SPOTLIGHT ON SQUAMOSA

Exciting addition to Eliza Park International’s stallion ranks, Squamosa, is the feature horse in Breednet’s Breeding Spotlight. Tara Madgwick takes a close look at the Star Thoroughbreds/Gai Waterhouse speed machine.

The Victorian breeding industry is set to be boosted by a number of new stallions this season, but only one of them has the serious speed credentials of this stunning grand-son of champion sire Redoute’s Choice.

The purple and white stars of Star Thoroughbreds are synonymous with winning at the highest level and while Golden Slipper winner and exciting young sire Sebring is the flagbearer for Denise Martin’s syndication business, another of their success stories is Eliza Park International’s new recruit Squamosa.

Bred by Arrowfield Stud, Squamosa was consigned to the Magic Millions where he immediately caught the eye of Gai Waterhouse and her selection team.

By Not a Single Doubt from stakes-winning juvenile Class Success, Squamosa was a strong, attractive athletic individual that was snapped up by Star Thoroughbreds for $140,000 making him the most expensive yearling by his sire sold in that year.

He soon showed ability to match his good looks reeling off two brilliant wins at his first two starts as a winter juvenile, before proving his talent in better company when taking out the Group III STC Run to the Rose over 1300 metres.

Set a considerable task when he drew gate 14 in a field of 15 for the $1million Group I STC Golden Rose, Squamosa used his speed to advantage to cross and lead for Nash Rawiller before being run down late and beaten a half neck by Toorak Toff on the line.

Sidelined through injury after that performance for a lengthy spell, Squamosa returned to take the Listed AJC June Stakes over 1100 metres with an explosive display that saw him career away to win by nearly five lengths.

Veteran jockey Jim Cassidy was aboard Squamosa that day and was quick to declare, “He’s a Group One sprinter without a doubt - he was explosive today ... he’s not right yet so he’s going to be pretty frightening when they get him fit.”

Sadly for his owners, Squamosa had just two more runs before retiring after just seven starts in total, his true potential never quite fulfilled.

“Squamosa was an Exceptionally fast racehorse. He possessed world class speed… he was electric,” said Gai Waterhouse.

Like his sire Not a Single Doubt, Squamosa goes to stud without a Group I win on the resume.

A well bred son of Redoute’s Choice, Not a Single Doubt was given his chance at stud by Arrowfield, despite never having won at a level higher than Listed and never having placed in Group I company.

Priced at $13,750 for his first six seasons at stud, Not a Single Doubt has had to make his own way and he’s done it in exemplary fashion.

Now the sire of 17 stakes-winners with progeny earnings topping $19million, Not a Single Doubt put the icing on the cake earlier in the year when his flying daughter Miracles of Life captured the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes.

This year his yearlings have sold for up to $300,000 and his service fee has been increased to $33,000, so Not a Single Doubt has truly arrived as a serious commercial sire, despite his humble beginnings.

Squamosa offers Victorian breeders a similar chance to get in on the ground floor of a young well-bred speed sire at a modest fee with considerable potential for future upside if his progeny run true to type.

And here’s a closer look at just what a brilliant performer he was …