From Breednet: The Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained Celtic Vader opened her winning account at her second start in Saturday’s Aramis Plate at Morphettville to credit Aquis Farm’s Invader with his second winner.
From ANZ Bloodstock: Aquis Farm’s Group 1-winning stallion Invader (Snitzel) sired his first winner yesterday after his promising juvenile Sweet Fantasy (2 f ex Fantasy Quest by Starcraft) overcame a slow start to win on debut.
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From TDN: Aquis Farm stallion Invader notched his first winner via the debut victory of Sweet Invader at Townsville on Thursday.
From Breednet: Aquis Farm’s Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes hero Invader is on the board with his first winner coming in dramatic fashion at Townville on Thursday.
Aquis Farm President, Justin Fung, is pleased to announce that $5.8 million prizemoney earner Pierata, together with Aquis’ full 2020 New South Wales stallion roster, will call Queensland home this year.
Mr Fung said the roster was the envy of some of the biggest stud farms in the southern hemisphere and reflected Aquis’ confidence in the future of the Queensland racing industry.
“Pierata was one of the most exciting first season stallions to stand at stud in the Hunter Valley last year. He covered an astonishing 168 mares, of which 65 were stakes performers, including Loving Gaby,” Mr Fung said.
“It is only fitting that he, and the rest of our stallions, find their way to our historical home at Canungra.
“We have always had confidence in the Queensland breeding and racing industry, the QTIS prizemoney and the strength of the racing calendar dictated that we have a bigger presence in Queensland.”
Mr Fung said the Queensland breeding team would be headed up by Director of Sales, Jonathan Davies.
“Jonathan has built a strong team around him that is the backbone of this operation. I am immensely proud of what he and his team have been able to achieve,” he said.
“Good fertility results and excellent horsemanship are a testament to how knowledgeable and dedicated they are to the Aquis philosophy of ‘Success is achieved by teamwork, innovation and supporting their clients and the industry at all levels’.”
The Aquis Farm brand was initially established in Queensland in 2015 following the acquisition of a 480-hectare facility at Canungra on the Gold Coast hinterland.
After standing four stallions in its debut season in 2016 the company has gone on to build one of the most enviable rosters in the southern hemisphere and enjoyed strong patronage from breeders across Australia.
In 2021, Aquis Farm’s roster will be headlined by Pierata, who made the move to Canungra from the Hunter Valley and will stand at a service fee of $44,000 (incl. GST). On the track, Piereta won over $5,800,000 in prizemoney winning the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes at Royal Randwick as a four-year-old.
The roster also includes Invader, Snitzel’s best two-year-old, who has covered great books of mares in his first three years at stud.
Mr Fung said his progeny had been well received by trainers and bloodstock agents at the major sales this year and the initial feedback from breakers with his stock was very encouraging.
“We are confident that feedback will correlate into racetrack success in the coming racing season,” he said.
Spieth, another of our first season stallions with progeny selling this year, has been well received by buyers, averaging $118,000 at this month’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale. Spieth will stand in 2021 for a fee of $8,800. He is leaving a good physical type with a good temperament that trainers love, he is a very exciting prospect going forward.
Bellevue Hill, Brave Smash, Divine Prophet, Jukebox and Santos will be the other stallions calling Queensland home, they will be barn mates to Dubious, who was the busiest first season sire in Queensland last year and Champion 2YO The Mission, Husson, Duporth, Kobayashi, Kiss And Make Up and Performer.
As part of this announcement, Aquis have also confirmed their 2021 stallion fees. See below.
Please contact Jonathan Davies on 0423 033 858 or the team at Aquis Farm to schedule a private viewing of the stallion roster.
With the release of the 2021 Magic Millions Yearling Sale to be held in mid-January, it is noted that the representation of first crop sires will be very strong, and with Aquis’ Invader set to have his first yearlings grace the sale ring, their quality has already begun to shine through.
As the only Champion 2YO Colt at stud by his four-time Champion Sire Snitzel, who interestingly, like Invader himself, are both graduates of the Magic Millions Yearling Sale of their year, has the right credentials to continue the dominance of the sire line for years to come.
Purchased as a yearling by the China Horse Club’s Michael Wallace, Invader was an attention grabber from the beginning.
“He was a stand out! Invader was a well-made, strong, short coupled colt as a yearling. An attractive colt with power, he caught the eye. He had the look of a two-year-old,” stated Wallace.
With the Australian thoroughbred industry enamoured with juvenile speed and class, one thing Invader has over his sire is his Gr.1 success at 2, where he defeated three individual Gr.1 winners including Trapeze Artist to win the Sires’ Produce Stakes.
A few years on from that stunning elite level win and a select group of Invader’s first crop yearlings have been catalogued for January’s sale from high quality vendors Willow Park Stud, Edinburgh Park, Riversdale, Newhaven Park, Rosemont Stud, Valiant Stud, Rothwell Park Thoroughbreds, Fernrigg Farm, KBL Thoroughbreds, Evergreen Stud Farm, Kingstar Farm and Millbrook, with the black type pedigrees sure to excite.
Willow Park Stud will offer a pair of colts, with their second to sell, Lot 857, being a half-brother to the recent Spring carnival Gr.2 Wakeful Stakes winner Victoria Quay, a winner of three of her four career starts for Tony and Calvin McEvoy.
The form around her Wakeful win has already been franked, with the runner-up Personal, winning the Gr.1 VRC Oaks at her very next start.
Newhaven Park Stud, who have sold many top class gallopers through the Magic Millions sale ring in the past will offer Lot 563, the first foal of the Listed Dulcify Hcp winner Moqueen, a Gr.2 placed juvenile, and a half-sister to the dam of dual Gr.3W Malice (Street Cry).
From the family of Gr.1 winners Criterion and Comin’ Thorough as well as the Gr.2W, Gr.1p Varenna Miss, it is a family littered with black type performers.
Queensland vendor KBL Thoroughbreds will offer a pair of colts with Lot 995 being a half-brother to the Listed-winning, Gr.3 placed Cyber Attack as well as the up and coming On The Lead, who finished second during the Spring in the Gr.2 Up And Coming Stakes behind Wild Ruler, with the winner then finishing third in the Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes down the Flemington straight.
The fantastic vendor support for Invader, coupled with impressive types and quality pedigrees is sure to see Invader’s first crop yearlings find homes in many of the leading stables around the country and get every chance to emulate not only the racetrack success of the sire, but grandsire as well.