We were lucky to have Caroline Searcy hosting our 2022 stallion parade, and below she gives us her take on a wonderful day.
I was so thrilled to have been able to host the Yulong Parade for Sam Fairgray and the team as it’s great to see the investment Mr Zhang is making in Victoria and also on a global scale. The fruits of that were borne out just recently with the success of Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Irish Oaks in the now famous green and white checked colours, having started of course in Ireland’s Phoenix Stakes, with Yulong’s first Group 1 winner Lucky Vega (Ire).
The parade was held on a beautiful, wintry Victorian morning with a blue sky welcome and the stallions were expertly handled with everything done and dusted – thankfully before the approach of the looming dark clouds at the end of the parade!
The parade attracted a great turnout, I know 300 were expected and from where I was standing as host it certainly looked to be that number. There were local breeders and breeders and trainers who had come from other parts of the state, a real indication of the strength of the Victorian breeding industry.
The stallions were fabulous, and I was so impressed to see their great temperaments on display, given they wouldn’t have paraded in front of this number of people for some time. Other than a half rear here or there when the wind blew up they were absolute professionals and that’s a real commendation not only to the horses themselves, but also the Yulong stallion team.
It was great to see Tagaloa who I think is such a quality-looking thoroughbred which will undoubtedly be passed on to his first foals arriving this year. We see so many speed stallions in Australia who are built with that real colonial physique, the huge backend and a really thick, nuggetty middle that he’s quite a refreshing type as a Blue Diamond winner. He has that little bit more leg and length about him but also the power behind and looks to have more versatility than the pure speed stallion.
The fact that he could place in a G1 Australian Guineas, which is the elite 3-year-old Classic for the milers in the autumn in Melbourne indicates that with his great Japanese bloodlines, we’re likely to see his progeny not only show elite speed as he did at two, but also improve as 3-year-olds and beyond.
Lucky Vega is absolutely stunning. Being the first Group 1 winner in the Yulong colours makes him a real favourite for the team. His sire Lope De Vega (Ire) and grand-sire Shamardal (USA) weren’t in Australia very long but Lope De Vega in particular has four Group 1 winners here and his young sire son in New Zealand, Belardo (Ire) is already finding good success in this part of the world. Lucky Vega is also a great outcross being from a Cape Cross (Ire) mare, meaning he provides a great opportunity for the very best of the Danehill (USA)-line mares.
Alabama Express had a great pedigree update yesterday with his close relation Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) winning the Vain Stakes and he’s an outstanding son of Redoute’s Choice and I’ve always had a soft spot for Grunt (NZ) as a Kiwi-bred foundation stallion for Yulong Farm from the Ocean Park (NZ) family.
It was wonderful to see Written Tycoon back in Victoria. He was crowned Champion Australian Sire two seasons ago and that was off the back of books he had covered in Victoria. Since then his season in the Hunter Valley where he covered some truly elite mares will also provide plenty of upside for anyone breeding to him this season, as those foals will be hitting the track as this crop is coming through the sales’ ring!
Without doubt Written Tycoon was a big drawcard as a Champion Sire for many of those attending the Yulong parade day but I know speaking to many breeders after they’d seen all five stallions, the Yulong phones will be ringing off the hooks with bookings in coming days!
Mr Zhang’s investment not only in Victoria but across Australasia is a huge benefit to the entire industry and I haven’t even mentioned their incredible outlay on broodmares in recent years- Viddora (I Am Invincible), Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands), Hungry Heart (Frankel {GB}) are just a few household names on the farm near Nagambie and I can’t wait to see the Yulong success continue to grow through their outstanding stallions and broodmares in the years to come.
Article courtesy of TDN Australia New Zealand, written by Caroline Searcy.
