Acquired in January 2015 and wholly owned by the Fung family, Aquis Farm is a 447-hectare thoroughbred racing, boarding and breeding facility at Canungra on the Gold Coast in Queensland.
The farm is home to a quality stallion roster featuring proven Group I
producing sires Holy Roman Emperor (IRE) (shuttling for 2016) and Domesday, as well as Lonhro's
Group I winning son Benfica and brilliant three year-old Spill the Beans, who
bowed out a winner when taking out the Group II QTC Cup at Eagle Farm last
Saturday."It was the perfect way for him to finish his career and as you can imagine the phone has been running hot with breeders keen to book mares to him," said Aquis Farm Stallion Manager Mark Woodridge.
With sizzling wins earlier this season in the Group III ATC Eskimo Prince Quality and Group III Hawkesbury Guineas, Arrowfield Stud bred Spill the Beans had little to prove, but upped the ante with a power packed win over older rivals.
Prepared by Gerald Ryan, Spill the Beans improved on his close last start second in the $400,000 Inglis Scone Guineas to score a tenacious victory over Godolphin runner Federal and Group I winner Stratum Star.
"It was a very important win," Ryan said. "Aquis Farm acquired 75 per cent of him after Scone.
"We haven't seen the full potential of him yet so in a way it's a shame he's going (to stud) as he would have come back a really nice four-year-old."
Set to stand at a fee of $11,000, Spill the Beans retires with the overall record of five wins from 11 starts with prizemoney topping $560,000.
He is the best of three winners from Miss Dodwell, a half-sister by Falbrav (IRE) to Group III winner Yammer and stakes-winner Blab, the dam of Group I ATC Flight Stakes winner Speak Fondly and Group II winner Wild and Proud.
It's the family of Golden Slipper winner and champion filly Bounding Away, so Spill the Beans has a highly commercial pedigree that will appeal greatly in the Queensland marketplace and he is also unique in being the first commercial son of outstanding sire Snitzel to stand in Queensland.
Aquis Farm has a firm commitment to Queensland racing and breeding, and to the
Australian thoroughbred industry as a whole.Aquis plans to extend its brand to facilitate the continued growth of the Queensland racing industry and their stallion acquisitions and breeding stock purchases such as Cradle Me form a significant part of this strategy.
A seven year-old daughter of veteran sire Easy Rocking, Cradle Me had been racing consistently in stakes grade and was snapped up by Aquis Farm for $300,000 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Turned out in top order by her trainer David Pfieffer, Cradle Me produced a career best performance to win the 1400 metre Group II BRC Dane Ripper Stakes by a length with Zac Purton in the saddle.
Pfieffer couldn't have hoped for a better start for his new owners.
"Zac put her in a position to win the race," Pfieffer said.
"Just getting held-up that bit at the top of the straight probably helps her use that acceleration she's got.
"The way she's racing it would be hard stop but she's a seven year-old mare so that's hard. I'll have a talk to the owners and see where we go from there."
The $500,000 Group I Tatts Tiara (1400m) on Saturday week has been confirmed as the next target for Cradle Me, who boasts the overall record of 11wins and 11 placings from 50 starts with prizemoney topping $690,000.
Cradle Me is completely free of Danzig blood, so will be a suitable partner for any of the top sires in the land.
Capping off a great weekend for Aquis Farm was a strong showing for the farm's stallions Holy Roman Emperor and Domesday at Canterbury on Monday.
Domesday featured with an impressive two year-old winner from the Godolphin stable in Kent, while Holy Roman Emperor posted a winning double with Duca Valentinois and Arise Augustus.
Click here to find out more about Aquis Farm and for stallion nominations contact Mark Wooldridge on 0488 789 208.
