Baramul

Baramul Stud had the perfect start to the 2023/24 racing season with million-dollar graduate Espionage winning the Gr3 Breeders’ Plate on debut. Sold at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2023, the colt immediately made an impression, and more incredibly, third placed Prost was from the same draft, while Repose ran third in the Gr3 Gimcrack on the same day.

Recently retired group winner and exciting new stallion Best of Bordeaux, Gr2 winner Zenzella, and Listed winners Vienna Princess, Stroll, and Me Me Lagarde, all come from recent Baramul Stud Gold Coast drafts as does seven time Group One winner Alligator Blood.

The historical property will present an impressive draft of 55 yearlings in 2024 by a huge range of stallions, such as All Too Hard (4), Better Than Ready (3), Bivouac (2), Brazen Beau, Capitalist (2), Dundeel, Exceedance (2), Farnan, Flying Artie (2), Frosted, Hellbent, I Am Invincible (3), King’s Legacy, Ole Kirk (4), Pierata (2), Shalaa, Snitzel (8), So You Think (2), Spirit of Boom, Star Turn (2), Street Boss, Toronado, Wootton Bassett, Written Tycoon (4), and Zoustar (4).

On paper, there are several exciting pedigreed lots in this draft, led by Best of Bordeaux’s

half-brother by Written Tycoon as Lot 520, and he is the third foal of city winner Chateau Cheval, a half-sister to Gr1 winner Casino Prince. A filly with huge residual value is Lot 659, a Wootton Bassett filly out of dual Gr1 winner and Champion 2YO Filly Fashions Afield, dam of Gr2 Todman Stakes winning son Kiss and Make Up. Eight yearlings by Champion Sire Snitzel include Lot 384 a full sister to Gr2 winner Zennzella (Snitzel) out of Gr3 winner and Gr1 placed Zennista, who is closely related to Gr1 NZ Thousand Guineas winner Platinum Witness. A full brother to Listed winner Vienna Princess (Snitzel) is Lot 727 and he is the fourth foal of winning mare Graciousness, a half-sister to Gr1 winner and sire Casino Prince and three other stakes winners. A half-sister to Baramul’s exciting group winning two year-old Espionage, Lot 786, is the fourth foal of city winner In Times of War, a daughter of group winner Military Rose. Snitzel colt, Lot 241, is the first foal of Gr3 placed winner Statuesquely, from the family of Gr1 winner Lotteria. A half-sister to stakes placed winner Improvement is Snitzel filly, Lot 326, whose two year-old winning dam is out of tough Gr2 winner and Gr1 placed Ferragamo, winner of eleven races.

Brilliant broodmare and stakes placed winner Lipari’s Written Tycoon colt, Lot 871, is a half-brother to three stakes winners; Gr1 winner Levendi, and Gr3 winners Wu Gok and Marcel from Madrid, while Lipari is out of Gr1 winner Tully Thunder.

Stroll’s half-sister by Zoustar, Lot 348, is out of winning mare Walk the Streets, a daughter of Listed winner Kakakakatie; while a half-brother to Listed Phelan Ready Stakes winner Palazzo Spirit is Lot 21, an I Am Invincible colt who is the fourth foal of Listed winner Palazzo Pubblico, from the family of WA Oaks winner Moreish and Gr2 winner and Gr1 Victoria Oaks placed My Sienna.

A full sister to Listed placed two year-old winner All Sassed Up, Lot 1330, is the fifth foal of Queen Magdalene, a half-sister to the dam of Ranting, from the family of Gr1 winners Danelagh, Vengeance of Rain, Dizelle and Pinot.

The first live foal of winning mare Fraudulent (Trusting-Roedean) is a colt by Brazen Beau, and he’s worth a mention simply because his dam is so cleverly named, being out of a quality racemare who was disqualified after winning the Gr1 Blue Diamond (and who is now the dam of Listed winner Me Me Legarde).

“Selling million dollar plus horses is very rewarding and it’s even better when they come out and perform in the way Espionage has,” said Paul Thompson.

How would you sum up your 2024 draft?

“Complete is the one word answer. I feel we have a horse for everyone. There are a number of yearlings every bit as precocious as last year’s draft and there are some that will perform better as three year-olds.”

Which past champion do you wish you could have seen at the races?

“Makybe Diva! I’ve been fortunate enough to witness Black Caviar, Octagonal and the likes. Seeing those types of champions or giving them a pat is like shaking hands with a rock star for me.”

If someone asked to be your apprentice and learn all that you know, what would you teach them?

“Be smarter than me. I’ve dedicated my life to the wellbeing of horses and trying to understand them, and unfortunately I don’t always have the same rapport with people.”