Stud deal looms for Siyouni's star son Aylmerton

A stud deal for last Saturday's Group 2 Todman Stakes winner Aylmerton, a two-year-old Siyouni colt, could be finalised by this weekend and certainly before next week's Golden Slipper Stakes.

The unbeaten Jean Dubois-trained juvenile is by the Aga Khan's leading French two-year-old sire of 2017 Siyouni, with Australian studs circling for a piece of the colt, who was bred to southern hemisphere time.

Aylmerton progressed from a Canterbury maiden victory on February 21 to his Group 2 success at Randwick last Saturday, with Dubois confirming to ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday that a Hunter Valley stud was set to acquire a share in the colt in the coming days.

Todman Stakes result

However, the former French standardbred trainer, who is based at Aylmerton's breeder David Chaikin's Woodpark Stud at Mittagong south of Sydney, would not reveal who was behind the bid for the exciting Golden Slipper Stakes-bound juvenile.

"We are discussing with a Hunter Valley stud for him as a future stallion, but I can't say more right now," Dubois said.

"I would expect a deal to be finalised as soon as Saturday."

Hong Kong-based Tommy Berry will ride Aylmerton in the Golden Slipper Stakes on March 24 at Rosehill, replacing Jean van Overmeire and Andrew Adkins, the jockeys to have ridden the colt in his two victories so far.

Dubois said Aylmerton had showed rapid improvement this campaign, having returned from a spell after his third in a Warwick Farm barrier trial in November last year.

Aylmerton won a Rosehill barrier trial on February 5 before winning his first two starts in Sydney, with Saturday's Todman Stakes success putting him immediately on the radar of stud farms.

Dubois said Aylmerton had shown early promise but even he was surprised by the colt's rapid progression this preparation.

"He was developing very quickly but after his first trial we had to give him a spell because he pulled up with shin soreness, so he didn't resume training until the New Year," he said.

"He did things very quickly and I thought he was talented as soon as he started training."

Dubois said the juvenile would be an attractive stud proposition with breed-shaping stallions Danehill and Mr Prospector both featuring in his pedigree

"Aylmerton is an interesting because you get a bit of Danehill in the third line and he is by Siyouni, who is the best stallion in France," the trainer said.

"He is inbred 5x3 to Mr Prospector, which is unusual now, and he is a very nice-looking horse who is still very green.

"If he can win a Group 1 he will be the right type to be a stallion."

Siyouni won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp and the Listed Prix la Fleche sprint at Maisons-Laffitte as well as finishing second in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin and the Group 3 Prix la Rochette as a two-year-old.

He has sired stakes winners in Britain, France, Germany and now Australia led by Ervedya, winner of the Coronation Stakes, Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, and Laurens, winner of the Fillies' Mile last October, plus another ten Group winners.

As well as being last year's leading two-year-old sire in France, he is currently second on the general sires table with 11 winners and one stakes winner in 2018, trailing only Elusive City by earnings.

Dubois said the progeny and race record of Siyouni was what the Australian breeding and racing market demanded: early two-year-old speed.

"His dam Aloona was racing in France, so the decision to send her to Siyouni was easy because he is the best stallion in France and he is what people are looking for here in Australia,” he said.

"The stallion is producing early horses with speed, so he is the type we are looking for here in Australia."

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