Some Stallions Can Take a Little Longer

Sponsored Content - by Tara Madgwick - Tuesday May 19

Some stallions can take a little longer to hit their straps and for those breeders who stick with them, the rewards can be great.

Group I VRC Australian Guineas winner Wandjina, is a young stallion with the profile to suggest immediate success, but the reality shows results have been frustratingly slow to come for the good looking son of Snitzel until this year.

The John Thompson trained Wandjina colt Mamaragan scored a breathtakingly good debut win in the Group II ATC Skyline Stakes, immediately putting himself into the picture as a serious Golden Slipper contender.

Mamaragan wins the G2 Skyline Stakes on debut

“He just looked a goer early,” Thompson said in his post-race comments.

“I’m not one to try and get Slipper runners, he’s just been a natural from day one. It’s great to have one in it.

“I’m sure he will do well, he’s a good doing colt with a great attitude and it’s exciting.

“The sky’s the limit, you saw today he was very raw in front, he didn’t know what to do but he will improve a lot from the run.”

Improve he did, going on to finish third in the Group I ATC Golden Slipper to Farnan and third to King’s Legacy in the Group I ATC Sires Produce Stakes.

Given the reputation of his trainer John Thompson for nurturing horses to bring out their full potential in the due course of time and the race record of his sire Wandjina, who was top class as a three year-old, it will be no surprise to see Mamaragan turning the tables on the glamour colts next season.

Queensland conditioner David Vandyke is another trainer noted for using a patient approach to produce a star three year-old and the debut win last week at the Sunshine Coast of his two year-old Wandjina colt Wolf Moon has many good judges seeing a horse capable of following in the footsteps of stable star Alligator Blood.

Carrying the Alligator Blood colours of owner Allan Endresz and ridden by Ryan Maloney, Wolf Moon travelled sweetly on the pace and dashed away to win by more than three lengths as a hot favourite.

He was rated a Breednet ‘One to Watch’ and you can read the story here.

 



“I really think there are signs that Wolf Moon could be as special as Al (Alligator Blood), he has got that strength about him,” said Allan Endresz.

“Dave (Vandyke) has nurtured this horse and he is a beauty.

“It might be tight trying to get him into the JJ Atkins, I don’t think we are going to get enough prizemoney between now and then.

“But we are looking forward to seeing some really exciting stuff in the future.”

Wandjina might have enjoyed this level of success sooner had he not been dealt a bitter blow when the best horse from his first crop was killed in a trackwork accident at Flemington.

A half-brother to Group I winner Dreamforce, the David Payne trained colt Deep Chill was a good fifth to subsequent superstar Castelvecchio on debut, then finished third in the Group III ATC Canonbury Stakes before winning easily at Warwick Farm.



Those performances warranted a trip to Melbourne where he was seen as a leading contender for the Group II VRC Sires Produce Stakes before his tragic accident three days out from the race.

To lose a colt like that from your first crop leaves quite a void, but Wandjina has been able to fill it with something possibly even better in Mamaragan.


Since the start of this year Wandjina has also produced metropolitan winners Rock My Wand, Wandabaa and Blackboots to go with his previous stakes-placed runners Express Pass and Grand Scholar, not to mention speedy filly Hearty Lass, who has won nearly $140,000 and was fourth in the Listed SAJC Queen Adelaide Stakes.

Wandjina stands at a fee of $11,000

Newgate Farm have given Wandjina a significant fee reduction this year pricing him at $11,000, representing great value for the budget conscious breeder looking to punt a young stallion that could be on the cusp of an upswing.

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Wednesday November 20
Here is the full list of 39 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Vale, Danny Champion
The thoroughbred racing industry is in mourning following the passing of respected horseman Danny Champion.
Magic Millions 2025 Magazine Online
The 2025 Magic Millions magazine is now online with a great mix of gallery images, editorial and vendor profilies.
Ka Ying Rising connection draws Hayes team to Shamexpress at Karaka
With one of the world’s most exciting sprinters flying the flag for David Hayes in Hong Kong, it has been no surprise to see the trainer’s sons zeroing in on progeny of Windsor Park Stud stallion Shamexpress during the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka this week.
Best On Breeding
The cerise, white crossed sashes and black cap of Bob Peters, Peter's Investments, may not be the once dominant force they have been for decades in Western Australian racing, but they are far from finished.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Castelvecchio has gone from nowhere to somewhere during the course of this spring with three stakes-winners putting his name in lights and he had a promising three year-old colt salute at Hawkesbury on Thursday that has now won two of three starts.
$1.3million Snitzel Colt Ready to Fire on Debut for Te Akau
Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are confident they have the young firepower to make an early impression in the first of the black type features at Pukekohe Park on Saturday.
Cambridge Stud News
It’s been the spring that keeps giving for Cambridge Stud and it’s not over yet.
Castelvecchio Out for Remainder of Season
Aeliana’s late charge into second place in the $1.5million Group I MRC Thousand Guineas last Saturday stamped her as the filly to follow out of the race, but it wasn’t quite enough to put her sire Castelvecchio to the top of the second season sires list and he is now out of service at Arrowfield following surgery last week.
Blockbuster Sale as NZB Ready to Run Records Tumble
Expectations were exceeded at Karaka with tremendous results witnessed across two days of selling at NZB’S 2024 Ready to Run Sale, confirming the demand for proven racetrack results and quality New Zealand-prepared horses.