Season’s Greetings from Empire Stallions

Series Clean Sweep for Stay Hungry Filly

The Meadowlands produced two big winners for our stallions in late November – STAY HUNGRY filly ZANATTA took both the Elimination and the $428,000 Final of the Three Diamonds for two-year-old fillies. It brings something extra to the tail end of what has been an outstanding first season for STAY HUNGRY with his 2YO progeny earning over $2.5m. From 108 foals he is the sire of 86 starters, 60 winners of 109 races with 32 in 1:55 and 54 in 2:00 or faster.

Never one to be in the background, CAPTAINTREACHEROUS also featured on the card with his 2YO colt EL REY claiming the $430,000 Governor’s Cup in 1:49.2.

Breeders Crown Stars

CAPTAINTREACHEROUS is always front and centre in the big race series and the 2022 Australasian Breeders Crown was no exception. Without a doubt, the stand out performance of the series was 3YO colt CAPTAIN RAVISHING who not only won his semi-final but dominated in the GROUP 1 final, winning by 30m in a track record time of 1:51.1 in the wet after sitting in the death seat throughout.  The colt is from Sportswriter mare Ravishing Girl and was bred by Sloys Company. Click the photo below to watch this incredible races!

Now CAPTAIN‘s second-highest money earner in Australasia at $495,000, ENCIPHER also made a clean-sweep of the 3YO fillies’ series, taking her heat and semi final as well as the GROUP 1 Championship at Melton. With her GR1 Victorian Oaks win, it made it her fourth straight victory. She is from Falcon Seelster mare Our Cavort and was bred by Tyson Linke.

SCHOOL CAPTAIN headed a CAPTAIN trifecta in the GROUP 1 2YO Pacing Colts & Geldings final, clocking 1:53.1 to beat home PERFECT CLASS and THE LOST STORM, who had won his semi final. Bred for success by Lauriston Bloodstock, SCHOOL CAPTAIN is from Bettors Delight mare Yankee Showgirl, a sister to SOMEBEACHSOMEWHERE star Poster Boy.

The undercard was no less populated with sons and daughters of our sires. Benstud Standardbreds-bred CAPTAINTREACHEROUS mare TOUGH TILLY made the Group 3 Breeders Crown Graduate Mares FFA her own in 1:53.8, while sons of SOMEBEACHSOMEWHERE took the Group 2 Breeders Crown 4YO Entires & Geldings Final (ACT NOW, bred by Bruce & Vicki Edward of Durham Park) and the Group 3 Breeders Crown Graduate Cup (IDYLLIC, also Durham Park).

Our congratulations go to all the connections of these brilliant Group winners.

Stay Hungry Yearling Tops Harrisburg Sale

The Harrisburg sales held our attention in October and for good reason – STAY HUNGRY‘s TIME OUT HANOVER was the top-selling pacing lot for the entire sale at $325,000 with CAPTAINTREACHEROUS filly, TWIN BE PREDATOR, close behind on $310,000. STAY HUNGRY had the highest pacing sire average on the opening day of $160,000 with his five lots fetching a total of $805,000, while CAPTAIN had the second highest pacing sire average of $131,710 for 28 lots sold.

Group Victories for AUNZ Captains

It’s been a busy time for Group racing across Australasia and CAPTAINTREACHEROUS stock have been coming out on top across both countries. New Zealand star 2YO MILLWOOD NIKE now sits on an unbeaten eight win streak which most recently included the GROUP 1 NZ Sires Stakes Fillies Final (below), as well as the GROUP 1 Caduceus Club, GROUP 1 Ace of Diamonds Final, Group 3 Helen Pope and Listed NZB Harness Millions. Aside from his Breeders Crown victory, SCHOOL CAPTAIN claimed the Group 2 Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic while ENCIPHER added the GROUP 1 Victoria Oaks to her impressive record.

Treacherous Dragon Takes Breeders Crown

CAPTAINTREACHEROUS filly TREACHEROUS DRAGON followed in her dam’s footsteps in October when she won the $810,000 Breeders Crown 3YO Pacing Fillies Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park in 1:49.1. The filly who now boasts a bank of over $1.17m (CAPTAIN‘s tenth millionaire) is out of multiple Breeders Crown and multi-millionaire mare, My Little Dragon – also the dam of our very own STAY HUNGRY. There’s such an incredible depth to this family!

2023 Australasian Yearling Sales

For discerning buyers there will be plenty of opportunities to find yourself a future champion at the Yearling Sales in 2023 with many lots on offer by STAY HUNGRY, CAPTAINTREACHEROUS and several of our former star sires. As always we’ll be providing a summary of these lots in the new year – make sure you’ve subscribed to our emails to get these handy previews.

APG QLD – January 22
NZB National Standardbred Yearling Sale Karaka – February 19
NZB National Standardbred Yearling Sale Christchurch – February 20, 21 & 22
Nutrien Equine Standardbred Sydney – March 4 & 5
APG WA – March 5
Nutrien Equine Standardbreds Brisbane – March 11 & 12
Tasmanian Harness Yearling Sale – March 12
Nutrien Bathurst Crown Gold – March 19
SA Silver Salver Yearling Sale – March 26
Nutrien Equine Standardbred Melbourne – April 1, 2 & 3
Redcliffe Yearling Sale – April 2

Captain Son in 1:46 World Record

CAPTAINTREACHEROUS son ALLYWAG HANOVER ($1.78m) upended World Champion Bulldog Hanover at The Red Mile in early October. He shot past the sport’s fastest Standardbred in the stretch to win the highly anticipated $153,000 Allerage Farms Open Pace in 1:46.0 – lowering the World Record for aged pacing geldings set in 2006.

2022 Season Foals Continue…

It’s always an exciting time of year but one of our favourite parts is getting to see all the new arrivals by our boys! We’d love to see your new arrivals – tag us on Facebook (@empirestallions) and Twitter (@empirestallions).