Kia Ora join forces with Vinery Stud for 2026 stallion roster
A Hunter Valley power play has been executed with news Kia Ora Stud’s stallions Farnan (Not A Single Doubt), Captivant (Capitalist) and exciting newcomer Tropicus (Too Darn Hot) will stand at Vinery Stud from this spring.
The two neighbouring and deeply entwined farms announced the move on Wednesday, which means Vinery will stand a nine-stallion roster from 2026, with fees for this spring to be released on Friday.
Almost three years in the making, the agreement brings together the two leading first season sires by key markers in Australia last season onto the same farm. Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) – who topped that table by earnings and stakes winners – will be joined at Vinery by Farnan, who headed the list by winners and was second by black type victors.
Farnan and Ole Kirk, both eight-year-olds looming up behind Australia’s ageing band of dominant stallions, are now sitting first and second respectively by winners on the Australian second season sires’ table.
As of this spring, Farnan, Captivant and Tropicus will stand alongside Vinery’s incumbent six stallions Ole Kirk, All Too Hard (Casino Prince), Exceedance (Exceed And Excel), Hawaii Five Oh (I Am Invincible), Headwater (Exceed And Excel) and Star Turn (Star Witness).
The two studs’ decision to combine rosters comes three years after the decision by Kia Ora owner, the late Ananda Krishnan, to buy a substantial stake in Vinery.
Vinery general manager Adam White said the move would greatly enhance and streamline the two farms’ stallion operations and “made logical sense”, given both operations had almost the same ownership.
“It’s great,” he told ANZ News. “Since Mr Krishnan, through Kia Ora, took a big stake in Vinery three years ago, it’s something that’s been discussed from time to time, without anything being finalised.
“So to finally be consolidating the stallion rosters into the one farm, it’s an exciting time.
“It strengthens the stallion roster. Having two farms owned by partly the same entity standing stallions next to each other actually diluted both rosters a bit.
“By joining forces we’re able to compete with some of those farms who’ve got bigger rosters.
“Plus Kia Ora have such an elite broodmare band, and always have had for the last 26 odd years since Mr Krishnan bought the farm. They’ll support our stallions like they always have, so it’s onwards and upwards.
“Both farms are moving forward to make the most of the strength we’ve got under this roster now, and hopefully both farms can capitalise on it.”
In a statement, White added: “To think the two leading second season sires by individual winners, Farnan and Ole Kirk, are now on the one roster is very exciting for both operations.
“The early success of Farnan, as well as breeding a prospect like Tropicus, is a testament to the quality and professionalism of the Kia Ora team. We are really looking forward to continuing to work closely with them to maximise the success of both farms and the stallion roster.”
Kia Ora’s bloodstock and breeding manager Shane Wright said the move was “very exciting”.
“Kia Ora and Vinery, two very established farms with a huge history behind them joining forces like this is only going to strengthen the stallion roster,” Wright told ANZ. “But also thinking about all the resources we can put together is very exciting.
“These stallions are going to get the benefit of some pretty serious broodmare bands – the Kia Ora broodmare band, the Vinery broodmare band, and the shareholders’ broodmare bands. The stallions will get every chance going forward.
“Combining the broodmare bands, combining the resources of facilities and staffing can only strengthen everything for both farms going forward, to work more seamlessly as one.”
While also migrating certain personnel from Kia Ora to Vinery would seem a logical step, White said staffing details were still being determined.
Kia Ora will revert to being a “pretty boutique broodmare farm”, Wright said, as it was before introducing stallions five years ago when Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Farnan began his stud career alongside Prague (Redoute’s Choice).
Vinery and Kia Ora are united in their excitement over Tropicus, the Kia Ora-bred four-year-old who became the highest-rated sprinting son of the gun stallion Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) in winning February’s Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) at Caulfield.
The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained entire became the only progeny of Too Darn Hot worldwide to achieve a Timeform rating of 120 or higher at 1200 metres or less.
“We’re super excited about him,” Wright said. “To have a stallion entering stud with our brand on him is very significant.
“He’s a super-looking horse. People have started inspecting him, and he’s been going down very, very well. We think he’s going to be a stallion who gets very well supported, and there’s actually some limited share offers still available.
“He’s Too Darn Hot’s highest-rated sprinter as well, so he’s absolutely made for the Australian market.”
White said he was “elated” with how Tropicus presented.
“[He’s] such an attractive horse with a quality head and beautiful bay colour,” he said.
“Being a high-rated Group 1 sprinter, he has the strength that we all look for and having won on debut in town as a two-year-old, I think he will get very early runners.
“You only have to look back to how his sire Too Darn Hot began with his first crop and then add the fact that Tropicus is from a mare by Exceed And Excel, who is a world-renowned sire of juveniles, which just increases his chances to do so.”
Wright said the eight-year-old Farnan, who has five stakes winners from 105 runners, was “continuing to go from strength-to-strength”, including rising to currently sit sixth among Australian three-year-old sires, with Michael Freedman’s dual stakes-winning gelding Ninja his top performer.
After his dynamic start at stud, Farnan would seem likely to be in contention for a fee rise at his new digs, after standing last year for $77,000 (inc GST), up from $55,000. Likewise Vinery’s flagbearer Ole Kirk, who has six stakes winners from 93 starters and stood last year for $99,000 (inc GST), up from $55,000.
“We couldn’t be happier with Farnan,” Wright said. “Everyone at Kia Ora is very proud of him.
“Every year he’s shown he can get top flight horses, and in the years that he’s had runners he’s been at the top of the tables.
“He’s a force to be reckoned with going forward, when you look at his numbers and how the quality of his mares has improved year on year. He’s a stallion we’re very happy to be behind.”
The seven-year-old Captivant, who stood last year for $19,800 (inc GST), is just starting out, with one winner from his first six two-year-old runners.
“He’ll have a slight fee decrease this year, just with the way the market is going,” Wright said. “The best of him is still to come with his late two-year-olds and coming three-year-olds.”
The eight-year-old Prague, who alongside Farnan kicked off Kia Ora’s return to standing stallions after a long hiatus, is heading to Queensland’s Oaklands Stud to stand at $8,800 (inc GST), after covering 32 mares at $11,000 (inc GST) last year.