Multi-NATIONAL, article from International Thoroughbred

Article by James Thomas as featured in International Magazine’s July edition sponsored by Weatherbys

The Irish National Stud is launching two stallions on to the yearling market this autumn – Lucky Vega and Nando Parrado. James Thomas chats to the farm’s Conor Hyland to hear about the two new boys,

A NEW STALLION’s first yearlings reaching the market is a big moment for any stud. It may not be quite make or break, but events in the sales ring are often a good indicator of what will happen on the racecourse – and in the covering shed – in future.

This year the Irish National Stud sees not one but two of its residents represented by their first crop of yearlings, namely Lucky Vega and Nando Parrado.

Lucky Vega has proved particularly popular since he retired from racing, and with good reason. He remains the only 6f Group 1-winning two-year-old by the increasingly influential Lope De Vega having landed the 2020 Phoenix Stakes for Jessica Harrington in the colours of Zhang Yuesheng’s Yulong Investments.

The win was no flash in the pan either, the colt also finished half a length second to Supremacy in the Middle Park Stakes (G1), was beaten under a length into third by Poetic Flare in the 2,000 Guineas (G1) and was runner-up to that same rival on his swansong in the St James’s Palace Stakes (G1).

There is pedigree as well as performance, as he is out of Queen Of Carthage, a daughter of Cape Cross and the Prix de l’Opera (G1) heroine Satwa Queen. His family has also improved significantly since he retired to stud as Queen Of Carthage is a sibling to the Listed-winning Important Time, now the dam of Godolphin’s three-time Group/Grade 1 scorer Nations Pride, and to the dam of three-time Australian Group 1 winner Militarize.

Lucky Vega’s debut book, covered at a fee of €15,000, duly contained quality as well as quantity. “In his first season he covered 150 mares, and on the last count 40 of those were black-type producers,” says Conor Hyland, nominations and sales assistant at the Irish National Stud. “So that first book was of a higher quality than you’d expect for a first-season sire at that price range.”

Among the eye-catching names from that first book are the dams of significant winners such as Alcohol Free, Blue Point, Celestial Path, Donnerschlag and Izzy Bizu, Eytarna, Eziyra, Fanaar, Fort Del Oro, Four White Socks, Gold Phoenix, One For Bobby, Real Appeal and Watch My Tracer.

“The most important thing then was that he rolled into the foal sales and that his foals sold well, and they did exactly that,” continues Hyland. “He averaged €45,000 at the British and Irish foal sales, which is three times his initial stud fee and is usually a good barometer of how well received a first-season sire has been. That was great to see, and plenty of shrewd pinhookers were buying them up, so you’d be very hopeful heading into the yearling season.”

Among the notable names who signed for Lucky Vega’s first foals were Tally-Ho Stud, John Foley of GHS Bloodstock, Mark Dwyer of Oaks Farm Stables and Peter Nolan. Also standing foursquare behind Lucky Vega at the sales was his owner, as he has done since he purchased the horse as a yearling through BBA Ireland for €175,000.

The name Lucky Vega appeared on the docket of five of the stallion’s foals, including the two most expensive sold in Europe – the 82,000gns half-sister to the Group 1-placed Gold Vibe and the €75,000 colt out of Lilli Milena from Moyglare Stud Farm. Those purchases were not the first time Yulong has thrown its support behind Lucky Vega, as the operation also sent the horse 50 mares in each of his first two seasons at stud, and another 40 in year three.

“When you have a horse like him who isn’t syndicated, the worry is always will you get enough numbers into him,” says Hyland. “Thankfully Yulong’s support has almost replaced the foundation you get from a syndicate because they sent him 50 mares in the first year and 50 mares in the second year and 40 in his third season as well.

“They’re going to race a large portion of those they’ve bred so we’re going to see a lot of them in the right yards next year. Jessica Harrington will probably have ten to 15, Karl Burke will be similar, then there’ll be Archie Watson, John and Thady Gosden and William Haggas. Those are the homes you’d expect these animals to go into.

