Cover image courtesy of Kitchwin Hills
Written by Paul Vettise
In a season that has been notable for the impact made by a raft of first-season sires, Kitchwin Hills' resident Sooboog is measuring up favourably against stiff opposition.
Success for his son Mihocek and daughter Princess Spice over the weekend took his tally of individual first-crop winners to seven and equal with Vinery Stud’s Star Turn and one behind Newgate stallion Capitalist.
The quality of competition that Sooboog is facing hasn’t been lost on Kitchwin Hills' Stud Manager Mick Malone.
“We’re really delighted the way things are going and it’s hard keeping up with the Joneses, in any other season we’d be looking good to be number one,” he said. “Who knows, we might still end up with the most winners.”
Sooboog’s first crop sold for up to $75,000 in 2018 and 12 months on that jumped to $250,000 for subsequent winner Jessica Rabbit while this year a trio of his youngsters share top sales spot at $180,000.
“They have come from good race mares, not superstars, and that just shows what a good type he can leave,” Malone said. “When they got more numbers in their second season than their first that’s usually a really good sign.
“They have come from good race mares, not superstars, and that just shows what a good type he can leave.” - Mick Malone
“They have been so well-received as yearlings, they are just really, really attractive horses. Every trainer I talk to loves them and a lot of them haven’t raced yet and they are raving, so we are very excited about what might happen.”
Sooboog’s leading representative to date is the winner Birdsville, who was also third in the Listed Talindert Plate.
Sooboog | Standing at Kitchwin Hills
“I spoke to Peter Moody about him. He won the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce S. (with Lightsaber) and he said there wasn’t much between him and Birdsville,” Malone said.
“It’s just a shame he pulled a muscle in the Talindert and had to go out and is back now. Mick Price has got a few and he tells me they’ve got a lot of ability.
“Sooboog has got some really nice horses waiting in the wings. All of the ones that have won their races have done it by finding the line and don’t look like they’re finished at the post.”
“Sooboog has got some really nice horses waiting in the wings.” – Mick Malone
A brother to the G1 Lightning S. winner Snitzerland (Snitzel), Sooboog was purchased out of Arrowfield Stud’s Inglis Australian Easter yearling Sale draft for $1,500,000 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.
Sooboog won three races when trained by John, Michael and Wayne Hawkes, including the G3 Aurie’s Star H.
“They’ve got to have pedigree and they’ve got to be quick and he had that. I don’t know if there is a better-bred son of Snitzel at stud, when you look at his page it’s very good,” Malone said.
Mick Malone | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
A son of the unraced Fraar (USA) mare Monte Rosa, a sister to the G3 Adelaide Guineas winner and multiple Group 1 placegetter Nina Haraka, Sooboog also has an ideal temperament.
“He’s got an unbelievable nature and when the girls bring him in he’s an absolute gentleman and he’s a machine in the barn,” Malone said.
“He only has to look at the mares to get them in foal, he’s got everything you look for in a stallion. He’ll handle any pressure because he is that type of horse.”
