THE first crop of Group 2-winning Australian sprinter Kuroshio (Exceed And Excel) arrived quietly and he did not make the return trip to England. Then those offspring reached the track, and the secret was out.
Kurious won the Group 3 Coral Charge Sprint and the Listed Scurry Stakes, both at Sandown, Dunkerron was runner-up in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes, Siculi was Group 3- and listed-placed in Italy, and Daphinia finished second in the Listed Marygate Stakes. Those talented performers came from a batch of just 23 British-conceived foals: an eye-catching start!
The Australian-conceived half of that global first crop features the prolific sprinter-miler Savatoxl, a 17-time winner whose tally includes the Group 1 Goodwood Handicap, Group 2 Schillaci Stakes, a Group 3 contest, and a listed race and just under Aus$1 million in earnings.
Kuroshio has also been represented by the speedy Australian juvenile Group 3 winner La Rocque plus a string of others who have been multiple winners there or in Europe.
Now the grandson of Danehill (Danzig) is in Ireland, he covered 91 mares in his first season here, triple-digit books in 2020 and 2021, and looks sure to be busy again over the coming months.
His first Irish-conceived offspring have had success in the ring too and are headed by a €120,000 Goffs Orby Sale graduate.
Bungle Inthejugle, sire of 2021’s Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes heroine Winter Power, Excelebration who got Barney Roy, Helmet whose best son is Thunder Snow, Sidestep and 2021 freshman sensation Cotai Glory, the sire of Atomic Force, are others by Exceed And Excel who have sired pattern winners.
Kuroshio is out a daughter of the US Grade 1-star November Snow (Storm Cat), but one of his Australian siblings will be familiar to fans here because she is the dam of the ill-fated Anthony Van Dyck (by Galileo).
He won the Group 2 Futurity Stakes at two, the Group 1 Derby at Epsom at three and Group 2 Prix Foy at four. He was runner-up in the Group 1 Irish Derby and Group 1 Caulfield Cup and would have been a popular addition to Coolmore’s roster. His half-sister, Bounding (Lonhro), was a Group 1-winning sprint champion in New Zealand.
November Snow’s full-brother Scatmandu (Storm Cat) was a blacktype sire in North America and her string of stakes-winning descendants include the Breeders’ Cup-placed Grade 1 Carter Handicap scorer Morning Line (Tiznow), a blacktype sire who died young.
With his first batch of Irish-conceived two-year-olds only due to hit the track in the coming months, Kuroshio is at the start of the second wave of his career.
KUROSHIO (AUS), Bay or Brown 2010. Won three races, £210,004, from 5 furlongs to 5½ furlongs, at 2 and 3 years viz., Mitty’s Ian McEwen Trophy Stakes, Moonee Valley, Gr.2, Patinack Blue Diamond Prelude (c&g), Caulfield, Gr.3, Herald Sun Superracing Maribyrnong Trial, Flemington, L, also placed second in Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Preview (c&g), Caulfield, L, and third in Schweppes Schillaci Stakes, Caulfield, Gr.2, Inglis Debutants Stakes, Caulfield, L.
Retired to Stud in 2014, and sire of the winners of over 232 races, and over £4,051,208, including SAVATOXL (AUS), LA ROCQUE (AUS), KURIOUS (GB), Dunkerron (GB), Siculi (GB), Makkem Lad (AUS) and Daphinia (GB)
Stands at: Starfield Stud, Ballynagall, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, N91 K8Y9, Ireland.
Contact: Micheál Orlandi
Telephone: +353 (0)83 8092299
Email: info@compasstallions.com
Web: www.compasstallions.com
Fee: €5,000