Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday October 31

Just three stallions, Zoustar, Exceed And Excel, and I Am Invincible, have sired the last six winners of the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

Exceednace and September Run won in 2019 and 2020 for Exceed And Excel. Home Affairs (2021) and In Secret (2020) for I Am Invincible in successive years after Brazen Beau got the ball rolling in 2014.

Zoustar chimed in with Sunlight in 2018 and Ozmossis last year and will be favoured to continue the run with Growing Empire, who will be out to emulate his sire, grandsire and great-grandsire.

I Am Invincible has  Bodyguard and  Enriched, while Written Tycoon has four runners, First Settler, Yoshinobu, Gallant Son, and Golden Slipper winner  Lady of Camelot.

One glaring omission from the list of Coolmore Stud Stakes winning sires is Snitzel.

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SWwitzerland preps for the Golden Slipper with a win in the Todman Stakes (image Steve Hart)

The Arrowfield champion can right that anomaly on Saturday with Bittercreek, Switzerland and Gatsby's.

Switzerland was the talk of the town when reeling off three consecutive wins in Sydney at two, culminating in the Group II Todman Stakes.

The Chris Waller-trained colt was well-fancied in the Golden Slipper but looked flat when finishing midfield.

Even more worrying was his 3-yer-old bow in the Group II Run To The Rose at Rosehill, trailing home last of the nine runners won by one of his rivals on Saturday, Traffic Warden.

The pressure was released when  Switzerland dominated in the Roman Consul Stakes at Rosehill, with four of his rivals on Saturday, Coleman, Yoshinobu and Gatsby's, left in his wake.

Few runners would benefit more from a win in the Coolmore from a stallion perspective than Switzerland.

A magnificent physical specimen befitting his $1,500,000 purchase by Tom Magnier from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Switzerland, is the first foal of the high-class Blame (USA) mare Ms Bad Behavior (CAN), a US$600,000 buy for Freyer Bloodstock at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

A 3-time winner and placed in eight of her 14 starts while banking over $500,000, Ms Bad Behavior (CAN)  was a Grade III winner at Kentucky Downs, and all eight placings came in stakes races.

What's he worth if he wins the Coolmore (image Steve Hart)

A half-sister to stakes-winners One Bad Boy and Blessed Truly, Ms Bad Behavior (CAN) is a daughter of the honest Stormy Atlantic mare Cumulonimble who rarely failed to pick up a cheque with eight wins and eight places from 20 starts with career highlights came when winnings of the Listed Lincoln Heritage Hcp at Arlington Park.

Ms Bad Behavior's half-sister, Magical Elegance (CAN), landed in Australia in April, so she might be one to keep an eye on.

Switzerland a $1,500,000 Inglis Easter yearling

Tony Fung's TFI Racing had the final say at $550,000 for a brother to Switzerland at the 2024 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

Ms Bad Behavior (CAN) has been married to Snitzel for the first five years, resulting in five colts.

Sitzel has enjoyed a remarkable start to the season, blowing the opposition out of the water with nine individual stakes-winners.

Besides his Coolmore trio, The 22-year-old son of Redoute's Choice has chances in the Victoria Derby ( Saint Emilion), Golden Eagle (Makarena), Furphy Sprint (Dashing Legend), Vanity Stakes (Jellicious).

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