Yulong Stud is pleased to announce the 2022 service fees for its five stallions, headlined by the current reigning Australian Champion Sire, Written Tycoon.
Currently a close second on the Australian General Sires’ premiership by winners and with over $11 million in earnings this season, Written Tycoon continues to adds proven star quality to an exciting young roster and will stand the 2022 season for $165,000 inc GST (Live Foal Payment).
The career of Written Tycoon continues to get better with age. His standout progeny this season have delivered 12 stakes wins, include brilliant performances from elite fillies Coolangatta and Enthaar. His profile as an emerging sire of sires continues to grow, with Capitalist an exciting stallion on the rise, Written By yearlings selling for up to $410,000, and Ole Kirk, one of the most popular young sires in the Hunter Valley.
Written Tycoon’s yearlings continue to be hot commodities in the sale ring, averaging over $325,00 and selling for up to $1.4 million in 2022. Next sales season will see the yearlings from his Hunter Valley crop enter the ring, where he was well-supported by Arrowfield and many of the best breeders in the country.
That support continued to his next crop, where he covered some of Australasia’s most prolific mares during his first season at Yulong Stud, including 14-time G1 winning Melody Belle, top sprinters In Her Time and Viddora, Greysful Glamour, and elite juvenile Catch Me, amongst others.
“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.
“He was warmly received back into the Victorian breeding ranks last season and we are looking forward to another exciting breeding season with him, supporting him with top mares,” he said.
Tagaloa retired from the track as a Group 1-winning two-year-old and Group-winning three-year-old after brilliant victories in the 2020 G1 Blue Diamond Stakes and 2021 G3 CS Hayes Stakes. Blue Diamond Stakes winners are establishing a strong record at stud, such as 2021 Champion First Season Sire Extreme Choice, popular sire Star Witness and multiple Champion Redoute’s Choice.
Super sire Lord Kanaloa has assumed the mantle of top active stallion in Japan and a superb sire of sprinters. His first son to stand in Australia, Tagaloa was popular with breeders in his first season at stud in 2021 and well supported by Yulong, covering a strong book of mares including G1 winner Miss Sentimental, and Group winners Gregers, Neena Rock and Mamwaazel. He has his service fee set at $30,250 inc GST.
“Given his profile and great looks, we are confident Tagaloa will leave good-looking foals that will give breeders the opportunity to get a strong return in the sale ring,” Fairgray said.
“Yulong has an exceptional broodmare band and Tagaloa has been well-supported to ensure he has every opportunity to start on the right note.”
Alabama Express stands his third season at $22,000 inc GST after covering quality mares in his first two seasons. Feedback from breeders has been exceptional regarding the quality of types produced from his first crop foals.
By Redoute’s Choice, Alabama Express has inherited quality looks from his sire and follows a rich history of sireline descendants which include Not A Single Doubt, Extreme Choice, Snitzel, Shamus Award and Stratum. Like exceptional sire Beneteau, he also hails from an Encosta de Lago mare.
“We have been so impressed by the foals Alabama Express has produced in his first crop. He has certainly stamped them as we’d expect from a son of Redoute’s Choice,” said Fairgray. “We look forward to introducing his first crop of weanlings at the Inglis Weanling Sale and Magic Millions Weanling Sale in May.”
G1 Phoenix Stakes winner and third in the Group 1 Newmarket 2000 Guineas, Lucky Vega (Ire) is the first Group 1-winning son of elite sprint sire Lope de Vega to stand in Australia and remains his only Group 1-winning juvenile over 1200m. Taking advantage of the exquisite Lope de Vega x Fastnet Rock cross that produced top sprinters Santa Ana Lane and Gytrash, mares covered in Lucky Vega’s debut Australian season include the G1 winner Unforgotten and Miss Barley, dam of Gytrash.
Following a successful season in Europe at the Irish National Stud where he covered a full book, Lucky Vega is set to stand his second Yulong season at a fee of $19,250 inc GST.
Yulong’s foundation stallion Grunt (NZ) stands his fourth season unchanged at $13,750 inc GST. His first yearlings made a huge impression at the 2022 sales, selling for up to $300,000 and averaging over $100,000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
His first 2-year-olds will emerge this spring from top stables including Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Racing, Gai & Adrian Bott Racing, Chris Waller Racing, John O’Shea Racing, Greg Eurell Racing, Freedman Racing, Grahame Begg Racing, Dabernig Racing, Busuttin Racing, Danny O’Brien Racing, Brad Widdup Racing, Cumani Racing and McEvoy Mitchell Racing.
“I’ve been really impressed with Grunt’s first crop of yearlings, he was a great racehorse and is putting substance into his progeny,” said Ciaron Maher, who bought the Grunt x Cinematic filly at the 2022 Magic Millions Yearling Sale in January for $300,000.
“Grunt really appeals to us, as a Victorian stallion, an outstanding 3-year-old who trained on and provides really good value for us as Victorian and Sydney trainers looking for that more middle distance style of horse that people are looking to get involved in,” David Eustace.Grunt is a profitable horse for breeders, and his sale results this year has proven even more so and a great opportunity for breeders to gain a great return on their investment. He’s an outcross, an easy horse to mate to.
“While we are delighted that Grunt’s yearlings have sold so well this year, the most exciting endorsement is the quality of judges who purchased them and the high-quality stables they’ll be heading to,” said Fairgray. “It ensures Grunt has every chance to succeed.”
“We are happy to support the Victorian breeding industry, and have set our fees so that breeders have the opportunity to receive a healthy return from their investments. Grunt’s sale results this year, have shown just that, with his first crop of Magics yearlings averaging $100,000 off a service fee of just $12,500, so this is an opportunity not to miss.”
The Yulong stallions for the 2022 breeding season are:
- Written Tycoon – $165,000 inc. GST (Live Foal Payment)
- Tagaloa – $30,250 inc. GST
- Alabama Express – $22,000 inc. GST
- Lucky Vega – $19,250 inc. GST
- Grunt – $13,750 inc. GST
For more information, please contact Sam Fairgray on 0418 427 568, Troy Stephens on 0455 316 666, or Harry King on 0457 496 666.
