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Aquis release fees for roster including newcomer Dubious.
Group 1 winner Pierata (Pierro) will stand his first season at Aquis Farm's New South Wales base for an introductory fee of $44,000 (inc GST), while Group 2 winner Dubious (Not A Single Doubt) has been inducted onto the operation's Queensland roster at a fee of $13,200 (inc GST).
Pierata landed nine of his 26 starts, with the highlight coming when taking out the 2019 All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), which saw him amass $5,802,940 in career prize-money.
Famed for his consistency throughout his career, Pierata broke his maiden over 1200 metres before going to finish third behind star mare Melody Belle (Commands) in the BRC Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) in May 2017.
The son of Pierro’s (Lonhro) consistency came to the fore during his three-year-old career, never finishing out of the top two in any of his six starts, while his three victories that season included the Vo Rogue Plate (Gr 3, 1350m) and Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (RL, 1400m) and he also finished runner-up behind Kementari (Lonhro) in the Randwick Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
Pierata kicked off his four-year-old season with an impressive victory in the Missile Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m), a win he backed up three starts later in the Sydney Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m). He then went on to dead-heat for third in the VRC Sprint Classic (Gr 1, 1200m).
However the Autumn of his four-year-old season proved to be his crowning glory, finishing second behind Nature Strip (Nicconi) in The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m), before breaking his Group 1 duck in the All Aged Stakes two starts later.
This season Pierata has once again run with credit, winning the Shorts Handicap (Gr 2, 1100m) in September and the Redzel Stakes (1300m) in November and was unlucky not to win back-to-back editions of the All Aged Stakes, but was just beaten a nose by Tofane (Ocean Park) - on what proved to be the final start of his career.
"Pierata has all the attributes that any commercial breeder desires," said Aquis' CEO Tony (Tubba) Williams.
"Physically he emulates his sire and sire line with distinction, strength, balance, scope, speed and importantly temperament. He developed a following from the racing public and the industry with his tenacious racing style, enabling him to perform at the highest level in every season that he raced."
Purchased by his trainer Greg Hickman for $160,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Pierata is one of five winners out of Group 3-winning mare November Flight (Flying Spur), who also produced fellow Group 3 winner Ashokan (More Than Ready).
Meanwhile, Aquis will also welcome a son of recently pensioned sire Not A Single Doubt (Redoute's Choice) in Dubious onto the Queensland roster and Williams said the operation are looking forward to standing the stallion.
"Dubious is the perfect addition for our Queensland roster, a brilliant two-year-old and well-travelled three-year-old, he displays absolute strength and speed indicative of his sire Not A Single Doubt, who has developed into one of the hottest sires in Australia," said Williams.
"Dubious displayed toughness and speed which cannot be denied. He has all the qualities that breeders seek, natural muscle, good bone, presence and a good temperament."
Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Dubious made an instant impression on his first start, taking out the stallion-making Breeders' Plate (Gr 3, 1000m), which he backed up with victory in the Basil Nolan Jr 2YO Handicap (1000m), before being narrowly beaten by Exhiliartes (Snitzel) in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m).
He also captured the Champagne Classic (Gr 2, 1200m) at Doomben before finishing his two-year-old campaign with a gutsy fifth, beaten a length and a half by triple Group 1 winner The Bostonian (Jimmy Choux) in the Kingsford-Smith Cup (Gr 1, 1300m) at weight-for-age.
Dubious is out of Listed-placed mare Suspicieuse (Elusive Quality), who is herself a half-sister to Group 3 winner Sediciosa (Rail Link) - the dam of Listed winner San Huberto (Speightstown).
Given the testing times due to the coronavirus pandemic, Aquis have taken the same steps as many farms in Australia and cut the fees for most of the stallion's on their roster for 2020, with Divine Prophet (Choisir) - whose first yearlings have been well-received in the sales ring this year - the only stallion set to be offered at the same fee as last year.
"Our three-state roster offers enormous opportunities to breeders and we are mindful of the challenging year we've all experienced within the industry," Williams said.
"We offer a product in our stallions that gives breeders the opportunity of success. We create partnerships which are long standing, highlighting that any farm is only as good as its clients.
"We cannot control the economy, but we can work with our clients to develop long term relationships and returns, and we've been mindful of this with the fees we've adopted for the 2020 season."
Meanwhile, Duporth (Red Ransom) will relocate from Kooringal Stud to the Aquis' Queensland base where he will stand for a fee of $4,400 (inc GST).
