Breeders Trust Repaid with Quality First Foals

Swettenham’s Trust In A Gust has certainly repaid his debut season breeders, with the first of his foals all consistently stamped with quality, power and bone.

Having now furnished into an incredible looking stallion following his dual Group 1 racing career, Brian Gorman, Swettenham’s General Manager, has been impressed by Trust In A Gust’s professionalism in the breeding barn.

“He is covering another first-rate book of mares this season, and he is doing everything right in the shed, he has started off in great form.”

“We have been thrilled with the standard of foals on the ground. He is stamping his quality into the foals and passing on his best characteristics. They all have strong shoulders, great bodies and plenty of bone.”

Let’s join Swettenham’s resident photographer, Rachel Ritchie on a “foal stroll” as we highlight some of Trust In A Gust’s youngsters on the ground with comments from Brian Gorman.

Trust In A Gust x Maitresse – Owned by Stuart Pickworth and Swettenham, he is good, strong type of colt. Commands mare, Maitresse, is a half to Alister Clark winner, Domesky and being a class mare herself, she has also put plenty of quality into the foal. We are very pleased with the result.

Trust In A Gust x Sulmita – From the Estate of the Late Michael Niall, the Sulmita colt has “look at me” presence with a flashy white blaze. He is a leggy foal, with plenty of bone and a great body. From a six-time winning dam, Sulmita, the family boasts black type performers Another Victor, Spook and Suit.

Trust In A Gust x Hotel Sierra – Owned by Michael Leonard, the Hotel Sierra colt has been born in the image of his father. Stamped with a strong shoulder and great bone, he is an outstanding first foal.

Trust In A Gust x Haumea – Owned by Adam Sangster this is a lovely type of filly, just all quality. A Tasmanian Oaks runner, Haumea is a half sister to NZ filly of the year, Bonneval’s dam Imposingly. From a black type studded family, including Group 1 winners Champagne and St Remis.

There is also ongoing recent international form in Trust In A Gust’s pedigree, with the top galloper Thunder Snow, now a dual group 1 winner.

Trust In A Gust’s dam, Subtle Breeze is a half sister to Thunder Snow’s grand-dam, Red Slippers by Nureyev. Both being progeny from the outstanding Affirmed mare Morning Devotion, she also produced Champion European Three-Year-Old Filly Balanchine, the winner of the Group 1 Irish Derby and the Group 1 English Oaks.

This close family connection is a reminder of the depth and quality of Trust In A Gust’s pedigree. Sired by Swettenham’s past resident stallion, Keep The Faith, a son of Japan’s immortal Kentucky Derby winning sire, Sunday Silence, Trust In A Gust has impeccable breeding on both sides of his lineage.

As a racehorse, Trust in A Gust had two qualities that stood out in his racing career, natural talent, and raw courage, with victories in the stallion making Group 1 MRC Rupert Clarke Stakes over 1400m and in the time honoured VRC Toorak Handicap over 1600m.

In his racing career, Trust In A Gust won the VOBIS Gold Eureka, VOBIS Gold Star, VOBIS Gold Sprint and the VOBIS Gold Carat at Caulfield.

"This is the ideal VOBIS stallion, and one of the first things you look for at a sale is the VOBIS sticker!" trainer Darren Weir said.

For more information on any of the stallions, or to take a virtual “foal stroll”, please visit the Swettenham Foal Gallery at

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