Adam Sangster has hinted to breeders to expect a rise in the service fee for Swettenham Stud’s resident stallion Toronado, who sired his first G1 winner when Masked Crusader claimed the William Reid Stakes on Friday night.
Standing in 2020 for $27,500 and getting a total of 180 mares in foal, Sangster said the stud would take a different approach in 2021.
“What we are going to do this year is increase his service fee and bring his numbers down to get around 120 in foal rather than 180,” Swettenham Stud Principal Adam Sangster told RSN927 on Sunday.
“He has now got the troops on the ground, he will have more because in 2019 he got 150 in foal as well, so we know the knows the lines that do work and we are going to be quite particular.”
Masked Crusader was a $340,000 purchase at the 2018 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale offered by Gilgai Farm, with breeder Rick Jamieson retaining a share in the gelding. The Team Hawkes galloper joins Toronado’s fellow Australian group winners Still A Star and Affair to Remember.
Toronado is currently serving in France at Haras de Bouquetot for owners Al Shaqab Racing and could add to his success on the track this weekend, which also included Laverrod winning the Hareeba Stakes at Mornington on Saturday.
Lucky Express (formally Prince of Sussex) will contest the Hong Kong Derby on Sunday while David Hayes’ Master Montaro is chasing his third win abroad on the Sha Tin program.
Sangster predicted there was approximately fourteen Toronado’s in training in Hong Kong.
Twenty-six Toronado yearlings were offered at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, with ten fetching more than $100,000 – including his career top seller for $460,000.
That record may be broken at the upcoming Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale with Toronado’s only offering Lot 251 – a full-brother to Master Montaro offered by Coolmore Stud.
“He is flashy with four white socks and he is a proper job and will create some intention and you would hope Hong Kong would be looking at him,” Sangster explained.
Toronado is one of two sons of High Chaparral kicking goals in the Australian breeding scene, with So You Think another success story for Coolmore in a twist of fate for Sangster.
“I for one remember when Coolmore kindly asked me if I would stand High Chaparral back in 2004 and sadly I pulled the wrong reign,” Sangster recalled.
– racing.com
