Yulong has built its stallion roster to 11 and added a third new face to the 2025 line-up, confirming Group 2-winning son of Written Tycoon, First Settler, would start his breeding career at the Victorian farm.
First Settler has won three of his six starts for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, including the Group 2 Danehill Stakes, where he defeated subsequent Group 1 Goodwood winner Reserve Bank.
He also won a pair of two-year-old metropolitan races and was runner-up behind his now Yulong barnmate Growing Empire in the Listed Poseidon Stakes.
He joins the roster, which also includes his own sire, at a price of $11,000 (inc GST).
“First Settler was a big, strong, forward colt with a great temperament from day one,” Yulong Chief Operating Officer Sam Fairgray said.
“He is by a Champion Sire, out of a fast Street Cry mare, and from a family full of Group 1 performers.
“On the track, he had blistering speed and toughness, and he’s exactly the type of athletic, precocious horse that breeders love. We believe he offers exceptional value, starting his career at a similar affordable fee to his father.”
Co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr described the colt as, “a very good straight horse, a good, masculine sprinting colt.”
A $750,000 yearling from the Baramul Stud draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, First Settler is out of Graciousness, a Street Cry half-sister to Vinery Stud stallion and Group 1 producer Casino Prince.
But the recently pensioned Casino Prince is not the only stallion on the pedigree page, with Coolmore’s Best Of Bordeaux out of another half-sister as is Oaklands Stud’s Prince Fawaz.
Graciousness has produced three winners from as many runners, including the stakes winning Snitzel filly Vienna Princess.
He becomes the tenth son of Written Tycoon to stand at stud in Australia, a list that includes leading first-season sire Ole Kirk, as well as Newgate’s Capitalist, who sired the winner of Saturday’s Goodwood.
The other two new faces on Yulong’s roster are Growing Empire and American shuttler More Than Looks.
Yulong has also secured shares in three other future stallion prospects this autumn, G1 Galaxy winner Private Harry, G1 Inglis Sires’ victor Vinrock as well as Group 2-winning three year old, Angel Capital.
It also minted another future resident of the stallion barn in Blue Diamond Stakes winner Devil Night, a son of Extreme Choice it purchased as a yearling.
Tim Rowe
