“We’ve sold some weanlings, bought some weanlings – sold a few mares, bought a few mares… thoroughbred breeding is a wheel and we are on it!” Dan Fletcher has had a busy time lately strengthening Telemon Stud’s bloodstock interests.
Home to four stallions in different stages of their careers, Telemon Stud, which is ideally situated in the magnificent Scenic Rim, is a relatively young operation but already it has been making waves, including a great result at the recent Magic Millions Weanling Sale.
A youngster who Fletcher described as ‘the complete package’, the son of So You Think (NZ) attracted the attention of many a keen judge with Bahen Bloodstock the successful bidder last week.
It took $525,000 to secure the imposing brown colt, the first foal for the lightly raced Salina (Redoute’s Choice), who was also keenly sought-after. She too was sold by Telemon to the same buyers for the same price.
It was an impressive return on the $300,000 that Telemon spent purchasing the daughter of the Listed Tokyo City Cup winner Quayside (Street Cry {Ire}) just 12 months ago at the same Sale.
“Judging by those results, she is a mare with plenty to offer,” Fletcher said, “and she still has it all ahead of her.”
Fletcher was a fan of the expensive So You Think colt from day one, noting that, “He was a freakish sort of colt, just an exceptional type with an amazing temperament and an unbelievable action. He is still only a baby of course, but a very exciting one.”
“He (Lot 27) was a freakish sort of colt, just an exceptional type with an amazing temperament and an unbelievable action. He is still only a baby of course, but a very exciting one.”
– Dan Fletcher
Telemon also sold a $150,000 American Pharoah (USA) colt out of the dual Listed winner Causeway Queen (Giant’s Causeway {USA}) to Procyon Services, while another two of their broodmare sales results were noteworthy.
Amiche (Nicconi), a half-sister to the triple Group 1 winner Duais (Shamus Award), sold to Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $380,000, while Colm Santry spent $570,000 on Churning (Lonhro), a stakes-placed mare in foal to Bivouac whom Telemon paid $350,000 for at last year’s Magic Millions.
Meanwhile, a couple of mares headed to Telemon from the sales ring. Among them was the city winner She Za Boss (Rothesay), purchased for $55,000, and the unraced Nokhbah (by I Am Invincible out of the stakes winner Tawteen by Stratum) for $250,000.
Gallery: Some of the mares purchased by Telemon at the Magic Millions National Sale, images courtesy of Magic Millions
Let’s hear it for the boys
And so a successful sales season wrapped up, leading into what promises to be a busy breeding season for Telemon, an operation whose stallions look set to prove popular. In particular, there’s the new boy on the block, the fast and talented The Odyssey (Better Than Ready).
With his sire represented by his first Group 1 winner, Apache Chase, on the weekend, interest is high in the sireline and Fletcher has been pleasantly surprised by the number of enquiries, joking that “everyone seems to love the new toy.”
Especially when said ‘toy’ showed as much ability as did The Odyssey, who won 10 of his 34 starts including the Listed Phelan Ready S. and three rich QTIS features. Amassing over $1.7 million in stakes, he is a horse of great appeal, hailing from the same family as the triple Group 1 winner Green Dancer (USA) (Nijinsky II {Can}), who did such a great job at stud with his 88 stakes winners.
“The Odyssey is very much a Queensland horse, he is well-known here and is being so well-received,” Fletcher said.
The Odyssey is very much a Queensland horse, he is well-known here and is being so well-received.”
– Dan Fletcher
While excited about that young horse’s prospects, Fletcher is also confident that there are plenty of good things in store for the dual Group winner Sidestep by Exceed And Excel, whose debut crop produced the G1 Golden Slipper S. heroine Kiamichi.
After proving popular in his first season, Sidestep served smaller books in his next few seasons but his biggest Queensland-bred book will turn two in August, with Fletcher noting that “he is right on the verge of being in the front of everyone’s minds again. The quality is out there and we are looking forward to seeing them on the track.”
Also turning two this spring are the first Australian-bred foals for the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. and G1 Al Quoz Sprint winner Jungle Cat (Ire), by Iffraaj (GB), a horse Fletcher describes as “the warrior.”
“There is genuine excitement about him in the Northern Hemisphere with his first two runners both being winners, and that excitement is starting to filter down to here. Hopefully he starts off the same way here.”
Sun City, by Zoustar, is another horse of whom Fletcher speaks about in glowing terms, and he is certainly a horse who has been able to catch the eye from early days. McEvoy Mitchell Racing with David Redvers Bloodstock bid to $525,000 to take him home from the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
One of this high-achieving and very popular sire’s 28 stakes winners, Sun City raced three times at two, at debut finishing second in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial S. and, next time out, he was part of a future Telemon quinella when second to The Odyssey in the Listed Phelan Ready S.
At his third outing winning the G3 BJ McLachlan S., Sun City was one of the favourites for the Magic Millions but sadly a joint infection curtailed a promising career.
It may be that the racetrack’s loss will be breeding’s gain, with the son of the stakes winner Roulettes (Flying Spur) described as being an especially good-looking horse.
“He is absolutely beautiful,” Fletcher enthused. “He came to us a very nice colt and he is furnishing into a magnificent stallion. And his first foals are what you’d expect by such a type – I think he is a horse who provides breeders with a lot of value.”
“He (Sun City) is absolutely beautiful. He came to us a very nice colt and he is furnishing into a magnificent stallion. And his first foals are what you’d expect by such a type. I think he is a horse who provides breeders with a lot of value.”
– Dan Fletcher
Each of the Telemon stallions has been enjoying its off-time, Fletcher joking that they are all ready to “join the Jenny Craig club”.
“They have all done really well,” he said, noting that they also thrive as they prepare for the stud season, undertaking daily exercise to get them fit.
“We keep them in good nick and get the chiropractor to go over them, they will all be in great shape for the spring.”