Now that Equine Influenza has been trampled out of Australia, experts and breeders alike are predicting the broodmare owners of Australia will hit the stallion farms en masse. This follows the drama of last season where broodmare coverings were down 17% across Australia.
And the biggest farm, Coolmore, is preparing for the breeding season by announcing March 19 that its already impressive roster of leading men will be enhanced with the arrival of two European juggernauts.
As is the case with Coolmore stallions, these two stallions were legitimate stars of racing in Europe. They are Dylan Thomas (IRE) and Excellent Art (GB), and they will leave Europe in July bound for a season of serving in Australia.
Dylan Thomas, arguably Danehill's best ever son, and certainly his best staying son, won six individual group I races including back-to-back renewals of the Irish Champion Stakes, the Irish Derby, the King George and of course his fantastic win in the Gran Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) in Paris. He is a half-brother to European champion 2-year-old filly Queen's Logic and is bred on a similar Danehill/Sharpen Up cross to fellow Coolmore sire sensation Danehill Dancer.
Excellent Art is a son of Britain's top sire Pivotal and comes from the family of another top sire in Chief's Crown, whose progeny over the years have adapted well to the Australian way of racing.
A brilliant 2-year-old, he took the five-furlong National Stakes by nine lengths on his stakes debut and rounded off the season by landing the group II Mill Reef Stakes in good style. Excellent Art was rated European champion 3-year-old miler on the 2007 World Rankings after several high class performances including a victory in Royal Ascot's group I St. James's Palace Stakes over English Two Thouasand Guineas (Eng-I) and Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-I) winner Cockney Rebel and French Two Thousand Guineas (Fr-I) winner Astronomer Royal.
"The Coolmore sires are enjoying a fantastic year on the racetrack and in Dylan Thomas and Excellent Art, we have two very exciting additions to the roster for 2008," said Coolmore Australia manager Michael Kirwan.
Coolmore stallions Dylan Thomas (IRE) (above) and Excellent Art (GB) will shuttle to Australia in July for the southern hemisphere breeding season.
