Justify and American Pharoah rested from Australian shuttle duties this year

Coolmore’s US Triple Crown winners Justify and American Pharoah will not return to Australia this breeding season with the stallions both rested from shuttle duties.

Justify, who was due to stand for a fee of A$55,000 (£31,000/€36,000 inc GST) at Jerrys Plains this season, had his first southern hemisphere-bred yearlings met positively by the market in Australia when sold earlier this year. From 73 lots sold his progeny averaged A$241,129 and sold to a high of A$1 million.

American Pharaoh was due to stand his sixth covering season in Australia for a fee of $49,500 (£28,000/€32,500 inc GST) in 2022.

A statement released by Coolmore said: “Triple Crown winners Justify and American Pharoah will not shuttle to Coolmore Australia this year … A decision was made to rest the two stallions, but both should be back the following year.”

Justify, an unbeaten winner of six races during his on-track career, has made an encouraging start with his first northern hemisphere-bred two-year-olds. The Aidan O’Brien-trained Statuette earned the stallion his first Group winner on Sunday when the filly won the Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh to be installed as the early favourite for next year’s 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket.

From eight runners to date Justify has four winners, as well as the stakes-placed Tahoma in the US.

American Pharoah is the sire of five elite winnersCredit: Coolmore

“Justify has made an excellent start with his first two-year-olds in Europe and North America,” the statement continued.

“His first Australian-bred two-year-olds will run later this year and he has two full crops to follow.”

American Pharoah’s oldest southern hemisphere-bred crop are rising four, and the stallion has three stakes winners in Australia so far, including Group 3 winners Head Of State and Pretty Amazing.

This season has emerged the unbeaten two-year-old Tijuana, a winner of the Anzac Day Stakes for Ben and JD Hayes in April.

American Pharoah has 30 stakes winners worldwide, including five at the elite-level in Japan, Europe and the US.

The stallion stood his first three years at Jerrys Plains for a fee of A$66,000 (inc GST), before he was reduced to a fee of A$55,000 in 2020 and A$49,500 in 2021. He has 368 southern hemisphere-bred foals on the ground.

Coolmore’s Irish stallions Churchill, Magna Grecia, Saxon Warrior and Wootton Bassett will all shuttle to Australia, as planned.

Subscribe for free to make sure you never miss updates from Australia, New Zealand and beyond and to have ANZ Bloodstock delivered to your inbox every day