Singing in the rain with Rosemont

Rosemont Stud owner Anthony Mithen was singing the praises of his stallions in the wind and rain at Geelong on Friday.

Despite the inclement weather, Nostradamus and Toorak Toff handled the conditions without a hitch while parading between races in the enclosure.  Starcraft didn’t make the short trip to Geelong with the stud’s young guns, the rising 16 year-old was rugged up in his box at Gnarwarre.

“Nostradamus is just off the track – his last start was in the G1 Goodwood – and he’s pumped up coming back to the races,” Mithen said.  “He mixed it with the best at the highest level and there’s been plenty of interest from breeders.

“He’s the second best son of Medaglia D’oro at stud in Australia after Vancouver.  That’s no mean feat because the other colt won a Golden Slipper.

“He cost John Hawkes $500,000 as a yearling and is a smashing looker.  He was just a tick under 16 hands when we got the measuring stick out the other day.”

Nostradamus won a Flemington juvenile on debut and his first stakes win came as a spring three year-old when taking out the G3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) in Sydney when the beaten division included Wandjina and Hampton Court.

He trained on to win the G3 Gold Coast Guineas and added another Group 3 in the Irwin Stakes at Morphettville before bowing out with a midfield finish in the Goodwood.

Rosemont has priced Nostradamus at an introductory fee of $8,800 (inc gst).  “He’s a half-brother to Star Witness and deserves to stand for plenty more,” Mithen explained.  “We look at it as a real opportunity for Victorian breeders to book at least one mare.”

Toorak Toff is finishing this term with a flourish and expectations are high when his first crop resumes in the new season.  He did win the Adelaide Magic Millions 2YO Classic but came of age as a 3yo winning the G1 Golden Rose before training on to claim the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

“He’s sired 4 winners to date and there are several of them getting ready for some nice races in the spring,” Mithen continued.  “We race Wangaala with Danny O’Brien and she went very well first-up in the (LR) Redoute’s Choice Stakes at Caulfield.

“Clinton McDonald is getting Pop ready for the Victorian Oaks.  She won at Pakenham and then ran fifth in the (G1) Champagne Stakes at Randwick.

Rock’n’rollrock is another promising Toorak Toff youngster racing in Rosemont’s “Gatecrasher” silks.  He won at Geelong and then had excuses on Saturday when Dean Yendall lost his off-side iron at Flemington.

“He’s covered over 100 mares in each of his three books,” Mithen said.  “He’s also standing at $8,000 (inc gst) and we could do a deal for black-type mares.”

TOORAK TOFF

TOORAK TOFF