“Hopefully, they’ll buy a couple more of the nicer yearlings by the horse as well. It’s great to have Yulong on board – with the quality of mares they’ve sent and with them going into the right homes, it’s all up to him now.”

One name missing from the Lucky Vega buyers’ sheet was the Irish National Stud, although that was not for lack of trying. Nonetheless, Hyland says the team have been pleased by the quality Lucky Vega is passing on to his offspring.

“We followed in quite a few at the foal sales but they were hard to buy and the nice ones were making too much for our budgets,” he says.

“We’ve quite a few on the farm and some nice ones, too. “We’ve a nice colt out of Aimhirgin Lass, a stakes producing Pivotal mare. He’s going to the Goffs Orby Sale and would be the pick of the bunch so far.

“They’re very athletic animals. They mightn’t be the biggest, but, like him, they all seem to have this great hip and hind quarter. That’s the trait he seems to be passing on the most. He’s not the biggest horse himself, he’s quite refined and isn’t your typical Lope De Vega.

“As he is the only son of Lope De Vega to win a 6f Group 1 at two, he was sharper than most of the sire’s offspring, and that’s how his stock look, too. They look like they’ll be early to middle season two-year-olds.”

Lucky Vega is in the somewhat unusual position of having been bred and raced in Europe but beginning his stud career in Australia – he shuttled to Yulong Stud in Victoria shortly after his St James’s Palace Stakes effort. His first-crop of Australian yearlings were bought by the likes of Bjorn Baker and Annabel Neasham, while Thoroughbred Union and Baystone Farm gave A$160,000 apiece for his joint most expensive offerings at public auction in the southern-hemisphere.

“For a horse who probably wasn’t overly well known in Australia his yearlings sold particularly well,” says Hyland. “The early reports from the breakers, and the information I’ve been told it all looks positive for him.”

Also getting off on a positive footing is Nando Parrado, winner of the 2020 Coventry Stakes (G2). The son of Kodiac was also runner-up to Campanelle in the Prix Morny (G1) and filled the same position behind Sealiway in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1).

Nando Parrado was pinhooked by renowned horseman Paul McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud, breeder of Battaash, Harry Angel and Tiggy Wiggy, to name but a few of the stars who have passed through the family’s County Limerick farm. When McCartan failed to sell Nando Parrado as a yearling, he sent the colt into training with Clive Cox to run under the name of his wife, Marie, and in the colours of his late brother, Philip.

“The most important thing when Nando Parrado went to stud was that we syndicated him well, and he was a very easy horse to syndicate,” says Hyland. “Paul McCartan was a huge factor in people wanting to get involved in the horse, and the stallion is a very good[1]looking individual himself. He was a 165,000gns foal, which is the most expensive foal Paul has ever bought. That tells you all you need to know about his physical.”

The syndicate behind Nando Parrado includes shrewd operators such as Aughamore Stud, Ronan Burns, Patrick Burns, Luke Lillingston and Jack Cantillon. Paul McCartan: pinhooked Nando Parrado as a foal The most important thing when Nando Parrado went to stud was that we syndicated him well, and he was a very easy horse to syndicate

“We were very keen to get a son of Kodiac on the roster,” Hyland continues. “We’ve seen horses such as Ardad, Kodi Bear, Coulsty, they’ve all done well and it looks like a sire line that will be prominent in the years to come. He covered 135 mares in his first season. There are good, commercial breeders in the syndicate and they sent him some good, commercial mares.

“His foal sale average was nearly €20,000, which is over three times his initial stud fee, and foals were bought by people such as WH Bloodstock, Paddy Twomey and Paul McCartan. We also bought three nice foals by him between Goffs and Newmarket.”

The Irish National Stud will consign six members of Nando Parrado’s debut crop at the upcoming yearling sales, including a colt out of a three-parts sister to Grade 1 winner Hunt, who was pinhooked for €38,000.

“He’s a cracking physical and is going to Book 1 of the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale,” says Hyland. “We also have a half-brother to Jack Darcy going to the Orby, he’d stack up well against the yearlings we have on the farm.”

