Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa to stand at Yulong
Yulong has won the race to secure Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Tagaloa, who is by Japan’s hottest young sire Lord Kanaloa (King Kamehameha), for stud duties just a week after the two-year-old’s breakthrough juvenile stakes victory.
It was the second major stallion coup for the Yuesheng Zhang-owned breeding and racing empire after it emerged earlier last week that the organisation had purchased a controlling interest in C F Orr Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m)-winning three-year-old Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice).
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Tagaloa became a genuine commercial stallion prospect on the back of his Blue Diamond victory, with an expression of interest process overseen by part-owner Ozzie Kheir and Group 1 Bloodstock agent Mathew Becker.
“Tagaloa epitomises what we’re looking for in a modern Australian stallion – he’s good looking, a Group 1 Blue Diamond winner at two and a complete outcross,” Yulong chief operating officer Sam Fairgray said.
“We believe he’ll be even better at three. Lord Kanaloa is Japan’s most exciting emerging sire and is poised to take over the mantle from Deep Impact. It’s a privilege to stand a son of such a dominant young sire and brilliant sprinter.”
Tagaloa and Alabama Express, who produced an uncharacteristic performance when last in yesterday’s Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m), will eventually join Yulong’s foundation sire Grunt (O’Reilly) at the Nagambie-based stud once their racing careers are over.
Tagaloa ran third in the Maribyrnong Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) on debut at Flemington last November before confirming his Blue Diamond aspirations with a victory at Moonee Valley later in the month, which prompted connections to shelve a Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) campaign in a bid to chase Group 1 success.
Busuttin, who along with Young bought Tagaloa for $300,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Arrowfield Stud draft, said: “Yulong purchasing Tagaloa is a huge tick of approval for the Victorian breeding industry.
“These types normally end up in the Hunter Valley. To have a horse like him, a stunning physical and Blue Diamond winner with an international outcross pedigree, stay in Victoria is a massive vote of confidence.
“Yulong are leading the pack, setting the standard of new development in the Victorian industry.”
Tagaloa is now likely to be given his chance to add to his immense value in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) later this month.
“Tagaloa was an outstanding yearling and always looked like he’d grow into a lovely horse,” Busuttin continued.
“We were impressed by his temperament as a yearling. This came through as an early two-year-old and makes him a beautiful horse to deal with now.
“On type he’s a big powerful, striking colt. He’s got a lovely head, athletic physique and a great frame. To be honest, what he’s doing now at two is a bonus and he has done it on raw, natural talent – he’s going to make a very exciting three-year-old.”
Tagaloa is the first foal out of the Heart’s Cry (Sunday Silence) mare Vasilissa, who is a Japanese-winning half-sister to Listed winner Tricolore Bleu (Stay Gold) as well as the stakes-placed duo of Danon Gelato (Deep Impact) and World Impact (Deep Impact), who was a winner at two.
Yulong securing Tagaloa followed a red-letter day on the track for the outfit, with Hungry Heart (Frankel) emerging as a genuine Golden Slipper contender with a dominant display in the Sweet Embrace Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Randwick.
“It has been a milestone day for Yulong, with Hungry Heart winning the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes, becoming our first Group winner from our first Magic Millions draft, and now securing our third stallion for the Yulong roster,” Fairgray said.