Armidale Stud has turned to high-class juvenile Bodyguard to help rejuvenate Tasmania’s breeding and racing industry, with the son of I Am Invincible’s acquisition described as a coup for the state.
David Whishaw’s more than three-year quest to find a new stallion on which Armidale and Tasmanian breeding could rebuild ended this week when the studmaster signed a deal to buy the two-time stakes-winning two-year-old.
“We're bloody excited. We've been looking for three seasons for a stallion, but we just haven't found one that fitted the bill for us,” the Armidale principal said.
“He's been on the watch list for us for a while, and when he became available, we were very much on the front foot.
“It's taken a while to get the deal done, but it's been worth the wait, I think.”
Bodyguard burst onto the scene last season, winning the Listed Maribyrnong Trial at Flemington as an October two-year-old before returning to Melbourne in February last year to win the Blue Diamond Prelude.
The victory saw the James Harron partnership-raced and Peter Snowden-trained colt was pushing for favouritism in the Blue Diamond, only for the two-year-old to be controversially scratched by Racing Victoria veterinarians on the eve of the Group 1 race.
Bodyguard subsequently returned to Sydney and ran fourth in the Group 2 Todman Stakes, won by Group 1-winning colt Switzerland, before contesting last year’s Golden Slipper, which was taken out by Lady Of Camelot.
Armidale Stud has been home to Encosta De Lago stallion Needs Further for the past 12 years while Alpine Eagle has resided at the Whishaws’ property for the past eight seasons.
Bodyguard, who was retired after two starts as a spring three-year-old due to a non-heriditary issue, will lead the roster at a fee of $8,800 (inc GST).
“He's just strong, well-balanced, great hindquarter, a good shoulder, nice head, just a nice size, he's 16 hands, so he's just well put together and he looks like a sprinter,” Whishaw said.
“I think the fact that he ran early is what we need for the market.
“Obviously, if he wins (the Blue Diamond), he's suddenly worth $20 million, and we don't get a look in. But I guess for us it's probably luck that he was scratched because he was a red-hot chance in that race.”
Out of Tumooh, a Fastnet Rock daughter of Golden Slipper winner Mossfun and a half-sister to Group 3 winner Dajraan, Bodyguard was a $1.6 million purchase by Harron from Emirates Park, who bred the colt and retained a share in him when in training.
In a further boost for Armidale and the Tasmanian industry, Emirates Park will keep a 25 per cent share in Bodyguard and support him at stud.
“It's great for Armidale and the Tasmanian industry to get a stallion this calibre. We're going to try and support the stallion, and support the Tasmanian industry, but also try to get his progeny to the mainland as well,” Emirates Park general manager Bryan Carlson told The Straight.
“We want to give him every chance, not just the first year, but every year to try and make a stallion. You've got to do it the right way and support them (all the way through).”
Parsons Creek’s Marc De Stoop, a long-term member of the Harron colts fund, is also keeping a share in Bodyguard and Whishaw says the mainland support is vital to give the rising four-year-old a strong book of mares early in his career.
“(Emirates) have done the same with Tassort, and obviously that’s really helped Tassort get off on the right leg,” Whishaw said.
“And having such a big and successful breeding operation like Emirates wanting to stay in the horse and support the horse, I think is huge and it should give a lot of other breeders confidence as well.”
Whishaw hopes Tasmania’s breeders, along with broodmare owners from the mainland, get behind Bodyguard.
“He's an outstanding-looking individual and I would hope that every Tasmanian breeder would seriously consider sending a mare for him,” he said.
“We'll obviously be on the phone over the next couple of weeks speaking to most of the local breeders, but I would think he'll sell himself pretty well.
“And I'm certain once they see him in the flesh, if his pedigree and race record doesn't quite get them across the line, by the time they see him physically, I would hope it would.
“Physically, he's just going to be an easy stallion to mate to because he's so well put together, so well balanced and such a lovely individual.”
Bren O’Brien
