In today's Straight Shorts, Arrowfield Stud has announced its 2025 service fees and the return of The Autumn Sun, New Zealand sire Per Incanto in price hike, Yulong mare Deny Knowledge retired and Darley stallion Microphone has been sold to stand in Brazil.
The Autumn Sun back in action, fee rise for Castelvecchio
The Autumn Sun will return to the breeding barn after injury ruled him out for a season while Snitzel will serve a 20th consecutive season at Arrowfield Stud.
Four-time champion Snitzel, the sire of this year’s Golden Slipper winner Marhoona and fellow Group 1 winners this season in Switzerland, Return To Conquer and Lady Shenadoah, will remain at an unchanged fee of $247,500 (all fees inc GST).
The Autumn Sun, who was rested from 2024 stud duties due to a pelvis injury, has also had his service fee of $66,000 maintained after siring three first crop Group 1 winners Autumn Angel, Vibrant Sun and Coco Sun during the autumn of 2024.
Arguably his best horse, Group 2 winner Autumn Glow, was ruled out for the remainder of her autumn campaign after spiking a temperature which saw her scratched from last Saturday’s Arrowfield 3YO Sprint at Randwick.
7 sires of 233 SW and $130 million current season returns, yet only one fee increase - check out our 2025 stallion roster headed by the incomparable 4-time Champion Sire Snitzel & featuring newcomer Champion 2YO Vandeek.
— Arrowfield Stud (@ArrowfieldStud) April 15, 2025
Of Arrowfield’s seven stallions, Castelvecchio has received a price hike, jumping from $22,000 last year to $49,500 on the back of two first-crop Group 1 winners this season, the autumn’s Australian Derby-winning filly Aeliana and Spring Champion Stakes-winning colt El Castello.
“Our unrelenting commitment to quality has helped to generate exceptional results for breeders, vendors and owners this season,” Arrowfield chairman John Messara said.
“Those results, from only five stallions, include 38 stakeswinners, seven Group 1 winners, more than $50 million prizemoney and an average yearling sale price of $316,000.”
On a roster of seven, which includes champion European two-year-old newcomer Vandeek ($22,000), Dundeel ($88,000), Maurice ($55,000) and Hitotsu ($22,000) are all standing at unchanged service fees.
Admire Mars, the sire of last weekend’s Grade 1 Oka Sho winner Embroidery, will not shuttle in 2025 after being on the Arrowfield roster for four consecutive seasons.
Increase for Little Avondale stallion Per Incanto
Shareholders in versatile New Zealand-based stallion Per Incanto have been rewarded by his progeny’s rich vein of form with the sire earning a fee increase in 2025.
The sire of this season’s Australian Group 1 winners Jimmystar and Gringotts, the Little Avondale-based stalwart will stand for a fee of NZ$60,000 (plus GST), a jump of NZ$10,000.
The son of Street Cry, whose three-year-old son Evaporate is Group 1-placed and is a last-start winner of the ATC Carbine Club Stakes at Randwick, is the sire of 33 individual stakes winners from 11 crops of racing age.
Little Avondale, which sold a colt by Zoustar for $1.7 million at last week’s Inglis Easter sale, will also stand Per Incanto’s 2023 Blue Diamond Stakes-winning son Little Brose for an introductory fee of NZ$15,000 (plus GST).
Group 1-winning mare Deny Knowledge bows out
Accomplished front-running mare Deny Knowledge has been retired after finishing down the course in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
In a 41-start career that started in the northern hemisphere and spanned two Australian stables, Deny Knowledge won 10 races and more than $2.3 million in prize money.
Her crowning moment came in the 2024 Group 1 Might And Power Stakes at Caulfield when she dictated her own terms before staving off weight-for-age warrior Mr Brightside.
Deny Knowledge finished 12th of 13 runners behind Via Sistina in the Queen Elizabeth following her brave placing to Light Infantry Man in the Australian Cup.
⚜️ Following her run on Saturday, the decision has been made to retire Deny Knowledge.
— Yulong Investments (@YulongInvest) April 14, 2025
The 7YO accumulated over $2.3m across 41 career starts, with her finest hour coming in last year’s G1 Might And Power.
She retires happy & healthy, joining Yulong’s star broodmare band 💚 pic.twitter.com/UZcfogadZ1
A daughter of Pride Of Dubai, Deny Knowledge was first trained in Australia by Michael Kent before she was transferred to the Anthony and Sam Freedman stable after Yulong made a winning bid at last year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Deny Knowledge sold for $500,000 before claiming the Listed Grafton Cup at her second start in Yulong colours and she banked more than $1.5 million for her new owners.
Microphone to stand in Brazil
Darley’s ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Microphone will continue his stud career in South America.
The son of Exceed And Excel has produced two stakes-performed horses from two crops to date and, as a result, he has been sold to Haras Niju in Brazil.
Microphone, who covered 12 mares last year, is the second stallion to be sold by Darley Australia in recent months after Astern was acquired to stand in Turkey.
Another former Godolphin-owned sire, Epaulette, stands at the Turkish Jockey Club’s National Stud alongside former Little Avondale shuttler Time Test.
Microphone won five of his 11 starts for trainer James Cummings, closing out his career with a second to Shadow Hero in the 2020 Randwick Guineas.
NZ star Crocetti arrives for Quokka bid after marathon trip
Crocetti has landed in Perth ahead of The Quokka with Craig Williams confirmed to ride the New Zealander in the $5 million race.
Williams was earmarked to ride the son of Zacinto last season if he had raced in Australia following his standout three-year-old campaign, which netted six wins from seven starts, including a victory in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).
“Craig was going to ride him if he went to Australia as a three-year-old and he has always kept in touch and said to keep him in mind,” co-trainer Danny Walker said.
Crocetti arrived in Perth on Monday night following a two-leg flight that included a Sydney stopover and Walker said the sprinter handled the taxing trip with ease.
Owner-breeder Daniel Nakhle accepted the Trackside NZ and Perth Racing’s offer to fill their slot in the rich feature, and Walker, who flew to Western Australia with his stable star, is looking forward to testing Crocetti across the Tasman.
Crocetti heads into The Quokka in peak form, with his victory in the Group 1 Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie in January bookended by placings in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1200m) and Group 3 Kings Plate (1200m).
