The Mission, Australia’s Co-Champion 2YO Colt of 2016-17, retires to Aquis Farm Queensland and provides breeders with a stallion that ‘has the speed and commerciality that all Australian breeders are seeking.’
‘The Mission is a stallion that will complement the bloodlines that are particularly prevalent in the Queensland broodmare population,’ states Aquis Farm. ‘The Mission is the first Champion 2YO to retire to stud in Queensland in over a decade.’
In celebrating The Mission’s debut season at their Canungra farm, Aquis have unveiled a world first $1M Breeder Bonus for any progeny of The Mission that wins an Australian 2YO Group 1 race, the $2M Magic Millions 2YO Classic at Aquis Park or the $2M Inglis 2YO Millennium.
The Breeder Bonus Challenge includes payments ranging between $25,000 and $1million for any 2YO winner from The Mission’s first crop. Also, the breeder of any 2YO race winner sired by The Mission in his first crop will be eligible for a free nomination to The Mission the following season.
The Mission was outstanding in defeating Co-Champion 2YO Colt and Inglis Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Invader in the Gr1 Champagne Stakes, 1600m, and he is also a winner of the Gr3 Schweppervescence Handicap, 1400m, at 2, when defeating Astoria and Muraahib.
At three The Mission ran credible close up fifths in both the Gr1 All Aged Stakes and Gr1 The Galaxy at Randwick.
The Mission, at 16.1hh, is an outstanding son of established sire-of sires Choisir, whose Group 1 sons Olympic Glory, Starspangledbanner, and Divine Profit are all duel hemisphere shuttle sires.
The Mission is inbred to Danehill 3×3 via his Champion Sire sons Danehill Dancer and Redoute’s Choice. His 2YO winning dam My Amelia, by Redoute’s Choice, is from the Gr1 Champagne Stakes winner Carry On Cutie, a daughter of Champion Sire More Than Ready.
Aquis states ‘The Mission is from the family of the successful sires Pompeii Court, the sire of Champion 2YOs Courtza and Pompeii Pearl, and the successful American-based sire Ghazi, the sire of Irish Champion 3YO Port Bayou.’
I Am Invincible’s exceptionally fast 2YO son Kobayashi also retires to Aquis Queensland the winner of the Listed Thoroughbred Club Cup,1200m, at Caulfield by 3 lengths.
The sire of the winners of over $46 million, 32 Stakes winners and the Leading First Season sire in 2013-14, Australian breeders recognise I Am Invincible’s sale ring appeal and race track ability. His dual Group 1 winning son Brazen Beau was Champion 3YO Colt in 2014-15, while I Am A Star, Viddora and Hellbent are also Group 1 winners by I Am Invincible.
A bay standing at 16.0hh, Kobayashi is free of Danehill blood and is from the unraced Hussonet mare Woodstock Hussey. This is the immediate family of Stakes winner Gay Rosalind, the dam of dual Gr2 HK International Bowl winner Monopolize and is a full-sister to As You Like It, the dam of Gr1 Champagne Stakes winner I Like Diamonds, being the family of Group 2 winning sire Cluster.
More Than Ready’s 2YO Group 2 winner Kiss and Make Up stands his second season at Aquis Queensland, having transferred from Aquis Hunter Valley. Also standing is Snitzel’s son Spill The Beans who has his first yearlings selling in 2019, and Group 1 winning and producing sires Holy Roman Emperor, Domesday, Husson and Benfica.
Aquis continues its support and commitment to the Australian thoroughbred industry by donating 10% of all bonus pay-outs from The Mission’s $1M breeder bonus scheme to industry-related charities. “It is important to acknowledge that we in the racing industry are all part of a wider community and we have an obligation to look after those less fortunate than ourselves,” said Aquis CEO Shane McGrath.
“At Aquis we are grateful to be part of a thriving industry that is in a position to give generously to those in need, whether that be improving services within our local community, supporting our farmers in times of drought, helping to improve support networks for stud and stable staff, or ensuring that our much-loved racehorses are given the opportunity to be re-trained and re-homed once they retire from racing.”
By Bernard Kenny