YULONG Stud

Yulong Stud quickly showed their intent and ability as breeders with Gr1 winner Hungry Heart coming from their debut Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft, while last year’s offering has already produced the early two year-old Golden Gift winner Shangri La Express (Alabama Express). The 2024 draft for Yulong Stud features 43 yearlings by a range of proven sires including Alabama Express, Capitalist, Extreme Choice, Frankel, Grunt, Lope de Vega, Pierata, Pierro, Snitzel, Written Tycoon, and Zoustar, alongside the first-crop yearlings by their own Gr1-winning stallions Tagaloa and Lucky Vega.

By Champion Japanese sire Lord Kanaloa, Gr1 Blue Diamond victor Tagaloa has nine yearlings in Yulong’s draft, including Lot 700, a colt out of Gr3 winner Gamble Me and a half-brother to two stakes-placed winners and the dam of this season’s $1million Golden Gift winner Shangri La Express Lot 719 (Gold and Diamonds) is a half-brother to stakes-placed winner Authentic Jewel from the Eight Carat family, while Gr3 winner and Gr1-placed Gregers is the dam of Lot 731, who is from the family of Gr1 winners Ofcourseican and Gimmethegreenlight. Lot 1328 is the second foal of four-time city winner Pure, who is a half-sister to Gr1 winner and sire Flying Artie from the family of Cox Plate and Japan Cup winner Better Loosen Up Of the Tagaloa fillies, Lot 34 is a half-sister to stakes winner Red Card, out of the young winning Street Cry mare Penalty.

The Australian market is already familiar with Lucky Vega’s sire Lope de Vega, having produced Gr1 winners Gytrash, Santa Ana Lane, Vega Magic and Vega One in a brief shuttling stint, but his female line should also catch the imagination of many buyers with multiple Gr1 winner Militarize out of a sister to Lucky Vega’s own dam. Lucky Vega himself won the Gr1 Phoenix Stakes at two, going on to place in both the Gr1 2000 Guineas and G1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot at three. His first crop is represented in Yulong’s draft with six yearlings, evenly split between colts and fillies. A half-brother to stakes-placed winner Peninsula Links is Lot 1078, out of city winner Cardannic, a half-sister to dual Gr3 winner Cahuita. A colt, Lot 224, is the second foal of winning mare Soul Purpose, a half-sister to Listed winner Causeway Queen and Gr3 winner Solar Charged, dam of Magic Millions-winning Champion 3YO Filly and triple Gr1 winner Sunlight and her Gr3 winning sister Sisstar.

C F Orr Stakes winner Alabama Express has begun his stud career with a boom, with Yulong graduates Karavas winning the Gr3 Ottawa Stakes on Oaks Day, and Shangri La Express winning the Golden Gift. Yulong will showcase three of his yearling colts in this draft, including Lot 507, who is the second foal of Castle Queen, a winning half-sister to Mabeel from the family of Gr1 winner Invader.

Yulong will also present twelve yearlings by their Champion Sire Written Tycoon who is emerging as a sire of sires. Exciting colt, Lot 785, is the second foal of dual Gr1 winner In Her Time from the family of Yes Yes Yes; while Written Tycoon filly, Lot 645, is the second foal of Evening Slippers, a two yearold winning full-sister to Gr1 winner Sweet Idea and Gr2 winner Showtime, whose first foal by Grunt sold at this sale last year for $340,000. Lot 743, a filly, is out of Listed Cinderella Stakes winner Haybah who is a half-sister to Listed winner Taraayef, and from the family of Gr1 winner Rebel Raider. Additionally, Yulong will present two colts who have highly commercial pedigrees, a Frankel colt, Lot 627, who is the first foal of winning mare Elvic, a half-sister to Listed winner Tall Ship, and to the dam of Gr1 winner Channel, while this colt’s second dam is Gr1 two year-old winner Magical Romance. Snitzel colt, Lot 89, is the first foal of Gr2 winner Reelem in Ruby from the family of USA Champion turf filly and sixtime Gr1 winner Possibly Perfect.

A pair of nicely bred Zoustar fillies round out the draft with Lot 1017 being a half-sister to Gr2 winner and Gr1-placed Glenfiddich, and Lot 235 being out of stakes-placed winner (of five races as a two year-old) Spot the Diff.

Bluebloods spoke to Yulong’s COO Sam Fairgray ahead of the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale.

How would you sum up your 2024 draft?

“Yulong’s 2024 Magic Millions draft is a mix of both proven stallions, local and international, as well as the first yearlings in the sales ring by the Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa and Gr1-winning two yearold Lucky Vega. Our 2023 draft produced arguably this season’s most exciting two year-old colt in Shangri La Express (by young Yulong sire Alabama Express), and with Tagaloa and Lucky Vega both receiving high-quality books from Mr Zhang much like their predecessor, we hope buyers will uncover another gem from this year’s outstanding selection.”

Group 1-winning juvenile Lucky Vega will have his first yearlings at Magic Millions 2024.

What makes the Magic Millions sales and races special?

“Magic Millions put together quality catalogues year on year and they create an atmosphere that no one wants to miss. International visitors love coming to the Gold Coast in January as outside of the sale there is so much to do and fun to be had.”

Who have been the most influential people for you in racing?

“The most influential people in my career would be Peter Keating, John Messara, Henry Field and the late Dr Percy Sykes.”

How would you sum up the internet?

“A place that has brought the world closer together.”

At the 2024 Magic Millions, Yulong will present a quality lineup that should bring buyers, owners and trainers together in the winner’s circle.