Capitalist sprinter Marine One to join Western Australia’s stallion ranks

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Rubiton Stakes winner to stand at Mogumber Park in partnership with China Horse Club and Kingstar Farm

Mogumber Park has secured Group 2 winner Marine One for stud duties, with the Western Australian farm partnering with international heavyweight China Horse Club and large-scale domestic investor Matthew Sandblom to stand the sprinting son of Capitalist (Written Tycoon) in 2023.

A brother to James Harron Bloodstock’s Group 3-winning, Group 1-placed three-year-old colt Cannonball, who is set to run in the King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) at Royal Ascot next month, Marine One showed immense talent as an early season juvenile before returning at three to convincingly win the Rubiton Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m), a victory which put him on the radar of studmasters. 

He will stand for an introductory fee of $8,800 (inc GST) alongside rostermate Safeguard (Exceed And Excel) ($4,400) at Colin Brown and Fiona Lacey’s Mogumber Park property, which is 45 kilometres from Perth’s central business district.

Brown told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday that Marine One’s profile made him an ideal stallion for the Western Australian market. 

“When Fiona went down to Victoria [to inspect him], she said, ‘we’ve just got to have this boy’. He has so much presence about him,” Brown said.

“Over here, we look for early-goers, if we can get that slight outcross to Danehill, we look at that as well, so he ticks a lot of boxes for WA and his dad has done remarkably well at stud, so he just fits and, if he throws anything like himself, his stock are going to receive plenty of attention [at the sales] as he’s a very attractive stallion.”

The rising five-year-old stallion, who was bred and co-owned by China Horse Club and Kingstar Farm’s Sandblom, was a $500,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate who was purchased by trainer Lloyd Kennewell and Group 1 Bloodstock’s Mathew Becker for owner Ozzie Kheir and his racing partners.

Marine One is out of Merson Cooper Stakes (Listed, 1000m)-winning VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) placed mare Golconda (Snitzel), whose Written Tycoon (Iglesia) filly realised $300,000 at this year’s Magic Millions sale.

He was placed in a Maribyrnong Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) on his debut for Kennewell before being transferred to the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable ahead of this three-year-old year, a season which netted him four victories headlined by his Rubiton Stakes performance.

Injury saw him ruled out for 12 months before resuming in this year’s Rubiton Stakes, finishing a close-up fourth behind Lofty Strike (Snitzel), subsequent Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) winner Uncommon James (Cable Bay) and Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun), before suffering another setback in the Oakleigh Plate, resulting in the decision to retire him to stud.

Marine One is the third first season sire to join the WA ranks in 2023 alongside Darling View Thoroughbreds’ Group 2 winner Lightsaber (Zoustar) ($6,600) and Geisel Park’s Aysar (Deep Field) (TBC), the half-brother to Home Affairs (I Am Invincible).

Sandblom, who is also a shareholder in Newgate Farm where Capitalist stands, has committed to the Western Australian breeding industry and the opportunity to retain ownership in Marine One at stud has solidified that west coast investment.

“We have had some success selling yearlings at the Perth Magic Millions sale but we realised that what people really want is Westspeed-qualified horses, so standing Marine One in Perth will achieve that,” Sandblom said. 

“Westspeed is the most generous  breeding scheme in the country and it was a key reason why the Perth yearling sale was so strong this year. 

“We will also be bringing across mares in foal to Newgate and Kingstar stallions and these progeny will become Westspeed eligible with the breed back option. 

“This will give Perth buyers even more choice in Westspeed-eligible yearlings.”

China Horse Club’s Teo Ah Khing echoed Sandblom’s comments and he was equally as excited about the organisation’s maiden foray into Western Australia.

“Marine One offers West Australian breeders an outcross sire line and the key ingredients of a successful stallion – a great physical, precocity, and speed,” Teo said. 

“The DNA of China Horse Club is one that has a global outlook, but is built on local partnerships and this venture is another extension of that.  

“As such we not only look forward to supporting Marine One but to working with and getting to know West Australian breeders and participating in the broader market.”

Brown added: “We get excited because of the horse, we get excited because of the relationship, but it really is an endorsement of WA racing and breeding.”

A limited number of shareholder breeding rights will be available in Marine One.