Newgate Farm's Australian Horse of the Year Dissident has had a flurry of first crop winners in the past month including Pancho, who raised the bar at Flemington on Saturday to grab some Black Type with a close third in the Listed VRC Taj Rossi Final.
The Chris Waller trained youngster scored a good win at Sandown two starts ago and then was an unlucky fifth at Flemington over 1400 metres to Rubisaki when he was eased at the start.
He was close to Rubisaki again in this 1600 metre test for budding young stayers, finishing strongly for third beaten less than a length behind well regarded Rubisaki and the ultimate winner Fabulanski.
Bred by Sledmere Stud, Pancho made $150,000 as a weanling at the Magic Millions National Sale when bought by Hancock Quality Bloodstock (FBAA)/Newgate Farm and was then re-offered by Newgate at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale fetching $165,000 to the bid of Laurel Oak Bloodstock.
Pancho has won nearly $50,000 already for his lucky owners and is the first winner for Group III placed Written Tycoon mare Novel Dancer, who is now in foal to another young Newgate sire in Russian Revolution.
Already the sire of two stakes horses in Challa and Foxborough, Dissident stands at Newgate at a fee of $27,500.
Widden Stud have opted to continue the Sebring line with his brilliant sprinting son Supido, a Group III winner that also placed in the Group I SAJC Goodwood Handicap.
A straight track specialist that ran some blisteringly fast times up the Flemington straight, Supido was bred by renowned breeder Rick Jamieson of Gilgai Farm.
He comes with a European female pedigree packed with Group I winning champions over all distances although his electric speed can probably be put down to some intense line breeding in his pedigree which features multiple crosses of Northern Dancer and Halo, both sires tracing to legendary matriarch Almahmoud and his tail female line also traces to Almahmoud through Natalma.
All of that screams stallion pedigree!
Supido covered 116 mares last spring in his first season and stands at the modest fee of $9,900 this spring.
Spendthrift Farm have moved to bring the Sebring blood to Victoria standing his stunning looking son Gold Standard for a fee of $5,500.
A lightly raced horse that started just six times, he retired with two wins and two seconds, showing his class with a dominant win in the Group II ATC Stan Fox Stakes and finishing fourth in the Group I ATC Golden Rose to Trapeze Artist.
Gold Standard has some diverse bloodlines through his female pedigree and is from former very smart Group III winner Coniston Gem.
The first foals for Gold Standard will be born this spring.
Sebring's $7million earner Criterion has sadly proven to have very limited fertility and from a small number of foals bred at Newgate Farm he will have his first two year-olds run next season.
There are just 14 rising two year-olds by
Criterion, but there will be plenty of interest as to their progress given the
amazing record of their sire who was good enough to contest a Golden Slipper
and a Melbourne Cup, now that's a horse!