3 minute read

Group One winner Super Seth will retire to Waikato Stud this season, giving breeders access to the first Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) winner to stand in New Zealand in three decades.

Super Seth  won five of his 12 career starts, highlighted by his victory in last year's Caulfield Guineas. He will stand at Waikato Stud at an introductory fee of $35,000 + GST.

Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick said consideration had been given to furthering Super Seth's racing career, but with uncertainty around spring carnival racing programs the decision to retire the colt was made.

"He's all quality, a fantastic looking horse with the performance to match his pedigree," Chittick said.

"Top of our list when it comes to sourcing a successful stallion is a turn of foot and Super Seth's acceleration was mind-blowing. That was emphasized when he ran down Alligator Blood to win the Caulfield Guineas.

"Our past and present Champion Sires Centaine, O'Reilly, Pins, Savabeel and Ocean Park, all possessed incredible acceleration, but even they couldn't have matched Super Seth's turn of foot. That's the quality we look for and he demonstrated that on many occasions."

Super Seth was initially purchased as a yearling by bloodstock agent Dean Hawthorne for $280,000 on behalf of Jonathan Munz's GSA Bloodstock.

"We typically don't buy many colts. In fact, he was the only colt we purchased that year in Australia, but when he walked out of the box at the Easter Sale it was obvious he was a must have," Hawthorne said.

"He is perfectly balanced. If you take a look at his yearling conformation photo you can see how beautifully balanced he is - a short-coupled colt with a great head and amazing quality.

"The other thing that immediately attracted me to him was how much he looked like

Redoute's Choice. We were very confident Redoute's Choice mares would complement the Dundeel sire line."

Super Seth was initially raced by Munz under his Pinecliff banner with partners and prepared by Anthony Freedman to win his first three juvenile starts, including a six-length debut victory.

He returned as a three-year-old to win the Gr.3 McNeil Stakes (1200m) before inflicting a first defeat of the boom Queenslander Alligator Blood in the Caulfield Guineas.

Following a break, Super Seth resumed in style to claim the Gr.3 Manfred Stakes (1200m) and then took on the older horses to finish runner-up in the Gr.1 Futurity Stakes (1400m).

"Opportunities to get these quality stallions are very rare and when we saw that electric acceleration in the Caulfield Guineas we became immediately interested," Chittick said.

"Our Business Manager Mike Rennie was on course at the time and I told him to go and have a really good look at him. He had everything we look for in a racehorse with a stud career in mind."

Waikato Stud is the majority shareholder in Super Seth with partners JML Bloodstock, Milan Park, Nearco Stud, Pencarrow Stud and high-profile Australian owner Richard Pegum.

"They are all obviously committed to supporting Super Seth with mares of the highest quality," Chittick said.

"The support and confidence was around us when we bought the horse, because we had to move pretty quickly, and he possesses every attribute we look for and chiefly that amazing turn of foot."

Super Seth made his farewell performance when he powered from well back in the field to run fourth in a stellar edition of the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) after missing the start. He retires to stud having won $1.7 million in earnings.

"It's sad to lose a horse of such quality from our stable, especially knowing the potential he had to win more at the top level as a four-year-old, but his credentials for stud are impressive and the uncertainty around upcoming race programs made it difficult to keep him in training," Freedman said.

A half-brother to the multiple stakes winner Wild Planet, Super Seth is a son of Salutations, a daughter of Gr.2 Yallambee Classic (1200m) winner Toast of The Coast.

Super Seth will join a powerful roster at Waikato Stud, standing alongside Savabeel, Ocean Park, Tivaci and Ardrossan.

Champion stallion Savabeel, the sire of 20 individual Group One winners and a remarkable 10.7 percent stakes winners to runners enjoyed another exceptional season highlighted by Gr.1 Surround Stakes (1400m) winner Probabeel. He will stand at $100,000 + GST.

Ocean Park had a breakthrough season in Australia, with daughter Tofane winning the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) after Kolding's success in the historic Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) and inaugural A$7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m). He will stand at $20,000 + GST.

Young stallion Tivaci, winner of the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes, had his first yearlings sell for up to $500,000 at Karaka earlier this year and will stand at $12,500 + GST.

Ardrossan, a Group Three-winning and Group One-placed son of Redoute's Choice, will stand at $3,000 + GST. His first foals will be welcomed in the spring.