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Multiple Group One winner Auguste Rodin made history during his racing career and Australasian breeders haven’t wasted any time in flocking to the Windsor Park Stud newcomer.
His haul of top-flight victories included the English Derby (2400m) and the Irish Derby (2400m) and beat the older horses in the Irish Champion Stakes (2000m) and the Breeders’ Cup Turf (2400m).
The Aidan O’Brien-trained son of Deep Impact became the only three-year-old to secure these four championship races in his Classic year.
Auguste Rodin will shuttle from Coolmore for his first season in 2025 with his introductory fee set at $30,000 + GST.
“He’ll be on the farm in early August, and he’s oversubscribed with a wait list,” Windsor Park General Manager Steve Till.
“Auguste Rodin has got loads of quality, a very athletic horse with a great mind.
“Travelling all the time, they have to have an iron constitution both physically and mentally to cope with that.
“He won six Group Ones, with Classics at three and beat the older horses at weight-for-age. He won a Group One at two and at four, so he’s ticked the boxes and got all the bases covered.”
Fellow Ballydoyle superstar Paddington, a four-time Group One-winning son of Siyouni, will stand his second Southern Hemisphere season at $35,000 + GST and like Auguste Rodin is also oversubscribed.
“Last year, Paddington filled in the space of four days. He got over 100 mares in foal, and it really is a privilege to have horses of his and Auguste Rodin’s quality to offer to breeders,” Till said.
Associate sire Shamexpress will stand at a fee of $20,000 + GST and has enjoyed a breakout season in 2025 with his Hong Kong-based son Ka Ying Rising the world’s highest rated sprinter.
“It really has been his best season and to produce a horse of that quality has been massive,” Tills said.
“He’s a very special horse who’s got tremendous gears and nothing has gone faster around Sha Tin than he has.”
Adding further quality to the Windsor Park roster are Profondo and Circus Maximus, who will both stand at $17,500 + GST.
“Profondo is a very attractive horse with a lot to recommend him and he was a A$1.9 million yearling for a reason, he’s very correct and an attractive horse,” Till said.
“He’s thrown that into his progeny and we’re going to have some outstanding yearlings to present to the market come Karaka next year.
“The upside with Circus Maximus is the talent his progeny are showing, from limited numbers so far he’s had the one winner with the unbeaten filly Ha’penny Hatch in Australia.
“The horse that ran third at Waverley the other day on debut, Engine Of War, didn’t have all favours and we bred and sold him.
“He’s a big boy who got out and powered home late and Andrew (Forsman) holds him in very high regard. Te Akau have also got a promising one in Towering Vision who has placed in both starts.”
Completing the roster are Turn Me Loose and Vanbrugh, who will both stand at $7500 + GST.
“Turn Me Loose has been well-supported for a long time, he’s had eight stakes winners and gets winners week in and week out,” Till said.
“Vanbrugh leaves a lovely type of horse, and he’s had to do it from restricted numbers.”
Turn Me Loose’s flagship performer has been the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) winner (She’s) Licketysplit while Vanbrugh’s top performer to date is two-time elite level winner Mustang Valley (Livamol Classic, Arrowfield Stud Plate).
