Mo'unga, the first multiple group 1-winning son of New Zealand's eight-time champion sire Savabeel, has been retired to stud and will join the Newhaven Park stallion ranks for 2024.
The 2021 Winx Stakes (G1) and Rosehill Guineas (G1) winner will stand alongside another son of Savabeel in 2020 Sistema Stakes (G1) winner Cool Aza Beel at the Kelly family's stud in Boorowa, New South Wales, Australia.
A son of the graded stakes-placed O'Reilly mare Chandelier, a Savabeel cross that runs at 14% stakes winners to runners, Mo'unga will stand for a fee of AU$27,500 (US$17,875, AU$1=US$0.65).
Initially trained by Chris Waller, who guided him to win a 2-year-old race and two races as an early 3-year-old including the listed Dulcify Stakes, Mo'unga was transferred to Annabel Neasham who trained him to finish runner-up in the 2021 Randwick Guineas (G1), following up that performance with his victory in the Rosehill Guineas. Neasham also trained him to win the Winx Stakes.
"His race record really showcases his soundness and durability—a winner on debut at 2, a group 1 winner at 3, but also placing a further 12 times at group 1 level. That's testament to his toughness and a trait that he will surely pass onto his progeny," said Newhaven Park principal John Kelly.
"He's also a beautiful specimen, fetching NZ$325,000 as a yearling, his physique certainly matches up to his racing credentials. We're very keen on New Zealand bloodlines here and we hope that his pedigree also offers a lot of options for Australian breeders."
Benbatl's fee set at AU$22,000 in first SH season
New recruit Benbatl, a son of the breed-shaping Dubawi, will spearhead the Woodside Park Stud stallion roster and will stand for an introductory fee of AU$22,000 (US$14,300), adding depth to the Tilden, Victoria, stud's lineup.
Woodside's Mark Dodemaide returned from Japan April 24 after inspecting the Big Red Farm-based Benbatl—winner of the 2018 Dubai Turf (G1T), Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (G1), and Caulfield Stakes (G1) in Melbourne—and he was convinced more than ever the Dubawi stallion has the credentials to succeed in Australia.
"He really is like father, like son. Benbatl is a touch above 15.3 hands, very muscular with a good shoulder, a deep girth, short cannons, and good feet," Dodemaide said of the well-bred stallion who was runner-up to Winx in the 2018 Cox Plate (G1).
"If you like Dubawi, you will love Benbatl. When you were rated 125 and inside the top 10 horses racing in the world in any one year, you are a serious racehorse and he also has a big pedigree. He is out of champion 3-year-old filly Nahrain and his grand-dam Bahr is a group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner at Royal Ascot. He is also directly descended from champion New Zealand mare La Mer.
"We see Benbatl as an elite miler who stretched to 2,000 meters, winning his second-last start at Newmarket (the Joel Stakes) in a track-record 1:34.56."
