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Royal Ascot victory would result in fee hike at stud for Aussie sprinter
Saturday night's Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot has the potential to make Artorius a stallion with worldwide appeal and make some Australian breeders look like shrewd investors in the process.
The 1207-metre Group 1 will be the final start for the son of Flying Artie before he embarks on a stud career at Newgate Farm in the Hunter Valley, where he will stand at an introductory fee of $27,500, including GST.
It is a fee that Newgate boss Henry Field suspected was 'unders' when announced earlier this year, but will be rectified if he adds an international Group 1 to the Blue Diamond Stakes and Canterbury Stakes he has won at the highest level in Australia.
Those who have already booked in at $27,500 will be honoured, but anyone late to the Artorius party will pay a premium.
"We priced him to be competitive, he's got a host of bookings and he's been popular," Field said.
"The bookings have come thick and fast. But I want to make it very clear, if he wins the Platinum Jubilee – if you're booked in, you're locked in (at $27,500) – but if he wins the Platinum Jubilee, his fee will be increased."
Artorius, who is trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, will be one of three Australians in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and the market leader will start from barrier eight in the field of 16.
The Leon and Troy Corstens-trained The Astrologist has drawn barrier six, while Peter and Paul Snowden's Capitalist colt Cannonball, who is backing up after his last placing in Tuesday's King's Stand Stakes, will start from four.
Artorius dead-heated for third in last year's Jubilee Stakes, when known as the Platinum Jubilee, with Jamie Spencer in the saddle.
Champion jockey James Mcdonald has been booked for Saturday's race, which will be his first ride aboard the four-year-old who not started since finishing fourth in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes won by Anamoe at Rosehill in March.
"James McDonald is riding him and he's very, very bullish on his prospects," Field said.
"The Freedmans feel that he's absolutely humming and he's a seriously proper horse."
The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes will be run at 1.20am Sunday, Australian time.
