Coolmore has hinted that Justify’s champion northern hemisphere four-time Group 1-winning son City Of Troy could shuttle to Australia later this year.
The biggest indication yet that the regally bred City Of Troy, a Dewhurst Stakes, Epsom Derby, Eclipse and International winner in a brief but brilliant eight-start racing career, could join Coolmore’s roster of colonial and overseas sire power at Jerrys Plains emerged after the operation paid $1.15 million for broodmare Fashion Faux Pas on Inglis Digital on Wednesday.
The US-bred American stakes winner was sold via the online platform a fortnight after her second foal, a colt by Snitzel, was bought by Coolmore’s Tom Magnier for $1.7 million at the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast a fortnight ago.
Coolmore Australia stud manager Justin Carey confirmed that Fashion Faux Pas would join the broodmare band in the Hunter Valley where she would be in paddocks alongside the likes of champion mare Sunlight, herself the dam of the recent Magic Millions record-breaking $3.2 million Home Affairs filly.
With Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Switzerland, himself a son of Snitzel, and Zoustar colt Espionage to retire to Coolmore Australia this year, the Hunter Valley nursery has no shortage of young sires suitable for Fashion Faux Pas, a US$310,000 purchase at the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale by agents James Harron and US-based expatriate Australian Byron Rogers.
While Royal Ascot-bound Switzerland and Black Caviar Lightning contender Espionage as well as Golden Slipper winner Shinzo and Home Affairs are all suitable matings for Fashion Faux Pas, it was City Of Troy that excited Carey most if Coolmore’s John Magnier gave the final tick of approval for the stallion to get on a plane from Ireland later this year.
“She's a lovely mare and if the boss decides to send City Of Troy down here, she'd be a dream mare for him,” Carey told The Straight.
If the former Aidan O'Brien trainee City Of Troy, who is standing his first season at a fee of €75,000 (A$124,600) at Coolmore in Ireland, does shuttle to Australia he could provide immediate access to the Justify sireline to Australian breeders.
Australia’s champion first-season sire in 2022-23, unbeaten US Triple Crown winner Justify shuttled to Australia for three successive seasons from 2019 to 2021 before being rested in 2022. He returned in 2023, covering 188 mares, but as his value skyrocketed in the northern hemisphere the decision was made to keep him at Ashford Stud in Kentucky for the last southern hemisphere breeding season.
He instead covered a number of mares to southern hemisphere time.
The sale of Fashion Faux Pas, meanwhile, brought to an end a sales ring bonanza for the mare’s owners Belinda Bateman, Rob Love, Philip and Glenda Mehrten and the Doyle family who decided to cash in on the sentiment surrounding their valuable thoroughbred commodity.
“Our broodmare partnership is a relatively young venture, with our focus always firmly on quality,’’ Harron said.
“We have expanded into the American market, having identified a promising trend in the on-track success of progeny from these mares. Fashion Faux Pas exemplified the vision and standards we strive for. Her Snitzel colt, which sold earlier this year for $1.7 million to Coolmore, was undoubtedly one of the standout colts of the year and her Extreme Choice filly foal is also excellent.
City Of Troy winning the Dewhurst Stakes. (Vision: YouTube)
“Our strategy will be to continue to turn over these mares, and we are hopeful that Fashion Faux Pas will become a blue hen for Coolmore. They are achieving great success, and their hard work and dedication make it well deserved."
Fashion Faux Pas, who is back in foal to Snitzel, was imported to Australia and mated to then-Coolmore first-season sire King’s Legacy, a colt raced by Harron’s colts partnership to win the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes and Champagne Stakes at two, before being sent to champion sire Snitzel in her second season at stud.
“She's a lovely mare and if the boss decides to send City Of Troy down here, she'd be a dream mare for him,” Coolmore Australia's Justin Carey
Her first foal, a filly, was sold for $110,000 at the 2024 Magic Millions sale to Graham and Linda Huddy’s Peachester Lodge.
She has a weanling filly by Extreme Choice who has so far been retained by her owners.
