Group 1 winner to stand in Victoria in 2021
Dual Group 1 winner Yulong Prince (Gimmetegreenlight) will join the Yulong roster in 2021.
The son of Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) retires from racing the winner of eight of his 28 career starts and his Cantala Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) victory provided Yulong's owner Yuesheng Zhang with his first Group 1 victory in Australia.
"Given he gave Mr Zhang his first Australian Group 1 success, it is only fitting, and very exciting, that Yulong Prince joins the stallion roster here at Yulong," said Yulong COO Sam Fairgray. "Not only has the horse had great racetrack success in his early years, but he has also trained on as an older horse. Seven of his eight placings have been in black-type company."
Bred in South Africa by Varsfontein Stud, Yulong Prince - who raced originally as Surcharge - was sold for R200,000 at the 2016 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale and then re-offered later that year at the CTS Johannesburg Ready To Run Sale where he was bought for R550,000. His biggest victory in South Africa came in the Daily News 2000 Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) at Turffontein and he also won the Tony Ruffel Stkes (Gr 3, 1400m) and Secretariate Stakes (Listed, 1400m). Transferred to Australia and the stable of Chris Waller, Yulong Prince's first Australian victory came in the Furphy Plate (Listed, 1800m) in November 2019 and last October recorded his second victory at the highest level when taking out the Cantala Stakes at Flemington.
"Yulong Prince was a very impressive horse on two fronts," said Chris Waller. "Firstly, his ability to compete at a high level overseas and then come to Australia and adapt to our conditions of training and racing, once again at the highest level; a great feat not comparable by many.
"Secondly, he was a very good-looking horse with a good attitude, and obviously sound and well performed."
Yulong Prince is one of six winners and the only stkaes winner out of placed mare Congestion Charge (Diktat). His second dam, Overdrive (Shirley Height), produced four winners incluing Group 3 winner Endorsement (Warning) who in turn produced multiple Group winner and the Group 1 placed Mores Wells (Sadler's Wells).
"There is a lot to like in regard to Yulong Prince's pedigree and it has a strong Australian flavour. Our yearling sales are now so focused around type and being such a good-looking horse, we really think breeders are going to warm to him," added Fairgray.
