Coolmore to shuttle Saxon Warrior and Mendelssohn to Australia

Australian breeders will gain more access to two of the world’s most coveted sirelines with Saxon Warrior, a son of Japan’s champion super-sire Deep Impact, and Mendelssohn, a son of the late Scat Daddy, both set to shuttle to Coolmore’s southern hemisphere branch this year.

“Saxon Warrior and Mendelssohn combine Group 1-winning excellence at two with remarkable performances at three,” said Paddy Oman, Coolmore Australia’s sales and nominations representative.

“They are both by exceptional sires, have stallions’ pedigrees and will suit the Australian broodmare population. They’re two very exciting prospects and offer Australian breeders the best of international form and bloodlines.”

Both horses were trained by Ireland’s champion trainer Aidan O’Brien. Saxon Warrior was an outstanding two-year-old, winning all three starts, including the Racing Post Trophy, in which he defeated subsequent four-time Group 1 winner Roaring Lion.

On his first start as a three-year-old, the colt showed a devastating turn of foot in the 2,000 Guineas, again beating Roaring Lion alongside subsequent Derby winner Masar and Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Expert Eye.

The son of Deep Impact also finished runner-up in both the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown and the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, with the latter proving to be the final start of his career.

Saxon Warrior is out of the Group 1-winning two-year-old Maybe, making him a brother to Listed-placed filly Pavlenko.

Maybe herself is out of Listed winner Sumora, who also produced Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed mare Promise To Be True. Further back this is the same family as Group 1 winners Dancing Rain and Dr Devious.

The Classic winner will be joined at Jerrys Plains in 2019 by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Mendelssohn, the second son of Scat Daddy to be announced on the roster in three days, after US Triple Crown hero Justify was revealed to also be spending the southern hemisphere covering season in Australia.

Mendelssohn wins the UAE Derby by a jaw-dropping 18 and a half lengthsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Mendelssohn was a well-travelled colt who raced 13 times for four wins including three times at stakes level. He also finished runner-up as a juvenile in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket and occupied the same position in the Travers Stakes as a three-year-old.

Arguably his best performance came when he won the UAE Derby by an astonishing 18 and a half lengths.

Purchased at the Keeneland September Yearling for a sale-topping $3 million, Mendelssohn is out of Leslie’s Lady, making him a half-brother to 11-time Grade 1 winner Beholder and Grade 1 winner and successful sire Into Mischief.

Scat Daddy, meanwhile, is already beginning to make a name for himself as a sire of sires. His exploits as a grandsire have been well advertised by his son No Nay Never, whose first crop of runners in Europe yielded 38 winners, with Group 1 winner Ten Sovereigns among his eight stakes winners.

Saxon Warrior will stand for a fee of A$24,750 (£13,500/€15,660), while Mendelssohn will stand for $17,600 (£9,600/€11,140).

More shuttle sire news:

Triple Crown king Justify to shuttle to Coolmore's Australian base