Stats tell the Story – Stallion Fund…

Blue Sky's Stallion Fund added another Group performer to its purchase record with Saturday's 2nd placing by prolific city winner Dempsey in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes at Ascot. Blue Sky and joint venture partner Arrowfield Stud were first to market with their Stallion Fund in 2008 and continue to lead the way with an outstanding record to date of six stakes performers from just nine yearlings purchased between 2008 and 2010.

2011 saw the first of these graduates retire to stud. Beneteau (Stallion Fund 2009) has received strong support from breeders in his freshman year at Arrowfield Stud while the stakes-performed Red Hot Choice (Stallion Fund 2008) stands at the renowned Mungrup Stud in Western Australia after being sold to Yarradale and Mungrup Studs in 2010.

"The key factor in the Stallion Funds’ success is the close alignment of our company, our investors and the team at Arrowfield,” commented Blue Sky’s Bloodstock Director Julian Blaxland. "Our Funds are performance-based, so we make a return on each fund only when the colts we buy perform. In the selection and management of each horse, we can draw not only on our own experience, but also the wealth of knowledge at Arrowfield and the expertise of our trainers.”

There can be no guarantee that every colt purchased will become a commercial stallion prospect, so it's important to have alternative strategies for achieving investor returns. An example of a highly successful "Plan B" is 2008 Stallion Fund graduate Better Be The One, formerly known as Common Interest. Trained in Melbourne by Lee Freedman, Better Be The One beat none other than Starspangledbanner when winning the Listed VRC Festival of Racing Stakes as a 2yo. Stakes performed again at three in Melbourne, Blue Sky and Arrowfield made the decision to geld the colt and send him to race in Singapore from the stable of Michael Freedman. Better Be The One has thrived in Singapore, winning two Group 3 features, placing 2nd in the Group 1 Lion City Cup behind champion Rocket Man and running a long head third to superstar sprinters JJ The Jet Plane and War Artist in the Group 2 Al Quoz Sprint at the Dubai World Cup meeting in March. With earnings now approaching A$800,000, Better Be The One will return to Dubai next March to contest the newly upgraded Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint, once again giving investors the thrill of competing at international level.

Graduates with a stud career ahead of them include Group 2 winner Shrapnel (Stallion Fund 2009), a half brother to Eliza Park Stallion Wanted, who will shortly return to work in the Mark Kavanagh stable, targeting Group 1 sprints in the autumn. A Group winner at two and three and placed 3rd in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes on Derby Day last year behind Star Witness, Shrapnel ticks plenty of boxes as a commercial sire prospect.

This spring, 2010 Stallion Fund graduates Rekindled Alliance and Vettel have both kicked off their careers in style. Vettel scored impressively on debut at Geelong last week and Rekindled Alliance followed a debut win at Canterbury with a short head 2nd in the Group 3 Newcastle Spring Stakes.

"We are hopeful of both Shrapnel and Rekindled Alliance achieving Group 1 success in the autumn," said Blaxland. “Shrapnel had some niggling issues last prep but has spelled well and if he can reproduce his best form, he is right up with the best sprinting sire prospects around. Similarly, we are really looking forward to the autumn with Rekindled Alliance, who went from winning a maiden at Canterbury to running in a Group 1 at just his fourth career start while mentally still a preparation away”.

Blue Sky and Arrowfield combined at this year's Inglis Easter Sale to purchase four colts for their 2011 Stallion Fund joint venture, by champion sire Redoute's Choice, Group 1 sire Charge Forward and freshman sire Street Sense. If Blue Sky Stallion Fund history is any guide, investors can look forward with confidence to their first racetrack appearances.