Yulong double-handed in ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes
It’s all systems go for Yulong Investments with new acquisitions Streisand (Magnus) and Paradoxium (Extreme Choice) leading the charge on Day 1 of The Championships at Randwick on Easter Saturday.
Streisand is a firming $3.30 favourite for the Inglis Sires’ (Gr 1, 1400m) and Paradoxium is on the third-line of markets at $9.50 following contrasting results in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
Yulong owner Mr Yuesheng Zhang purchased Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Streisand outright earlier this week and he will race Paradoxium in partnership with Ridgmont’s Mitch Cunningham – who kept a share in the untapped colt.
Yulong chief operating officer Sam Fairgray made a case for both youngsters when previewing the star-studded meeting yesterday.
“Streisand will stay with Clinton McDonald at Cranbourne and you can’t fault her form,” Fairgray said. “She won the Blue Diamond and then finished second to Guest House in the Golden Slipper.
“Clinton is happy with the way she’s trained on and another Group 1 will only increase her residual value. Owners and trainers love yearlings from fast two year-olds and she will be a great addition to Yulong’s broodmare band down the track.”
Streisand was a $100,000 buy for McDonald and Shane McGrath at the 2025 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale and is the first Group 1 winner for Zoustar (Northern Meteor) as a broodmare sire. Her dam Zouper Star has been catalogued as Lot 25 for the Inglis Chairman’s Sale on May 7 and she is a winning half-sister to black-type gallopers Best Yet To Come (Econsul) and Simply Put (Charge Forward).
McDonald was over the moon at the Blue Diamond presentation at Caulfield.
“What a filly,” McDonald said post-race. “She did it the tough way and I thought she was really strong all the way to the line. She was the most seasoned horse in the race and the way she walked around the mounting yard it was like she’s done it her whole life.”
Fairgray is confident Paradoxium can make amends for a best-forgotten loss in the Golden Slipper. The Bjorn Baker-trained colt went into the race on the back of outstanding victories in the Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic (RL, 1100m) and Todman Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Randwick.
“He drew [barrier] 18 and was brave after travelling wide,” Baker said. “He also had a setback earlier in the season before the Magic Million Classic on the Gold Coast. He was the early favourite but had to be scratched due to travel sickness.”
Baker has plenty of time for Paradoxium. “For him to get back here is pretty special,” he added. “We breed for speed in Australia and he’s fast and tough.”
And a Group 1 will confirm Paradoxium joins a future Yulong stallion roster which is currently headed by champion sire Written Tycoon (Iglesia).“He’s a precocious Extreme Choice and his sons at stud like Stay Inside are proving it’s already a successful sireline,” Fairgray said. “And we saw how popular his sons were at the Easter Yearling Sale.”The top-priced Extreme Choice colt at Riverside Stables was the son of Melbourne Group 2 winner Pretty Brazen (Brazen Beau) that was knocked down for $3 million. Overall, they averaged an incredible $1.56 million.
Mr Zhang went back to the source when buying his Zoustar half-brother at last week’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. Their stakes-placed dam Paredo (Better Than Ready) is a half-sister to the dam of Group 1 colt Don Corleone – who is also by Extreme Choice.
Another close relation Private Harry (Harry Angel) added an elite-level victory to the page winning last year’s The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m) for a Yulong partnership and Chris Waller has him winding up for a late-season campaign after placing in a Warwick Farm barrier trial on Monday.
Apart from Paradoxium’s half-brother, Yulong also bought into another high-priced Zoustar at Riverside Stables when targeting the colt from Let’s Elope Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) winner Sword Of Light (New Approach). He’s a half-brother to Darby Munro Stakes (Listed, 1200m) winner Beskar (Snitzel) and will be trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Yulong goes into The Championships with its green and white checked colours capable of starting the day on a positive note with Under Focus (Too Darn Hot) in the Kindergarten Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m).
Trained by Kris Lees, he tracked the speed to win a Randwick nursery last time out and there’s further upside leading into his first crack at black-type.
“He looks a progressive colt and Kris reckons he’s improved again,” Fairgray said. “He’s honest and went forward last time and he can run through the line on Saturday.”
Meanwhile, Yulong has announced Group 1 winner Vinrock (I Am Invincible) will join its quality roster in 2026 headed by Written Tycoon alongside Group 1 sires Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice) and Grunt (O’Reilly).
This time last year he became the first Australian two-year-old Group 1 winner by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) in the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick.
“Vinrock possessed all the ingredients breeders seek in a young stallion,” Fairgray said. “He’s an exceptional colt. Elite performances at two, an outstanding page, and a real physical presence.
“To win both the VRC and ATC Sires’ Produce races in the same season is so rare and speaks volumes about his class, toughness, and natural ability. He’s a son of I Am Invincible from a high-quality Redoute’s Choice mare like Zoustar, Anamoe and Super Seth.
“That gives him a pedigree that will really resonate with breeders, and we’re excited to welcome him to the farm.”
Vinrock will stand for an introductory fee of $22,000 (inc GST).