Extreme Eureka deal!
Don Corleone to stand at McAlpine family’s renowned Queensland stud
Leading Queensland farm Eureka Stud has partnered with Newgate Farm, Australia’s busiest stallion operation last year, to stand high-class juvenile Don Corleone (Extreme Choice) in the Sunshine State.
The McAlpine family has reached a deal that will see the son of the Newgate roster leader Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt), who narrowly missed out in two of the nation’s biggest juvenile races, will join the Darling Downs stud’s roster for at least four years alongside Queensland’s premier sire Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo) and Group-producing stallion Encryption (Lonhro).
The Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) runner-up and Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) fourth-placed Don Corleone will stand for $13,200 (all fees inc GST) in his first season at Cambooya.
Spirit Of Boom, the mainstay of Eureka Stud and last season’s leading two-year-old sire by individual winners, will stand for an unchanged $38,500 while Encryption has had his fee reduced slightly to $11,000.
Eureka’s Scott McAlpine and his sons Harry and Angus approached Newgate’s Henry Field earlier this year about the possibility of striking a deal to stand Don Corleone.
“We said, ‘you probably want to stand him yourself, but is there any way we could structure a deal to get Don Corleone?’. So, we’ve structured a deal whereby we’ll give him every chance in Queensland for the first four years and if he becomes more commercial after that he’ll return to Henry’s and that was the only way we could off Newgate,” Harry McAlpine told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“I think it’s a win-win and we’re lucky to get a stallion from such an elite sireline and two-year-old into the ranks.”
Don Corleone won his first start in January last year with the Group 1 two-year-old races firmly in connections’ sights.
He was runner-up in the Blue Diamond Stakes after charging home from well back in the field at Sandown before running fourth three weeks later in the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) won by Shinzo (Snitzel).
He also finished runner-up to Militarize (Dundeel) in the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
At three, he was also placed in the Danehill Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) and the Gothic Stakes (Listed, 1200m).
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt won almost $1 million in prize-money in his 13-start race career.
“He had a couple of setbacks and still managed to show glimpses of being a really brilliant two-year-old. He was to line up in the Breeders Plate, but he got crook before that apparently,” McAlpine said.
“He showed pure brilliance in his first start when he won and then in the Blue Diamond he was held up for a run until about the 200-metre mark when he burst out from 11th to finish second. He certainly showed glimpses of … being a superstar two-year-old and that’s what we all want to be breeding.”
A $650,000 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale purchase for the China Horse Club and Newgate colts syndicate, the Rick Jamieson-bred colt is out of the ATC Gimcrack Stakes (Listed, 1000m) runner-up Snipzu (Snippetson) who has also produced the JJ Atkins Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) placed The Drinks Cart (Unencumbered).
McAlpine expects small to medium-sized stallion farms striking similar deals with the biggest colts investors in order to secure new sires.
“It appears that way with the farms and the colts syndicates now have so much control. It’s very hard to get one at the end of their racing career as they’re moving further down the supply chain,” he said.
“Obviously, Don Corleone was bought as a foal and they’re buying into them after a start or two before they’ve done it on the track, so by the time you get a stallion with the credentials to stand at stud they’ve already been snapped up.
“I think it’s great we’ve been able to do a partnership like this to get a horse of Don Corleone’s calibre for Queensland.”
Meanwhile, Spirit Of Boom will again be popular with breeders hence Eureka choosing not to alter the stallion’s 2024 service fee.
He has sired Angus Armanasco Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) winner Sassy Boom, top Group 3-winning Perth filly Keshi Boom and fellow stakes winners All That Pizzazz, Chatty Lady and Barbie’s Sister this season.
“He’s a really proven, reliable option at that level, and there’s not many of them in the market, so he’ll have another full book,” McAlpine said.
“He was the leading two-year-old sire in Australia last season, a top five by winners, and he’s got five stakes winners this season and the winter carnival hasn’t begun yet, so he’s doing his thing as he does every year.”
Encryption, the sire of first crop three-time Group winner Cifrado and Grand Prix Stakes (Gr 3, 2100m) winning and Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) contender Encoder, also remains an integral part of the Eureka roster.
“Last year, he was crowned champion first season sire in Queensland; he’s started off with a dual Group 2 winner and one looks likes being a Derby horse in Encoder,” McAlpine said.
“He’s doing a great job and it’s great to have Encryption on the roster again.”
Eureka Stud stallion roster (All fees incl GST)
2024 2023
Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo) $38,500 unchanged
Don Corleone (Extreme Choice) $13,200 new
Encryption (Lonhro) $11,000 $13,200