer Sebring.
Among the first foals born by Better Than Ready was a colt on August 1 to winning Rubiton mare Weekend Surprise (dam of Melbourne stakes winner Dan Baroness).
Better Than Ready won eight races (from 16 starts) including four stakes – one in Sydney and three in Brisbane, earning almost $500,000. Also third in the BTC Cup-G1 at Brisbane, he had two other placings and a Group 2 fourth in Melbourne.