Expanding on the traits he is seeing in Nando Parrado’s youngstock, Hyland says, “They’re nice animals and it’s easy to tell they’re his when you step out into the field. They’ve got enough size, good substance and strength.

“He’s got a head with a lot of quality and he’s passing that on to his progeny as well. It’s a sire line that’s known for producing horses that are tough and hardy and take racing well.

“These animals seem to have very good attitudes so far as they’re relaxed and have been very easy to deal with. We’ll be learning a lot more about them in the coming weeks when we start pulling them in for prep.”

The burgeoning stud careers of Lucky Vega and Nando Parrado are not the only things keeping the team at the Irish National busy this year. Fellow stallion Phoenix Of Spain continues to impress, not least through the exploits of his leading light Haatem.

The three-year-old won last year’s Group 2 Vintage Stakes and has added to his CV this term by winning the Craven Stakes (G2), reaching the podium in both the 2,000 Guineas (G1) and the Irish equivalent, and winning an especially deep renewal of the Jersey Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot. With those results on his record, Hyland reports that Phoenix Of Spain has been particularly popular during his fifth season on covering duty.

“It’s been great to see the start he’s made,” says Hyland. “His winners-to-runners ratio is up around the 40 per cent mark, which is more than okay. On my last look, his top six or seven performers have the highest official ratings out of their dam so he seems to be upgrading his mares, which is an important barometer on which to judge a stallion. Hopefully, he can get a couple more black-type winners over the coming months and it’ll be interesting to see how his yearlings and foals sell this year. That’ll give us a guide as to where the market is with him.”

Despite the bright start made by Phoenix Of Spain’s first two-year-olds, the Irish National took the decision to clip his fee into €10,000 for 2024. The combination of a value fee and a progressive profile saw breeders flocking to his stable door in their droves.

“He has 170 mares in foal this year,” reports Hyland. “When we were deciding his fee at the end of last year we were debating leaving him at €12,500, but in the end we dropped him down to €10,000. I think that worked in our favour because people obviously felt he was good value. Then when Haatem came out and won the Craven I’d say he picked up another 50 or 60 mares towards the backend of the covering season.

“This is the first year he’s probably had those better mares. He covered the dam of One Voice, the dam of Blue Point and the dam of Haatem was covered again by him this year. He wouldn’t have got half the mares that Lucky Vega got in his first season, so it’s interesting to see that people are sending him that nicer type of mare now.”

If the likes of Lucky Vega, Nando Parrado and Phoenix Of Spain need any inspiration as to what a successful stallion career looks like, they need look no further than the Irish National’s own roster. Stud stalwart Invincible Spirit, the source of 22 Group/Grade 1 winners and 276 stakes performers and counting, has just completed a remarkable 22nd season on covering duty.

“He’s still covering away,” says Hyland. “He saw about 70 mares and has around 50 in foal. He’s evergreen in the covering shed!

“The young guys could learn a thing or two off him as he’s so professional. He looks a picture of health and still has some smart performers on the track so, hopefully, we’ll have him around for a few more years yet. His own sire [Green Desert] covered until he was 28 so there’s longevity in the sire line!”

Although well into the autumn of his stallion career, Invincible Spirit has appeared in the pedigrees of some of the season’s most notable performers. He is, of course, the sire of Kingman, whose daughters Elmalka and Sparkling Plenty won the 1,000 Guineas (G1) and Prix de Diane (G1) respectively, while he has also appeared as the dam sire of 2,000 Guineas hero Notable Speech, Norfolk Stakes (G2) scorer Shareholder and other black-type winners such as Mgheera, Sajir, Starlust and Une Perle.

“He’s already a breed-shaper and he’s had a fantastic year as a broodmare sire, which is something people were probably knocking him on in recent years,” says Hyland. “He’s popped up with a Guineas winner and a Norfolk Stakes winner as well, so he seems to be having a growing influence on that side of things as well.

“He’s very easy to deal with,” Hyland adds. “He’s an absolute pleasure to have around the place and we’re very lucky to have had him for as long as we have. This was his 22nd consecutive covering seasons and not many stallions can say they’ve done that. The fact he’s still in good health and still covering is a testament to the team here.”

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