Thronum to stand at Sun Stud as operation releases fees for 2018

Victoria-based Sun Stud have released their fees for their 11-strong roster for the upcoming breeding season, which includes newcomers Thronum and European-bred National Defense, with the latter standing for an introductory fee of A$11,000, while a fee for the son of Snitzel will be decided at a later date.

Purchased by Sun Stud for A$300,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the Highgrove Stud draft, Thronum won five of his 13 career starts, including the Australia Stakes and finished second in the William Reid Stakes last month. The four-year-old amassed A$441,750 in career prize money.

Starting his career in training with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Thronum won his first two races as a two-year-old and made his stakes race breakthrough first-up as a three-year-old in the Rosebud Handicap at Randwick on his fourth start and then ran third in the Up And Coming Stakes on his next start.

After being transferred to Lindsay Park he won on his first start for the stable at Bendigo, before finishing third in the Kevin Heffernan Stakes, after which he was sent to Moonee Valley to contest the Australia Stakes and produced a career best performance to beat Mr Sneaky by a length and a quarter.

Thronum is one of three named foals and two winners out of the winning mare Helena’s Secret, who is herself a half-sister to the American stakes winner Tears I Cry.

His winning second dam Mount Helena is a half-sister to the late dual Group /Grade 1 winner and champion sire Street Cry, sire of several champions including Winx and Zenyatta, and the French Listed winner Historian.

Thronum’s third dam is the Irish Oaks winner Helen Street, while this is also the same family as Group 1 winner and leading sire Shamardal, Group 1 winner and Darley shuttler Territories and Group 2 winners Geoffrey Chaucer and Paximadia.

"Thronum's race record speaks for itself, but it's a real stallion's pedigree too: apart from being a son of Snitzel, his family is jam-packed with black-type talent and he is closely related to outstanding sires Shamardal and Street Cry," said Sun Stud's senior sales and nominations manager, Mark Lindsay.

As reported in ANZ Bloodstock News in February, Group 1 winner National Defense, who stands alongside his sire Invincible Spirit at the Irish National Stud in the Northern Hemisphere, will join Thronum at the Victoria-based operation this upcoming breeding season.

The winner of the 2016 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Chantilly when trained by the now retired Criquette Head-Maarek, National Defense is currently serving his first book of mares at the Irish National Stud.

"National Defense was a brilliant two-year-old and is sure to catch the attention of local broodmare owners keen to tap into the Invincible Spirit connection," said Lindsay.

Due to the exploits of his first crop, Fighting Sun has had his fee increased from A$13,750 and will now stand for A$15,400. The sire has been responsible for five winners, including Listed winner Chess Star, while fellow first crop sire Fiorente, who has had one winner from just three starters will stay at a fee of A$17,600.

"Fighting Sun has gotten off to a flying start with his first runners – five winners in total, including the stakes-winning colt Chess Star and the Group-placed filly Platinum Mam’selle. Fiorente has landed a winner in Hawkshot and a city placegetter from only three runners," said Lindsay.

With Sun Stud’s decision to consolidate it’s stallions at its Victorian base will see Bel Esprit return to the south this breeding season, where he will stand for a slightly reduced fee of A$11,000 having stood in Queensland last season for A$12,100.

Love Conquers All will also relocate from Queensland to Victoria and he will stand for a new fee of A$8,800 down from A$12,100 in 2017.

Meanwhile the stud’s stalwart sire Magnus will stand the 2018 season for a fee of A$19,800 and Palentino, who covered his first book of mares last season, will stand for an unchanged fee of A$17,600.

The roster is completed by Ready For Victory, who will stand again for a fee of A$6,600, Squamosa and Moshe, who will be offered to breeders for fees of A$6,600 and A$5,500 respectively.

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