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Change as a result of Covid-19 and social distancing requirements

Hunter Valley-based stallion farms will be opening their gates to breeders in August this year, however will be replacing the traditional one or two-day parades, with a six-day open house format between Tuesday August 18 and Sunday August 23. 

Each stud will have individual arrangements for their parades, whether by invitational appointment or at fixed times through each day with specific times and details to be published in due course. The change comes as a result of Covid-19 and the continuing requirements for social distancing. All visits will be conducted in strict adherence to any government health and safety restrictions that are in place at the time. 

The format for parade week is the same as the popular open house format that occurs in Kentucky and Newmarket over their annual broodmare sale periods. This format allows breeders to inspect each stallion more closely and breeders can create their own schedules. 

Newcomers this year in the Hunter Valley include Brutal (O'Reilly), Cosmic Force (Deep Field) and Tassort (Brazen Beau) (Newgate), Calyx (Kingman), Magna Grecia (Invincible Spirit) and Yes Yes Yes (Rubick) (Coolmore), Castelvecchio (Dundeel) (Arrowfield), Exceedance (Exceed And Excel) (Vinery), Microphone (Exceed And Excel) and Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) (Darley), Pierata (Pierro) (Aquis), Unite And Conquer (Hinchinbrook) (Kingstar) and Zousain (Zoustar) (Widden).