Mogumber Park stallion Safeguard jumped to an early lead with his juveniles in 2022-23 and was never headed to win a second WA 2YO Sires’ premiership on Monday.
Safeguard finished the season with earnings of $626,054 to defeat A Lot ($542,677) and Playing God ($367,068).
The Group 3 winning son of Exceed And Excel was the first locally-based stallion to sire a 2yo winner this season when his filly Soaring Solo won the $100,000 Crystal Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Ascot in November. He never looked back, although nothing is cut-and-dried in Perth with Saturday-winning babies banking over $80,000 in prizemoney and bonuses from Westspeed Platinum.
Despite his standing as the State’s No.1 2YO Sire, Mogumber Park owners Colin Brown and Fiona Lacey have kept Safeguard’s service fee at $4,400 (inc GST) for the third year running. “At that price, he is genuinely the best-value sire in WA,” Brown declared.
“It’s been a brilliant effort to get where he is today off an average of 28 live foals in his five crops to the races. You wonder what would happen if his average was 60 or 80?
Champion WA 2YO Sire Safeguard parading at the Mogumber Park Open Day with Fiona Lacey
“With the choice that is available in today’s stallion market, the challenge is to provide a value proposition that mare owners will respond to.
“With his price kept low and the performance of his progeny, both in the sales ring (where he sold to $200,000 and averaged $78,500 this year) and on the racetrack, Safeguard is now well and truly on the radar of broodmare owners. In fact, one of our leading breeders has just booked in five mares.”
Safeguard, who has just turned 13, won his first WA 2YO premiership as a first-season sire in 2018-19 and time is on his side for further success at Mogumber Park. Former Mungrup Stud champion Oratorio (Aus) has been the most successful WA juvenile sire of the modern era with five titles in that division between 2009 and 2015.
Besides Soaring Solo, Safeguard’s other 2yo city winners last season included More Special and Snow Prince who was also placed in the RL Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic. He’s the third Safeguard youngster to earn minor black-type in the Pinjarra sales-related feature following Miss West Coast (2019) and Surveillance (2020).
Brown is quick to point out Safeguard isn’t just a 2yo sire. “While he clearly does produce precocious types there are a number of trainers who are holding them back to start their careers as late 2yo and 3yos. His three year-olds have a 60% winners to runners ratio and his four year-olds are at 73%,”
Buzzoom has been Safeguard’s best galloper to date as a 3yo Listed winner of last year’s Burgess Queen Stakes and Jungle Dawn Classic. Ridgeport Farm owner Santo Guagliardo bought her as a broodmare prospect for $215,000 earlier this year.
Safeguard has been joined by Marine One at Mogumber Park this year and his first book has been boosted by 15 eastern states mares from NSW breeder Matthew Sandblom of Kingstar Farm as well as the China Horse Club. He’s a Caulfield Group 2-winning sprinter by emerging sire of sires Capitalist (Written Tycoon) who was Australia’s Champion 2YO Colt in 2015-16.
“We released a limited number of shares in Marine One and he was over-subscribed in no time,” Brown revealed.
“He settled in straight away and has already let down into a stunning stallion. The feedback at our Open Day last weekend was extremely positive from both breeders and trainers. We’re very confident he will be well supported in both the breeding barn and, in a few year’s time, the sale ring.
“He’s such a good type of horse with a great temperament, and we know that combination has worked for us in the past with both Safeguard and Rommel, so we are very confident this horse has what it takes.
“Marine One will sire precocious colts and fillies and is everything you want in a stallion over here. And having the support of Kingstar Farm and China Horse Club demonstrates they want to be part of our industry. It’s a tremendous endorsement for not only our farm, but the WA breeding industry as a whole.”
Mogumber Park has placed an introductory fee of $8,800 (inc GST) on Marine One. For bookings or further details, please contact Colin Brown on 0408 251880 or email: colin@mogumberpark.com
