Aquis Expand into Victoria

Media Release - Thursday May 2
Aquis Group CEO, Shane McGrath, is pleased to announce the expansion of Aquis into Victoria, where Lean Mean Machine and Siege of Quebec will stand as foundation stallions at a Seymour property.

Lean Mean Machine Impressive when winning his racetrack debut, the Chris Waller-trained Lean Mean Machine  then headed straight into black type company, recording two Group 3 placed efforts before defeating stablemate, and fellow Zoustar colt Zousain in the Group 2 BRC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m), in a time quicker than his very own sire achieved when winning the race five years prior.

As a 3YO, the stunning-looking colt returned with a sensational win in the ATC Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill, showing a devasting turn of foot to charge through a gap to defeat numerous Group 1 performers. In winning, Lean Mean Machine joined an illustrious list of previous winners including Pierro, Smart Missile, Denman, Exosphere, Astern and Menari.

Two starts later, the colt formed part of an historic first three finish for his sire when taking third in the Group 1 VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington, with those left in his wake including Written By, the previous season's highest rated 2YO colt.

Siege of QuebecSelling for $1.2 million as an Inglis Easter yearling,  Siege Of Quebec was unbeaten as a two-year-old, he ended his initial race campaign with second to exciting sprinter Menari in the Listed ATC Rosebud Handicap.

Defeating Group 1 winners Pierata and Music Magnate when successful in the Group 3 ATC Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m), Siege Of Quebec headed to Melbourne for the Spring, finishing third in the Group 1 MRC Toorak Handicap before retiring off a career best performance in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes in record time.

During the time-honoured Autumn carnival, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained entire reeled off impressive sectionals to finish less than a length from Pierata in the Group 1 ATC All Aged Stakes (1400m), in what was to the final race start from the imposing individual.

Having beaten 18 individual Group 1 winners throughout his career, the highest priced yearling by his Champion Sire sold in 2016, comes from the immediate family of $7 million plus earner Criterion and Group 1 BTC Doomben Cup winner Comin' Through.

In addition to the establishment of operations in Victoria, we are also delighted to announce the appointment of Murray Tillett, to oversee our Victorian operations.

"This is a very exciting opportunity for me and another massive vote of confidence in the future of the Victorian breeding industry. Aquis are a dynamic organisation who are building a very strong reputation. They are driven by success and I'm delighted to be a part of growing their operation," said Murray.

"We want to reassure our Victorian clients, that our two new stallions for 2019 represent our long term commitment to the Victorian market," stated McGrath.

Lean Mean Machine will stand at $17,600 (inc. GST) while Siege Of Quebec's introductory fee will be $13,200 (inc. GST).


Advertisment
More Reading...
Vale, Ryan Smith
Victorian breeding farm Kulani Park are mourning the loss of partner and family member Ryan Smith.
Another Impressive New Winner St Mark’s Basilica
A colt that holds entries for several upcoming Group races, Piazza San Marco became the 12th winner for Coolmore shuttler St Mark’s Basilica (FR) when bolting in at Galway overnight.
Cogburn Sire Not This Time on Fire at Keeneland September
If you have been considering sending a mare to Widden Stud’s exciting new shuttle sire Cogburn (USA) or have already booked one in you are going to be pretty interested in what is going on at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale this week where his sire Not This Time is in hot demand.
Are You Sending a Mare to Cogburn?
Book 1 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale concluded on Tuesday with the rise of exciting young sire Not This Time as a big player on the world stage well and truly illustrated with 22 of his yearlings selling at an average $805,682.
I Am Invincible Stallion Chasing Black Type in NZ
Tardelli has the looks to match his rich pedigree, and his upcoming preparation will be focussed on adding a top level performance to boost his future stallion prospects.
Debut Farnan Winner for Pencarrow Stud
Three-year-old filly Passiflora showed promise at the trials and transferred that potential into raceday success when scoring on debut in the NZ Horse Ambulance 970 at Cambridge on Wednesday.
Keeneland September Record Breaking Book 1 Concludes
Trade at Tuesday’s second session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale continued the enthusiasm for Thoroughbred racing prospects shown during Monday’s opening day with nearly $75 million in sales and a September Sale record session average of $675,180 and median of $550,000. Twenty yearlings sold for $1 million or more to set a Day 2 session record. 
Trainers Rewarded with Continued NZB Ready to Run Series
With the continued long-term support of Majestic Horse Transport and Dunstan Horsefeeds, NZB is pleased to announce that the Ready to Run Sale Trainers Series will return for its sixth edition this season, kicking off on Saturday at two venues. ? 
Karaka Graduates Honoured at New Zealand Horse of the Year Awards
The champions of New Zealand’s 2024-25 season were crowned during the Horse of the Year Awards in Hamilton on Sunday night, where four Karaka graduates were named the standouts of their respective categories.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday September 9
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.