Fastnet Rock first season in Europe

G

Grand Armee

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Is going from strength to strength, and is now reverse shuttling to Coolmore's Ireland base, standing for EURO35,000.

I have just checked out some of the mare's this young stallion will be covering in his debut season up there, and quality is an understatement! It has been confirmed that he will cover 21 stakes winning or producing broodmares including: Alexandrova, All Too Beautiful, an Oaks-placed daughter of Urban Sea, Phoenix Stakes winner Damson and Irish Oaks heroine Moonstone as well as the dams of Araafa, Clodovil, Johannesburg, King Charlemagne, Peeping Fawn, Rumplestiltskin, Thewayyouare and Westphalia.

On the track Fastnet Rock was a brilliant performer, winning 2 Group 1 races including the Lightning and Oakleigh Plate as a 3yo, winning over $1.7 million in stakes.

At stud he has been highly successful, producing 3 individual Group 1 winners in his first crop (who are now only 3 years of age) including the 1000 Guineas winner Irish Lights, todays Australian Guineas winner Rock Classic and last weeks Newmarket Handicap winner Wanted.
He also has another 6 stakes winners, including the now Golden Slipper fancy, Hinchinbrook who took out todays Group 3 Skyline Stakes.
 
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Some of the progeny that have won:

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Wanted winning last weekend's Group 1 $1,000,000 VRC Newmarket Handicap down the straight 6 at Flemington. Photo courtesy of The Virtual Formguide.

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Wanted winning a Group 3 race as a juvenile in Sydney in 2009 - Photo courtesy of Coolmore Australia

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Irish Lights winning the Group 1 $500,000 MRC Group 1 Caulfield 1000 Guineas - Photo courtesy of Coolmore Australia

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Stryker - photo courtesy of Racing And Sports

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Rock Classic winning todays $750,000 Group 1 VRC Australian Guineas - photo courtesy of Fiona Tomlin.
 
Shuttle stallions rarely taste success in both hemispheres but he's being given every chance as was exceed and excel.
 
Coolmore know that he is not going to be as good in the Northern Hemisphere because they left it a bit late bringing him here and that reduced his book size i know he has quality mares there but he doesn't have the number of mares there to be totally dominant in his first few years up here.
Coolmore really just want his blood as it is a different way to Danehill and more than likely the progeny of Fastnet Rock will be covered by horse like Mastercraftmans something like that
 
Danehill out of a Royal Academy mare, It doesn't appear that different to my untrained eye. Grand Dam is by the Sir Tristram line that's all I can see that's different.
 
It was an exceptional day for Coolmore stallions in Aus and NZ:

4 Group 1s: Classic Rock (Fastnet Rock), Shoot Out (High Chaparral),
Zipping (Danehill), Banchee (Oratorio)

2 Group 2s: Lord Tavistock (Montjeu), De Lightning Ridge (Tale of the Cat)
1 Group 3: Hinchinbrook (Fastnet Rock)
2 Listed: The Mikado (Danehill Dancer), Sacred Choice (Choisir)
 
Dylan Thomas said:
Coolmore know that he is not going to be as good in the Northern Hemisphere because they left it a bit late bringing him here and that reduced his book size i know he has quality mares there but he doesn't have the number of mares there to be totally dominant in his first few years up here.
Coolmore really just want his blood as it is a different way to Danehill and more than likely the progeny of Fastnet Rock will be covered by horse like Mastercraftmans something like that
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I does not need to be "totally dominant" for it to be worth his while coming over here. No point shuttling a very valuable stallion that distace with little expectations - the quality of mares show that.
 
What i mean is that the horse is not going to have that many runners so it will be hard for him to be recognised unless the few that go to O'Brien will be high class but they will not want people to think he is a flop.
Coolmore do not have much of Royal Academy's blood in any of there horses and they do not have any Royal Academy mares that i can think of.The rest of FR pedigree is filled with Southern Hempisphere blood the only major Northern Hemisphere blood is Sir Ivor and that is well back.
His offspring will provide an alternative for sons of Danehill Dancer in a few years or sons of Danetime
 
Dylan Thomas said:
Coolmore do not have much of Royal Academy's blood in any of there horses and they do not have any Royal Academy mares that i can think of.The rest of FR pedigree is filled with Southern Hempisphere blood the only major Northern Hemisphere blood is Sir Ivor and that is well back.
His offspring will provide an alternative for sons of Danehill Dancer in a few years or sons of Danetime
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Interesting that Coolmore is light on Royal Academy. Would they consider buying some of Cockney Rebels progeny. He only stands at £4.5k, is his conformation poor, looks value to me. First crop race this year. Val Royal seemed a forgotten stallion too.
 
chroniclandlord said:
I loved High Chaparral on the track, and I have always hoped that he would do well as a stallion.
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He is having a wonderful season. Three Group 1 winners in his first crop, all classic winners too.

Its just a shame that So You Think went amiss. But if he makes it back as a spring 4yo, he will be the one to beat.
 
It is more relief than delight! Would have been very sad to see him in NH duties or sold off....they have been more patient with him than others.
 
So what is the secret of his new found success ? Different profile mares perhaps or just bus loads of them. I too, am pleased for him, a real warrior.
 
Sheikh said:
So what is the secret of his new found success ? Different profile mares perhaps or just bus loads of them. I too, am pleased for him, a real warrior.
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His oldest in the south are 3yo's. Would probably explain his success down south, and also the fact he stood in NZ, where they have a more respectable outlook on breeding stayers, whereas in Australia we want a horse firing at 2. They were never going to be 2yo's, and will continue to improve with age.

The same can be said for Street Cry, they get better as they get older.
 
Ok thanks, he started much better down there than he did up here than. I don't think Sadlers wells sons have a great record down there at Stud ?
 
I wonder if Sadler's Wells lack of fertility (and eventual retirement) allowed some better mares to trickle down to him? Obviously Galileo and Montjeu would usually be the first port of call, but they're hardly under-subscribed themselves.
 
You can't tell 'em apart from those photos! Looks like a very clear conformational stamp is put on them all - they all remind me of FALBRAV.
 
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