Kingstar Farm was established by high-profile breeder and owner Matthew Sandblom four years ago and has quickly grown on all fronts – land holding and infrastructure, stallion roster and the broodmare band.
In 2016, 220 acres was purchased at Denman and two years later a further 400 acres across the road was acquired and the subsequent development of a foaling unit and barn, and staff accommodation.
Unite And Conquer, a dual stakes-winning son of Hinchinbrook, has arrived to stand his first season alongside Bull Point, Lord Of The Sky and Salade while broodmares numbers have swelled to more than 100.
Unite And Conquer new to Kingstar Farm in 2020
Kingstar will offer 13 weanlings and it has been more than happy with the feedback from onsite inspections leading up to auction.
“It’s our biggest draft yet to Inglis and we’re very happy to be here with them. We’ve got a couple of Bull Points in there and they have been popular,” Conor Phelan said. “Most people have been pulling them out.”
“It’s our biggest draft yet to Inglis and we’re very happy to be here with them. We’ve got a couple of Bull Points in there and they have been popular.” - Conor Phelan
Lot 186 is a filly out of Diplomacia (Artie Schiller {USA}), whose dam Danetana (Danehill {USA}) is a three-quarter sister to the multiple Group 1 winner and champion sire Fastnet Rock, while Lot 234 is a colt from Holly Mist (Lonhro). She is a grand-daughter of the G1 New Zealand S. winner Seamist (NZ) (Beaufort Sea {USA}).
“Bull Point has had four winners, including one in New Zealand, and another four placegetters on debut from 12 starters,” Phelan said. “Trainers and pinhookers have taken note of Bull Point and looking closely at them so we’re hoping for the best.”
Among Bull Point’s race day representatives has been Encoutabull, who was runner-up in the R. Listed Inglis Nursery in his second appearance for trainer John Sargent.
“The Lonhro colt has probably been our most popular horse here and he goes through early in the sale and he’ll give us a good gauge where we sit in the market,” Phelan said.
He is Lot 56 and is a son of the winning Written Tycoon mare Sports Writer, a sister to It Is Written who won three black type events and was a multiple Group 2 placegetter. The family also includes the black type winners Winter King (NZ) (One Cool Cat {USA}) and How Good Is He (Fasliyev {USA}).
“The So You Think, Lot 232, is a big, strong boy and he’s been pretty popular with a lot of second and third looks and with good reason,” Phelan said.
“The So You Think, Lot 232, is a big, strong boy and he’s been pretty popular with a lot of second and third looks and with good reason.” - Conor Phelan
He is out of a half-sister to the two-time Group 1-winning sprinter Atomic Force (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) while Lot 124 is a Flying Artie colt who is a grandson of the stakes-winner Strawberry Field (Encosta De Lago).
“There seems to be a quiet buzz about some of the Flying Arties coming through and this fellow has certainly been popular from a pinhooking point of view. There’s been a couple of people who have just him on their list,” Phelan said.
Lot 124 - Flying Artie x Aunt Mimi (colt)
“We’ve been busy in terms of numbers and inspections and I think Inglis have done a really good job getting buyers here. They’ve obviously offered a very strong alternative with the online bidding.
“The Scone market on Sunday afternoon was very strong so most vendors met the market and we’re hoping that continues through the weanling sale.”
The draft also includes representatives of Capitalist, Deep Field, Dissident, Russian Revolution and Winning Rupert.
“Matthew has a piece of Newgate and a piece of those stallions so our drafts are always going to carry some of those horses with the Bull Points a point of difference,” Phelan said.
Newcomer popular
Kingstar unveiled Unite And Conquer as a new signing tor the 2020 stallion roster and he’s received an enthusiastic response from breeders.
“It’s been very, very good. Normally, at this time of the year with a horse standing at under $10,000 I wouldn’t have expected to have had the amount of interest he has had,” Phelan said.
“You would usually see a peak in nominations come through in August and September once people have seen foals on the deck from previous matings.
Unite And Conquer when racing
“We’ve sold a lot of breeding rights in the horse to people who have come to see him and that’s the key, once they’ve seen him they’ve booked or bought a breeding right without exception.
“He’s a very impressive horse, great value and he’s going better than our exceptions with his bookings extremely strong for this time of the year.
“We’ll also invite a lot of people to the open day week in the third week of August. Everybody who has seen him has been impressed.”
Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Unite And Conquer won the Listed Maribyrnong Trial S. on debut and then claimed the Listed Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Unfortunately, at his only other appearance he suffered a career-ending injury in the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
