Yulong is proud to present a seven-stallion roster brimming with exceptional young sirepower for the 2023 breeding season.
Sam Fairgray, Yulong Operations Manager, said the pricing strategy for the season was focused on providing exceptional value for breeders.
“We are delighted to present a diverse roster that combines some of the best global sirelines at value fees that breeders can capitalise on commercially,” said Fairgray.
“The support we show with our own elite broodmare band should give breeders total confidence that our stallions are provided every opportunity to succeed; not just in their first two seasons, but right through the unproven years.”
This support is exemplified by Grunt (NZ) who, from just a handful of runners to date, has already unearthed a stallion prospect of his own in the Yulong-bred Veight. The brilliant juvenile became his sire’s first winner when bursting onto the scene with a six-length maiden win in February, before a dominant success in the G2 Sires’ Produce S. at Flemington last month. The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained colt looks destined for a big 3-year-old campaign next season.
With smart debuts from Rhythm Of Love and Our Cracklin Rosie, and given the improvement that Grunt himself made from two to three, there is plenty of excitement around this young stallion as crops emerge from Yulong’s elite mares, and his oldest crop enter their classic year.
Grunt will stand the 2023 season for $22,000 (inc GST).
Earlier this month it was announced that Yulong’s burgeoning roster would be bolstered by the arrival of multiple Group 1 winner Pierata.
“It’s fantastic to have such an exciting young sire join the team,” Fairgray said. “When Pierata won the Sydney Stakes he ran a faster time than Redzel did in The Everest that day – he was a very good sprinter and a very tough competitor.
“He’s been well supported in his first few seasons, which is a fantastic platform from which to launch his Victorian career.”
Pierata’s first yearlings sold for up to $800,000 this year, allowing him to be crowned leading first-season sire by aggregate at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The popular son of Pierro will stand at $44,000 (inc GST), an unchanged fee from his first three seasons in New South Wales and Queensland.
The second new addition to the Yulong roster for the 2023 breeding season is Diatonic (JPN), who will be introduced at a fee of $13,750 (inc GST).
A son of Lord Kanaloa (JPN), who currently sits atop the Japanese Sires’ Premiership, Diatonic is from a Sunday Silence (USA) mare and bred on the same cross as two-time Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (JPN) (Lord Kanaloa {JPN}). He was twice a winner of the G2 Swan Stakes in his native Japan, the same race won by Rich Hill Stud’s exciting Group 1-producing stallion Satono Aladdin (JPN) (Deep Impact {JPN}).
“Physically, Diatonic looks like an Australian sprinter; he’s got a big hind-end and shoulder on him, so breeders should be confident that he will produce a lovely type,” described Fairgray.
“He’s going to be coming off the back of Tagaloa, another son of Lord Kanaloa, having his first couple of crops racing. If Tagaloa’s juveniles take off like we think they will, then Diatonic’s progeny will be very popular at the yearling sales.”
Tagaloa and Lucky Vega (IRE) will have their first weanlings go under the hammer at Riverside Stables on Monday as the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale gets underway. Both sires offer the best in global sirelines coupled with juvenile brilliance and will be standing for superb value in 2023.
Tagaloa, a son of Japanese sprint star and elite sire Lord Kanaloa (JPN), was a dazzling winner of the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes, and is stamping his progeny with his good looks.
After covering 340 mares in his first two seasons and earning the title of Victoria’s busiest sire last season, Tagaloa will be offered to breeders for $27,500 (inc GST) for the upcoming season.
Lucky Vega (IRE), winner of the G1 Phoenix Stakes in Ireland when beating St Mark’s Basilica and Laws Of Indices, has been exceptionally well-supported in his first two seasons in both hemispheres. The powerful and attractive son of Lope De Vega (IRE) is out of a Cape Cross (IRE) mare, combining the bloodlines of two of the best Southern Hemisphere shuttle stallions.
After covering elite mares such as Unforgotten (Fastnet Rock) and Miss Barley (Fastnet Rock), dam of Gytrash (Lope De Vega {IRE}), in his first two seasons, Lucky Vega will stand for $16,500 (inc GST) in 2023.
Following exceptional results from his debut crop at the yearling sales earlier in the year, all eyes will be on the first 2-year-olds by Alabama Express in the new season.
The son of Redoute’s Choice finished the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale as the leading first-season sire by average, including a top price of $400,000 for the colt purchased by Alabama Express’ own buyer Paul Moroney, in partnership with Ballymore Stables Australia and Catheryne Bruggeman.
After viewing the first crop of consistent quality types thrown by Alabama Express, Moroney declared the young sire as “a serious stallion to follow”.
A winner of the G1 CF Orr S., just like his breed-shaping sire, Alabama Express will stand the 2023 breeding season at an unchanged fee of $22,000 (inc GST).
Written Tycoon will stand for a private fee this breeding season as the rising 21-year-old enters the twilight of a brilliant stallion career that will likely see the best yet to come.
“Written Tycoon is a Champion in every way, and we are taking special care of him as he ages,” said Fairgray.
“Only a handful of outside mares will be bred to him this season. Written Tycoon has been a fantastic stallion and if we can keep breeding some nice foals by him then we’ll be thrilled.”
Royal Ascot-bound multiple Group 1-winning daughter Coolangatta is continuing to fly his flag at the very top level, and only two stallions have sired more Australian winners so far this season.
The Champion Sire has a bumper 2-year-old crop coming through next season and has served the cream of Yulong’s broodmare band over the last two years, so the future is most exciting for Written Tycoon.
2023 Yulong Stallions
| Pierata | $44,000 |
| Tagaloa | $27,500 |
| Alabama Express | $22,000 |
| Grunt | $22,000 |
| Lucky Vega | $16,500 |
| Diatonic | $13,750 |
| Written Tycoon | Private |
