Toronado to stand unchanged as Swettenham announce fees
Swettenham Stud have announced their stallion fees for the 2025 breeding season, headlined by Toronado (High Chaparral) who will stand at an unchanged fee of $88,000 (all fees inc. GST), and undefeated Group-winning two-year-old Lofty Strike (Snitzel), who also retains his fee of $22,000 in his second season at stud.
Toronado has been a model of consistency both in the ring and on the track, currently sitting fourth on the Australia General Sires list by winners for the 2024-25 season, behind only I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), Zoustar (Northern Meteor) and Written Tycoon (Iglesia). Toronado also achieved his highest sales-ring result, with a colt out of Hardly Surprising (All Too Hard) selling for $1,000,000 as the equal–top lot at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
“His results [this season] have been pretty encouraging, obviously he had the first crop of yearlings off his $88,000 service fee, so the pressure was on for them to get good results,” Marcus Heritage, nominations at Swettenham, told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“To tick the box and get his first million–dollar lot was a big thrill, but there were plenty of others that had good returns for the breeders.
“I think holding firm at that price should be pretty attractive for breeders that want a stallion who has still got plenty of upside with all of his runners to date, except his two-year-olds, being off a $25,000 service fee. He’s got plenty of upside with those better crops still coming through the ranks.”
Rubiton Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) winner and Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) runner-up Lofty Strike is set to stand his second season at the Nagambie Farm, having covered a book of 115 mares in his first.
“He was really well supported in his first season,” Heritage said.
“He covered 115 mares, really high–quality mares for a $20,000 stallion, so it’s encouraging. We are looking forward to the first foals hitting the ground in August and I think if he throws types like himself, the breeders will be flocking in again for his second season.”
The roster is supported by French Group 1 winner Wooded (Wootton Bassett) who will stand for $16,500, down from $22,000, and dual stakes-winning two-year-old I Am Immortal (I Am Invincible) who will stand at $8,800, reduced from $13,750 in 2024.
“We are really excited about how [Wooded]’s yearlings sold, especially at the Inglis Premier sale,” Heritage said.
“He had the best service fee multiplier of all the first season sires, so the market showed that they had a strong appetite for him and they were quite pleased with the types he’s throwing.
“On the back of Wootton Bassett’s successful first season down-under with his two-year-olds, we’re hoping Wooded can fire with similar results. He’s going well in France, he has already got 20 winners and had his first stakes winner the other day so he’s coming along quite well.”
Of I Am Immortal, Heritage said: “We decided to slightly decrease his fee and really make him the best value sire under $10,000 in the state.
“He had the VOBIS Showdown winner with Mcgaw and had his first Group winner on the weekend and there’s a number of them coming through. He’s going really well, but we’ve just decided to meet the market with him, get some numbers and keep him ticking along.”
Puissance De Lune (Shamardal), whose fee is available on application, rounds out Swettenham’s five-strong roster.
The son of Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) has had five individual stakes winners to date and 135 winners from 254 starters, with the best being Group 2 winner Moonlight Maid.
“He’s still available for breeders,” said Heritage. “He’s proven to be a good VOBIS option for the breed-to-racer’s, so he’s still going to be there for use.”
Starting this season, the Adam Sangster-owned operation will introduce the Swettenham Breeder Protection, offering breeders a free return on all stallions if a foal becomes unfit for racing within its first three months of life.
“We’ve decided to add that to our contract just to give breeders that added vote of confidence. It’s always been a bit of an industry concern that people pay their service fees and if something does go wrong, they aren’t always protected,” Heritage said.
“So we have put that in the contract to give breeders the opportunity and the confidence that if they breed to a Swettenham stallion, and as we know things can go wrong with horses, we’re there to look after them. We put the breeders first, which has always been Adam Sangster’s motive.”
Swettenham Stud 2025 roster
2025 (2024)
Toronado: Unchanged ($88,000)
Lofty Strike: Unchanged ($22,000)
Wooded: $16,500 ($22,000)
I Am Immortal: $8,800 ($13,750)
Puissance De Lune: POA ($8,800)
*All fees inc. GST