True Class Comes to Victoria

European Group I feature mile races produce some of the best turf performers on the planet each year with this superstar of 2013/2014 headed to Australia for the first time this spring.

The loss of outstanding sire High Chaparral (IRE) has been highlighted this season with eight Australian stakes-winners sired by the Epsom Derby winner headed by Group I winners Contributer and Fenway as well as potential spring stars Alpine Eagle, Hi World and the Queensland Derby contender Sadler’s Lake, so it’s little wonder Swettenham Stud were quick to add his very best European son Toronado (IRE) to their roster for 2015.

Like so many of the best Australasian bred progeny of High Chaparral, Toronado had an electric turn of foot and was best placed at a mile claiming the crown of Joint Champion 3YO Miler in Europe for 2013.

A brilliant unbeaten juvenile, who won each of his three starts at two highlighted by a win in the Group II Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, the Richard Hannon trained colt returned at three to contest all the very best mile races.

Fourth in the Group I English 2,000 Guineas to Dawn Approach and then a short head second to the same colt at Royal Ascot in the Group I St James’s Palace Stakes, Toronado turned the tables on his arch rival to score a memorable win in the Group I Sussex Strakes at Goodwood with another high class older miler in Declaration of War some two and a half lengths back in third place.

Returning at four, Toronado captured the Group I Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot beating the highly rated US bred More Than Ready stallion Verrazano comfortably by three-quarters of a length and then finished second to a couple of high class three year-old colts in Kingman and Charm Spirit in the Group I Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and Group I Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.

Toronado retired with six wins and three seconds from just 12 starts and is currently covering his first book of mares at the National Stud at Newmarket.

The first son of High Chaparral to stand in Victoria, Toronado has been priced competitively at $22,000 for a stallion with his imposing race record and comes from an intriguing Black Type female family that is not unfamiliar to Australian breeders.

A two time winner in France by US speed sire Grand Slam, his dam Wana Doo is from stakes-winner Wedding Gift, who is a half-sister to the very good broodmare Black Tokk (Fr), who found her way to Australia in 1987.Black Tokk left Group I SAJC Goodwood Handicap winner French Clock and stakes-winner Dream About It, the grand-dam of dual Group I winner and $1.6 million earner Heart of Dreams and Group III winner Rightfully Yours.

Other notable Aussie horses in the pedigree are Group III winners Red Typhoon and Fast Future as well as stakes-winner Ladybird Blue, who was also from Black Tokk.The success of this female family in Australia under our unique conditions, coupled with the achievements of High Chaparral in this part of the world make it hard not to think Toronado is the ideal prospect to continue the success of the Sadler’s Wells sire dynasty which has proven so dominant right around the world in recent years.

Sadler’s Wells sire sons Galileo and Montjeu have both proven themselves capable of siring Group I producing sires, while his US based son El Prado has given us Medaglia D’Oro, the sire of this year’s Golden Slipper winner Vancouver.

High Chaparral now has several of his best sons at stud and is poised to follow suit as a sire of sires with Toronado offering Victorian breeders an outstanding opportunity to access one of the best sirelines in the world today at Swettenham Stud.Blessed with the good looks that have made the progeny of his sire so popular, both on the racetrack and in the sale ring, Toronado is ready to pick up right where High Chaparral left off.

We’ll leave the last word on Toronado to respected English agent John Warren, who has become a regular at Australian yearling sales. "Toronado is a magnificent correct individual with tremendous muscle definition which is why he was such a fast horse. He is the fastest and most precocious son of High Chaparral and his 2yo winning dam is by the brilliantly fast dual Gr.1 winning 2yo Grand Slam (Gone West). He looks the perfect horse for Australia with the combination of his pedigree, powerful physique and high class performances.”