Journey Ends in Deserved Retirement

Media Release - Friday September 21
Group I winning and producing stallion Good Journey has moved to Victoria - where one of his biggest fans will allow him to gently retire.

Good JourneyThe Group I winning son of Nureyev has come over the border from Cornerstone Stud and will now call trainer-breeder David Brideoake's Roycevale property at Violet Town his home.

Brideoake has certainly been on a 'good journey' with the stallion. He was the sire of the Mornington trainer's first Group 1 winner in Grand Journey; and he was also the sire of Brideoake's homebred Group 1 winning mare Griante.

"Good Journey has played a major part in my success as a trainer, and it's nice that I can thank him and bring him home to happily live out his days. He is basically retired from stud duties, but he has been a lovely stallion," Brideoake said.

"He will now only cover my private broodmares, while enjoying his retirement well-cared for and well-loved."

The regally bred Good Journey came to Australia having won the Group 1 Woodbine Mile, another three Group 2 races and was also placed in the Group 1 Breeders Cup Mile.

He is out of the multiple Group 1 winning mare Chimes of Freedom while his second dam Aviance is also a Group 1 winner. Good Journey's half-brother is Champion USA Sprinter, the triple Group 1 winner Aldebaran.
Good Journey began his Australian stud career Tim and Lisa Johnston's Ealing Park near Euroa where he stood for four seasons.

In 2007, he began shuttling between California's Magali Farms and Australia and, in 2008, Good Journey switched to South Australia's Lindsay Park Stud (now Cornerstone Stud).

Brideoake's relationship with Good Journey started when he bought a filly out of the 2006 Inglis Autumn Yearling Sale from the Ealing Park draft. Later named Grand Journey, she was an exceptional galloper that gave the trainer his first victory at the elite level.

"I sent Grand Journey over to Western Australia for a very successful campaign in Perth, where she won five races in a row including the Group 3 Western Australian Oaks and then backed up a week later and she won the Group 1 WATC Derby."

"After that, I remained loyal to Good Journey as a stallion and have sent a mare or two over to Sam Hayes' at Cornerstone each and every year. A couple of years later I was lucky to breed another Group 1 winner, my bonny mare Griante (winner of the 2016 ATC Galaxy)."

"Having now reached the grand age of 22, when the decision was made to no longer stand him as a commercial sire, I was delighted to offer to give Good Journey his final home at Roycevale, on my property at Violet Town."

"He is good to handle and beautifully bred, and personally as a sire, he has recorded exceptional figures on the board."

Grand Journey is the sire of 464 progeny to race, of which 311 are winners, giving him an strong strike rate of 67.0% winners to runners. His progeny have earnings of more than $31 million and they include 15 stakes winners and 11 stakes placegetters.

"Good Journey's stakes winners to runners percentage was around 5%, which puts him in the top league of stallions, and when you think of the mares he covered, not all being top shelf, and from limited numbers, he really punched well above his weight throughout his career to produce high-level quality horses," Brideoake said.

His leading progeny in the southern hemisphere have included three time Group 1 winner Happy Trails, the aforementioned Griante and Grand Journey, dual Group 2 winner and Group 1 performer Sound Journey, the black type winning grand campaigner Crafty Cruiser, dual listed-winner Lord Aspen and South African black-type winner Sensible Lover.

And no doubt more winners and black-type performers are still to come. In the past week alone, progeny of Good Journey have won in both Australia and back in the United States (he finished shuttling in 2014).

Brideoake said while Good Journey will largely be retired, he will still serve a few of the farm's own mares this breeding season.

"I have always liked the Nureyev line and have bought a few nice mares specifically to go to him. I'm hoping to get some fillies, so his bloodlines can continue on," Brideoake said.

"I think it's a lovely story that he has ended up with me, so that I can provide in the twilight of his career a few good opportunities, while he sees out his days happily on the farm."

Advertisment
More Reading...
Inglis Easter Segenhoe Stakes Double
Outstanding mare Joliestar (Zoustar) secured a third career G1 win with a staggering come-from-behind victory in today’s Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm.
Sires With Winners - Saturday June 7
Here is the full list of 123 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Bold Maison Louis Resolute In Queensland Derby
The training partnership of John O’Shea and Tom Charlton continues to flourish as evidenced by a stable quinella in Saturday’s Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) as Maison Louis defeated King Of Thunder in a perfect result for the Sydney trainers.
New Stakes-Winner for Snitzel – Stradbroke Possible
The Listed $160,000 BRC Spear Chief Quality (1500m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday delivered a new stakes-winner for champion sire Snitzel with progressive four year-old gelding Transatlantic taking victory as a well backed favourite.
Third Generation Epsom Derby Hero for Coolmore
The Group I Epsom Derby (1m4f) was the big highlight overnight in the UK and the scratching of Godolphin owned favourite Ruling Court due to track condition meant it was an open affair with the second string horse from Ballydoyle in Lambourn coming up trumps and also bringing joy for the Aussie offshoot of his family.
Cosmic Fire a New SW for Cosmic Force
Sunshine Coast trainer Billy Healey was thrilled to have a stakes-winner on a big carnival day at Eagle Farm with his talented Cosmic Force three year-old gelding Cosmic Fire soaring to new heights when taking out the $200,000 Listed BRC Queensland Day Stakes (1200m).
First Stakes Success For Zoustar’s Zaszou
Becoming the second stakes winner of the meeting for Widden Stud’s Zoustar, the Philip Stokes trained Zaszou captured the $160,000 Listed BRC Helen Coughlan Stakes (1200m) in a photo finish.
2025 Group I Belmont Stakes - Godolphin Celebrate Victory in Triple Crown Finale
Back in May, Godolphin had a rare magical 48 hours when they won the Group I Newmarket 1000 and 2000 Guineas, plus the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks with all four of those star three year-olds scheduled to race over the last 48 hours – so how did they fare?
Successive Stakes Wins For Flying Artie’s In Flight
With all her wins being on soft and heavy rated tracks, trainer Joe Pride has chased the rain of late with 4yo Flyng Artie mare In Flight winning the Listed BRC Bright Shadow Stakes last time out at Doomben, before scoring a late dive victory at Randwick on Saturday in the Listed ATC Bob Charley AO Stakes (1100m).
Spritely 7YO Wins G3 Hyperion - 'Loved Again' Does the Trick!
Group One winner Western Empire (Iffraaj) is back in the winner's circle after a frustrating start to this campaign and is now a $3million earner!