Tagaloa Retires to Yulong

Media Release - Sunday April 25

Yulong Stud has announced the retirement of Blue Diamond Stakes winner Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who begins the next chapter of his career this spring.

G1 Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa retires to Yulong.

Outstanding looks and a quality pedigree earned Tagaloa a $300,000 price tag at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and he quickly compiled a racing career to match.

Tagaloa exemplifies the ideal profile for an Australian stallion - hes good looking, a Group 1 winner at two, trained on to win another Group race at three and is a complete outcross,” said Sam Fairgray, Yulongs Chief Operating Officer.

Go here for the Breednet stallion profile for Tagaloa.

Trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, Tagaloa made an early impression, winning his only trial before stepping out to place third in the Group 3 Maribymong Plate on debut. He then backed up with a win in the Strath Haven Preston 2YO Plate at Moonee Valley.

His 2-year-old season was headed by a dominant victory in the G1 Blue Diamond S. at Caulfield, beating home Hanseatic, Away Game (Snitzel) and Personal (Fastnet Rock). It was the second-fastest time ever by a 2-year-old over the track and distance since August 2007.

Tagaloa returned at three to win the G3 CS Hayes Stake in an exceptional performance, running a faster last 400m than G1 Lightning Stakes winner Nature Strip, on the same day.

He then went on to place in the G1 Australian Guineas, while other notable results included a second in the G2 Todman S. and fourth in the G1 Golden Slipper. He retires with a record of three wins and more than $1.4 million in stakes.

Tagaloa is the first son of superb Japanese stallion Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) to go to stud in Australia, and a major opportunity for Victorian breeders.

Advertisement

“To have a horse like him, a stunning physical and Blue Diamond winner with an international outcross pedigree, stay in Victoria is a massive vote of confidence in the local industry,” said co-trainer Trent Busuttin. “Yulong are leading the pack, setting the standard of new development in the Victorian industry.”

A son of two-time champion Japanese sire King Kamehameha (Jpn), Lord Kanaloa was Japan’s champion first-season sire in 2017 – siring 32 winners in that debut season, 12 more than his nearest rival. The two-time G1 Hong Kong Sprint winner has so far sired a total of 25 individual stakes winners, headed by the ten-time winner and twice Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn).

Tagaloa is the first foal out of winning mare Vasilissa (Jpn), whose sire Heart’s Cry (Jpn) is best known in this part of the world for producing the breathtaking Cox Plate winner Lys Gracieux (Jpn).

Vasilissa is a half-sister to three black-type performers, headed by stakes winner Tricolore Bleu (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn). Their dam is Penkenna Princess (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who won two races at two then trained on to win the G3 Fred Darling S. and placed in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas.

We were impressed by his temperament as a yearling, this came through as an early 2-year-old and makes him a beautiful horse to deal with now,” said Busuttin.

On type hes a big powerful, striking colt. Hes got a lovely head, athletic physique and a great frame.”

At this year’s Inglis Australia Easter Yearling Sale, a half-sister to Tagaloa by Not a Single Doubt fetched $900,000.

Tagaloa will stand at Yulong Stud alongside Written Tycoon, Alabama Express, Grunt (NZ) and Yulong Prince (SAf), with fees to be announced this week.

Advertisment
More Reading...
City of Troy Confirmed for Coolmore Australia- Fee Set
Unbeaten European Champion 2YO and three-time Group One-winning European Champion 3YO, City Of Troy (USA) will join the Coolmore Australia stallion roster in 2025 to carry on the legacy of his sire Justify.
Blueblooded Dual Group-winning 2YO Bodyguard to Stand at Armidale Stud
Armidale Stud is proud to announce the addition of three-year-old colt Bodyguard to its stallion roster.
Big Pedigrees Don’t Always Spell Black Type
The breeding of thoroughbreds is a very inexact science which is why we saw siblings to a pair of Group I winners fighting out the finish of a very pedestrian 1100m maiden at Ballarat on Sunday.
Sires With Winners - Saturday June 28
Here is the full list of 109 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Vinery Announce 2025 Fees - Ole Kirk Headlines
Vinery Stud has announced its 2025 stallion roster, featuring an outstanding line-up of proven sires and rising stars, headlined by the exceptional Ole Kirk, who will stand at an increased service fee of $99,000 inc. GST following a sensational debut at stud.
Darley Announce 2025 Fees
Darley have announced fees on their powerful roster of 14 stallions split between NSW and Victoria with Broadsiding set to join the team at Kelvinside in the Hunter Valley at a fee of $66,000.
How Much for a Snitzel Colt from Winx?
The record price for a yearling by the late champion sire Snitzel stands at $2.8million, but that benchmark looks set to be smashed at Inglis Easter next year.
Better Than Ready’s Metalart Wins Group 3 W J Healy Stakes
Improving off a third in the Listed Lightning Handicap at Eagle Farm recently, 4yo Better Than Ready gelding Metalart stepped up to 1200m to record his first black type success, winning the Group 3 W J Healy Stakes.
Caulfield Guineas Hero Griff to Stand at Larneuk Stud
The Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas - an honour roll that reads as a who's who of high class racehorses and successful stallions... Vain, Grosvenor, Redoute's Choice, Lonhro, Starspangledbanner, All Too Hard, The Autumn Sun, Ole Kirk and Super Seth just to name a few.
Another Aussie SW Sourced from Aga Khan Studs
When Australian investors buy tried horses out of Europe from Aga Khan Studs they know they are getting quality, but the good ones don’t come cheap with Elamaz (IRE) sourced from their draft at the Arqana Arc Sale last year for €480,000.