Rosemont Stud has announced that Shamus Award's fee will be lifted to $88,000 (inc GST) for the 2022 season after the sire delivered several exceptional performers on the track, headlined by Group 1 winners Incentivise, Duais and El Patroness.
He will be joined by a new recruit; Group 3 winning 3-year-old Extreme Warrior, after he completes his final racing campaign.
A multiple stakes performer as an early 2-year-old, Extreme Warrior returned at three to win the G3 Blue Sapphire S. at Caulfield by almost 4l over R. Listed Inglis Nursery winner Profiteer who gapped the third-placed runner by a further 3.75l.
He was installed favourite for the G1 Coolmore Stud S. after his Blue Sapphire victory, finishing 10th in that event. He is expected to resume his season's campaign in next Saturday's Listed Bel Esprit S. at Caulfield before a potential tilt at Group 1 races in Brisbane or Adelaide.
Extreme Warrior is a decisive winner of the G3 Blue Sapphire S. | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Co-trainer Mick Price, who also trained his sire Extreme Choice, said; “He’s an outstanding colt and I'm obviously proud that he’s by a stable favourite in Extreme Choice.
"This colt put his hand up as a ‘proper one’ almost instantly as he’s got a beautiful attitude, a truckload of natural speed and quickens off a fast tempo. Everything he does, he does with ease. Only the really good ones have that characteristic."
Like first-season sires Stay Inside and Tiger Of Malay who will join their sire on the Newgate roster this season, Extreme Warrior is from the first crop of brilliant young stallion Extreme Choice who has set the industry alight with 18.5 per cent stakes winners to runners.
Extreme Warrior is from Heart Of Thrills (Show A Heart) making him a half-brother to Listed winner Thrillster (Starspangledbanner). Heart Of Thrills was a winner over 1200 metres and is a three-quarter sister to Group-winning sprinter Gotta Have Heart (Show A Heart) and Listed winner Crossyourheart (Show A Heart), dam of Group 3 winner Swear. This is the family of G1 Hong Kong Sprint winner All Thrills Too (St Covet).
Extreme Warrior's fee will be set in the coming months, after he retires from racing.
The consistent rise of Shamus Award
Three Group 1 winners in 12 months set the upward trajectory in motion for Shamus Award, allowing Rosemont Stud to lift his fee from $33,000 (inc GST) in 2021 to $88,000 (inc GST) for the coming season.
The son of Snitzel now sits in the top five of the Australian General Sires' Premiership with almost $13 million in prizemoney to date. Headlining his last 12 months was the emergence of his powerhouse middle distance superstar Incentivise, who took out mulitple Group 1 features in the spring; the G1 Makybe Diva S., G1 Turnbull S., and a spectular performance in the G1 Caulfield Cup by over 3l before finishing second in the G1 Melbourne Cup.
Shamus Award | Standing at Rosemont Stud
It was 4-year-old mare Duais who shone in the autumn for Shamus Award, winning the G1 Australian Cup and G1 Tancred S., becoming the first horse since the great Makybe Diva (GB) (Desert King {Ire}) to take the double.
To add to his Group 1 tally, last week's G1 Australian Oaks was won by daughter El Patroness in a descisive victory, becoming his second Classic winner.
With books of 150, 190 and 200 over the last three years, Rosemont is expecting Shamus Award to put in a strong challenge for Champion Australian Sire in future years.
His yearlings also found favour in the sale ring this season, selling for up to $440,000 at the recent Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for a filly from Royal Raine (NZ) (Thorn Park) offered by Tyreel Stud and purchased by Danny O'Brien, trainer of El Patroness. His 2022 yearlings averaged $127,000 across all sales, his final crop concieved off a $11,000 (inc GST) service fee.
The top-priced yearling by Shamus Award sold for $440,000, a filly from Royal Raine (NZ) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Popular young sires
Extreme Warrior and Shamus Award will stand alongside second-season stallion Hanseatic and third season Strasbourg.
Second-season sire Hanseatic attracted enormous support from Victorian breeders in 2021, covering the biggest book for a first-season sire in the state's history.
Hanseatic when racing | Standing at Rosemont Stud
The speed son of brilliant sire Street Boss (USA) covered over 30 stakes-winning mares and over 25 stakes producers. Approximately 160 foals are expected to hit the ground this season, giving him an enormous opportunity to launch his stud career.
Hanseatic will be available to breeders at a fee of $17,600 (inc GST), unchanged from his introductory season.
Rounding out the Rosemont roster is the well-bred I Am Invincible sire son Strasbourg who remains at $11,000 (inc GST), having covered 109 mares in both of his first two seasons.
A $750,000 Inglis Easter purchase, Group 2-winning Strasbourg is the highest-rated son of sire sensation I Am Invincible to stand in Victoria since Brazen Beau in 2015.
