Why be paying service fees when you could be standing your own stallion by Australia's champion sire.
With 103 stakes winners on the board and 23 sons at stud in Australia last spring - four of whom have already sired stakes winners – Snitzel, Australia’s Champion Sire for the past three years and on the verge of cementing his fourth consecutive Champion Sire’s title - is Australia’s go to source for potential stallions and it is not often that a horse with the credentials owned by the exciting PERAST comes on to the market.
A striking bay bred by GSA Bloodstock, Perast showed so much early toe that he was odds-on for his 2-year-old debut at Scone in January 2017 and he was straight to the lead, not giving his rivals a look-in as he raced away to a 3½ length victory over 1100m.
Quickly up in class, the Paul Perry trained youngster was green when a game third in the Listed $250,000 Inglis 2Y0 won by fellow Snitzel colt Jukebox, again doing a bit wrong when striking heavy going in the Gr.2 Todman Stakes.
In brilliant form at the trials heading towards his next campaign, Perast again raced in the best of company at three, running a gallant on pace third in the Gr.2 Run To The Rose (to Menari and Pariah) before enduring a tough run - far from disgraced - in the Gr.1 Golden Rose won by Trapeze Artist.
Showing great fortitude by backing up a week later in the Gr.3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude, Perast proved a length too good for his rivals which included Group 1 winners Kementari, Invader, Levendi and Summer Passage - adding his name to the honour roll to a race which in a short time has provided such classy winners as Apache Cat, Rich Enuff, Epaulette and Alligator Blood.
Subsequently a close up fifth in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas, Perast did not have a great deal of luck early in his next campaign but was able to put on display his superior turn of foot when recording an easy victory in the Listed Queensland Day Stakes at Doomben - two weeks later leading throughout to claim Gr.3 Fred Best Classic success.
Taking on the older horses in Queensland’s biggest race, the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap, Perast set up a good pace only to be run down over the final stages, beaten only two lengths by leading sprinter Santa Ana Lane.
Still in good form the following spring (twice Gr.3 placed during the Melbourne carnival), Perast looked set for further success only to incur a career ending injury whilst spelling - rolling under a fence, damaging a hock.
Eight months of rest and recuperation was required, the timing such that it was too late to find Perast the right long-term home. But rather having him stand around twiddling his hooves, his owners decided to see if his hind leg injury would have any impact on his ability to cover - sending him to Anthony Evans at HP Thoroughbreds near Dungog in the Hunter Valley.
It was also a good opportunity to get a gauge on the young horse’s fertility and he came through both tests with flying colours - serving without issue and getting each of the nine mares he served in foal - “he never missed a beat,” Evans reported.
With HP Thoroughbreds not set up to accommodate a commercial stallion, Perast is seeking a new home for the 2020 season, with his owners which include Francis & Christine Cook, as well as Paul Perry, are happy to come to an arrangement with a stud farm whether this is a complete or partial sale, or some other agreement which can be put into place.
Boasting a similar racing profile to the late Spill The Beans, another son of Sniztel who, at a fee of $11,000 served 605 mares during his first four years at stud, and is currently Australia’s leading First Crop Sire (Winners) with 12 debut crop winners, Perast can also be compared favourably with the likes of fellow Gr.3 Snitzel winners Jukebox (111 mares served in his first year at stud at a fee of $11,000) and Sooboog (423 mares served at a fee of $13,200 in his first three seasons).
An eye-catching bay, standing just a tick over 16hh, and from an outstanding international family, Perast is out of the stakes winning Zabeel (a multiple Champion Broodmare Sire of an amazing 204 stakes winners inclusive of 40 Gr.1 winners) mare Thousand Veils, daughter of the Gr.3 placed Success Express mare Forever Dancing.
The Gr.1 winners Gold Fever, Boisterous, Versailles Treaty, George Vancouver, Gold Tiara, Chief Honcho, Dance To Bristol and General Assembly (23 stakes winners) hail from this branch of the prolific Queen Mary family, as does the successful stallion Exclusive Native (twice Champion US Sire of 64 stakes winners including the US Triple Crown winner Affirmed).
A horse who ticks so many boxes as a stallion prospect - in form at two, a dual Group winner at three with Group One form - Perast is the perfect stallion for either an established stud or an up-and-coming farm seeking the ideal foundation sire.
Highly regarded by Paul Perry, the person who conditioned successful stallions Fastnet Rock, Choisir and Stratum during their racing careers, Paul is keen to maintain a lifetime breeding interest in the horse.
Footage of the handsome Perast can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWZcjWEyMCc
For further information please contact Brett Howard, Randwick Bloodstock Agency
(02) 4938 0011 or 0403 037 773 or email him at randwickbloodstock@bigpond.com
