In this edition of Rowe On Monday, Tim Rowe finds out how many studs are chasing unbeaten juvenile Rivellino. He also chats to the British-based part-owner of Feroce and provides an insight into the early response to Henry Longfellow, a newcomer to the Australian stallion ranks in 2025.
Rivellino in studs' crosshairs as stallion deal looms
The old saying that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush is ringing true for the connections of unbeaten colt Rivellino who is on the fourth line of betting for the Golden Slipper.
For that reason, it’s short odds that a stud deal for the Kris Lees-trained Inglis Millennium and last-start Group 2 Skyline Stakes winner will be signed, sealed and delivered before the $5 million Slipper on March 22.
Interest from studs to buy into Too Darn Hot colt Rivellino, who took his record to three wins from as many starts with his victory at Randwick at the weekend, has intensified but co-owner Peter O’Brien says connections won’t rush negotiations.
“We've had five stallion farms enquire about him,” Segenhoe general manager O’Brien says.
“I spoke to Kris, and because Edward Throsby owns most of him, we're not doing anything at the moment.
“We're under no pressure, and I gave the same answer to all the stallion farms. I said, ‘look, we'll just let the dust settle and then, as a group, we'll have a chat next week’.”
What that deal would look like, be it outright purchase or buying equity in Rivellino is still to be determined.
One thing for sure is there will be huge kicker payments attached to any deal for Rivellino, be it a multimillion bonus if he was to win the Slipper and/or a two-year-old Group 1 race such as the ATC Sires’ Produce or Champagne.
The Golden Rose and Coolmore Stud Stakes, signature three-year-old spring Group 1 races in Sydney and Melbourne respectively, would also likely form part of any bonus payments structured into a stallion deal.
Bred by Scott Murray and Brian and Pat Ireland out of their stakes-performed So You Think city winner Intrinsic, the Segenhoe-born and raised Rivellino is by Darley’s Too Darn Hot, the same sire as Broadsiding and nine other southern hemisphere-bred stakes winners from just two crops of racing age.
It was the Segenhoe connection which led to O’Brien taking a share in the colt alongside the horse’s breeders who also retained a share after he was sold for $180,000 at last year’s Inglis Classic sale to the colt’s trainer and agent Justin Bahen.
Bren O’Brien
“They (the breeders) had the mother, the grandmother, and the great-grandmother, I think. He was born with us at Segenhoe and he was the image of the stallion and I mean spitting image,” O’Brien says in comparing Rivellino and Too Darn Hot.
“He’s a horse I've always really liked and I knew Kris Lees liked him as well, so I said to Kris that if he bought him that I’d (sell down) half, and he could do the other half. It doesn't always work out, but it has this time.”
Chappell lands maiden Group 1
The euphoria of an Australian Guineas triumph with Feroce, who would be British owner Simon Chappell’s maiden Group 1 winner after almost three decades involved in the sport, ensured there would be no time for jetlag.
Chappell was toasting his and trainer Dom Sutton’s breakthrough success at Flemington’s rooftop bar by drinking out of the Australian Guineas trophy just hours after the Super Seth gelding made amends for his agonising Caulfield Guineas near miss in the spring.
“I flew in from the UK at 7.30am and by late afternoon, I was a Group 1 winner, so it was pretty cool, which is why I'm speaking like this,” said a husky-voiced Chappell, the CEO and co-founder of the London-based Assured Data Protection.
“I've owned horses for 28 years and I've never had a Group 1 winner. I've either been buying really badly, or my trainers haven't been doing their job, or I was due a change of luck.”
Chappell is no stranger to Australian racing, having owned horses with Lindsay Park about eight years ago and with Leon and Troy Corstens more recently during Sutton’s stint as an assistant trainer with the stable.
Chappell is close friends with Dominic Sutton’s father Nick and they backed the young expatriate trainer as soon as he branched out on his own last year.
“It didn't feel like much of a risk to us that he would be able to strike out. Nick and I are in a position where we're able to support him as well. And we have got off to a flying start,” Chappell said.
“We bought 20 horses in the first year, which Dom had, that Nick and I were involved with. Hopefully we can kick on from here.”
Dom Sutton had to wait less than a year for his first Group 1, and the momentum he has quickly been able to establish training out of his Ballarat and now Flemington bases, has led to a big presence at the sales.
At this week’s Melbourne Premier, croaky voices and all, Team Sutton was looking for its next Group 1 star.
They bought three yearlings on Sunday, by Alabama Express, Lucky Vega and Home Affairs in conjunction with agents Byron Rogers and Johnny McKeever.
It was McKeever who selected Feroce for $160,000 out of the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale.
Even having Feroce running (on Saturday), I'd always planned to come over for this sale,” Chappell said.
“It's my first time at the complex and it’s very different to the UK. They are different types of horses compared to the UK and European horses. They have a lot more substance, they are bigger horses generally.”
Rosemont pulls right rein
Anthony Mithen is confident Rosemont’s belief in Coolmore’s National Stakes winner Henry Longfellow isn’t ill-founded.
The Victorian farm announced last week that it would shuttle the beautifully bred son of Dubawi in 2025 at a fee of $22,000 and the response from breeders was almost immediate.
By Friday afternoon, as Rosemont was handing out lobster rolls and aperol spritzs to breeders and buyers at Inglis’ Oaklands Junction sales complex, mare bookings were closing in on 50.
Tim Rowe
The timing of the announcement proved to be a good one with a grandson of Dubawi, Rivellino, winning the Skyline Stakes on Saturday, while Henry Longfellow is out of European champion two- and three-year-old filly Minding, a daughter of Galileo.
Mithen and Coolmore’s MV Magnier elected to go public with the shuttling of Henry Longfellow ahead of the Premier sale.
“I think there's an acknowledgement that we scout far and wide and we're active in both hemispheres, only on a small level, but we've got a broodmare band in Europe, and I get to those sales and I can appreciate those European bloodlines,” Mithen says.
“And, you know, there's a bit of like-minded thinking going on. Obviously, I'm nowhere near their (Coolmore’s) scale, but I think they like the way I think, and I certainly like the way they do business. They've been nothing but a pleasure to deal with, and as I say, we've become quite good friends.”
