Tooheys New Golden Slipper (G1) winner Vancouver will relocate to Victoria next season.
Eddie Hirsch has struck a deal with Coolmore to buy the champion racehorse, an unbeaten juvenile and sire of eight stakes winners from three crops of racing age, to stand him at his breeding operation Woodside Park Stud later this year.
Vancouver—the dominant unbeaten 2-year-old of 2014-15 who won a NSW Thoroughbred Breeders' Plate, the Canonbury Stakes (G3), the UNSW Todman Stakes (G2), and the Slipper for trainer Gai Waterhouse—will join Foxwedge, Rich Enuff, and Tosen Stardom on Hirsch's stallion roster in 2022.
Woodside Park Stud's Mark Dodemaide confirmed last night that the son of Medaglia d'Oro was on his way to the Tylden-based farm after Hirsch finalized negotiations for the outright acquisition of the rising 10-year-old stallion. Vancouver retired to Coolmore Australia in 2016 as the winner of four of his five race starts.
"We've got a son of Written Tycoon, a son of Fastnet Rock, and a Deep Impact, and so a son of Medaglia d'Oro in Vancouver is another nice option for Woodside," Dodemaide said.
"For the (Victorian Owners and Breeders Incentive Scheme) scheme, to capitalize on VOBIS you need to be up and running, so you'd think being a Slipper winner and the champion 2-year-old he should fit that bill, but I also believe his progeny will keep improving as 3- and 4-year-olds.
"I am confident that the best is yet to come from Vancouver."
A longtime owner/breeder, Melbourne-based Hirsch's first foray into stallions was acquiring Foxwedge from Newgate Farm in 2019 and moving him to Victoria to stand at Woodside Park Stud, then owned and run by Mark Rowsthorn.
Hirsch subsequently purchased Woodside Park Stud last year and appointed long-time Inglis employee Dodemaide to help oversee the stallion operation.
Foxwedge has covered more than 100 mares for the past two years, at a fee of AU$11,000 (inc GST).
"Eddie has really enjoyed having Foxwedge in Victoria, so it is a similar situation, except this horse is coming one year earlier (his oldest progeny being 4-year-olds)," Dodemaide said.
"There's going to be quite a few talented Vancouvers getting around with horses like Vangelic and Overpass who are capable of competing in good races during the autumn.
"We have tried to provide value for money to breeders with the three stallions we stood last year and we'll be trying to do the same thing with Vancouver."
A service fee for Vancouver, who stood for AU$22,000 (inc GST) at Coolmore in 2021, and for his new Woodside Park barnmates will be announced at a later date.
Unlike the deal which saw another Coolmore stallion in Rubick relocate to rival Victorian farm Swettenham Stud last year, in which shareholders retained significant equity in the horse, Vancouver is effectively owned outright by Hirsch, providing breeders with certainty about Vancouver's future being in the southern state.
Vancouver is out of the stakes-placed mare Skates (Danehill) who also produced group 1-winning mare Juste Momente and the listed winner Captain Coltish. His second dam Skating (At Talaq) won a Doncaster Handicap (G1) and a Winfield Classic (G1) (now known as the Coolmore Classic).
Hirsch said: "(Vancouver) is a rare commodity, having won all four 2-year-old starts at black-type level, culminating in a devastating Golden Slipper win. I believe he will be ideal for the Victorian VOBIS scheme."
The sire of eight stakes winners to date, including Keeneland Golden Pendant (G2) winner and dual group 1-placed Vangelic, recent Expressway Stakes (G2) winner Overpass, South Africa grade 2 winner Mount Pleasant, and talented filly Night Raid, Vancouver has also enjoyed success from two seasons reverse shuttling the United States where he stood at Coolmore's Ashford Stud.
From his two U.S.-bred crops, Vancouver has sired grade 2 winner Madone and U.S. listed winners Battle Bling and He'spuregold. From 71 first Northern Hemisphere now 4-year-old crop runners, he has sired 50 individual winners.
So far, at this year's Magic Millions Gold Coast and Inglis Classic yearling sales, fourth crop yearlings by Vancouver have sold up to AU$450,000.
"Vancouver has definitely worked with Danehill blood. Vancouver's group 2 winner Overpass is out of an Exceed And Excel mare; Yaletown is out of a Darci Brahma mare; Mount Pleasant is out of a Fastnet Rock mare," Dodemaide said.
"So, obviously, you would look at sending daughters of Exceed And Excel, Darci Brahma, and Fastnet Rock. I would also look at mares by Foxwedge, Magnus, Casino Prince, Snitzel, Not A Single Doubt, and Epaulette, among others.
"Medaglia d'Oro also loves Distorted Humor mares as well—group 1 winners Golden Sixty, Elate, and New Money Honey are out of Distorted Humor mares—but it's getting tougher to find that blood in Australia.
"However, mares by More Than Ready, Street Cry, Dehere, and Bernardini also cross well with Vancouver."
