All aboard the Yulong stallion express! Japan’s Saudi Cup hero Panthalassa joins roster

Pierata and Alabama Express, the young linchpins of Yuesheng Zhang’s burgeoning Yulong stallion roster, will command higher service fees in 2024 after the pair’s blistering start with their first crop juveniles.

The emergence this season of dual stakes winner and Golden Slipper runner-up Coleman, who was also placed in the ATC Sires Produce Stakes, and Group 3 winner Tobeornottobe will see Pierata stand for A$66,000 (£34,000/€56,000), up from A$44,000.

His barnmate Alabama Express’s Golden Gift-winning colt Shangri La Express, Ottawa Stakes-winning filly Karavas and four other stakes performers has prompted Yulong to stand the C F Orr Stakes winner at a fee of A$55,000, up from his 2023 service fee of A$22,000.

The fastest freshman sire to achieve progeny earnings of A$1 million in history, Alabama Express has sired seven individual winners so far in season 2023-24, while Pierata has five, one coming in New Zealand for each stallion, which sees them sitting third and fourth respectively on the Australian first-season sires’ table by earnings.

Also on Thursday, Yulong announced the addition of a new stallion to its eight-strong roster, shuttling the electrifying Japanese dual Group 1 winner Panthalassa to Australia later this year. He will stand for an introductory fee of A$16,500. 

Vin Cox (left): "we’ve got great faith in what the Japanese Stud Book produces"Credit: Magic Millions

Vin Cox, who was installed as Yulong’s general manager last December, believes the rising fortunes of Alabama Express and Pierata adds real credibility to the Yulong roster that provides commercial breeders with an array of stallion options.

“Both horses are up there and highly competitive for champion first-season sire and there’s still a bit of the season to play out,” Cox told ANZ Bloodstock News.

“Alabama Express certainly hit the ground very early on and got very high-class performers right around the country and even in New Zealand. He gets a good-looking sort and they’ve been well-admired and accepted in the sale ring, so on the back of all that we’ve increased his fee to a level we think is appropriate.

“And Pierata has arguably got the best two-year-old colt in the country in Coleman and he’s got five stakes horses in his first crop. He has had some very nice winners around the country and again one in New Zealand.

“It makes you wonder how good they could end up being as I don’t think anyone saw them being two-year-old sires.”

Pierata was secured by Yulong from Aquis Farm early last year after trainer Greg Hickman’s All Aged Stakes winner spent his first three seasons at the Fung family-owned operation at a fee of A$44,000. He covered 191 mares last year and Alabama Express covered 206 mares, more than he covered in his previous two seasons combined. 

Panthalassa will join the Yulong team this yearCredit: Masakazu Takahashi

Yulong’s intriguing newcomer Panthalassa, in racetrack performances reminiscent of Pride Of Jenni’s lead-at-all-costs Queen Elizabeth Stakes superlatives, won seven races for trainer Yoshito Yahagi and his owner, Australian Eric Lucas, highlighted by wins in the US$20 million Saudi Cup in 2023 and the previous year’s Dubai Turf at Meydan. He also finished runner-up in the 2022 Tenno Sho won by Japanese superstar Equinox.

“He had a very aggressive racing style, he’s got an interesting pedigree and an interesting race profile, but we’ve got great faith in what the Japanese Stud Book produces,” said Cox.

“Coming from Japan, whether it’s racehorses, stallion prospects or broodmare prospects, they’re certainly well worth investing in their product.”

A winner of more than A$21m in 27 race starts, Panthalassa is in the midst of his first northern hemisphere season at Arrow Stud in Japan before he joins Yulong’s stallion ranks in time for the September 1 start of the southern hemisphere breeding season. Lucas retains equity in the well-travelled stallion.

Fellow Lord Kanaloa sons, Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa and Japan’s Grade 2-winning Diatonic, will stand for A$22,000 and A$13,750 respectively.

George Ryder-winning three-year-old colt Veight’s sire Grunt will stand for an unchanged A$22,000 in 2024 and shuttler Lucky Vega, whose first southern hemisphere-bred crop of yearlings have sold up to A$160,000, also remains unchanged at A$16,500 in his fourth season at Yulong.

Lucky Vega: will continue to stand for A$16,500 in his fourth season at YulongCredit: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Cox suggested that “Grunt represents outstanding value” for breeders. 

He said: “He gets a lot of winners, he has got a Group 1 performer at weight-for-age, he has got a very promising three-year-old filly with Grahame Begg [Miraval Rose who is accepted for the James H B Carr Stakes at Randwick on Saturday].”

Rising 23-year-old champion sire Written Tycoon, who has spent the past three seasons based at Nagambie, remains at a private fee and he will cover a restricted book of Yulong-owned mares in his 18th year at stud.

Zhang will once again be supporting his roster of eight stallions heavily with his huge and diverse broodmare band.

“We’ll be looking to send some mares to outside stallions, but the vast majority will be going to our own stallions,” said Cox.

“As our traction in the marketplace gains momentum and from this point on I think it’s significant, we’re looking to see a greater level of support from outside breeders, which we’re very much looking forward to.

“It’s a roster with real credibility.”

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