Stakes-winning colt Bodyguard will take up stallion duties in Tasmania this spring, with Armidale Stud confirming the son of I Am Invincible will join their roster.
A $1.6 million yearling purchase by respected bloodstock agent James Harron, Bodyguard scored back-to-back wins in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) and the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1000m) at his first two starts.
He later contested the Group 1 Golden Slipper as a juvenile and the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes as a three-year-old before trainer Peter Snowden decided to retire him.
Bodyguard will stand at Armidale Stud for a debut fee of $8800, where he will join fellow sires Needs Further ($5500) and Alpine Eagle ($4400).
Armidale Stud Principal David Whishaw said the addition of Bodyguard fills an important need in Tasmania’s breeding landscape.
“Bodyguard has been on our radar for 12 months or so, since he effortlessly won the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes,” Whishaw said.
“We were looking for a stallion to complement our existing roster and meet the demands of the current market and Bodyguard fit the bill perfectly.
“We’ve been acutely aware that the state has needed a new stallion, but we weren’t going to stand one until we found a horse that we genuinely believed in.
“Over the past few years, we’ve had many stallions offered to us, but none have truly matched what we’ve been looking for until Bodyguard.
“He’s the perfect fit for us.
“He’s outstanding looking, he’s got a great mind and he was precocious and fast.
“Most importantly, his pedigree is one that will resonate with breeders across Australia.
“To have a stallion prospect that offers those early running types with his granddam a Golden Slipper winner and him winning that very first two-year-old Stakes race along with the Blue Diamond Prelude for colts, he’s got what it takes to produce sharp, early runners.”
Whishaw added that he hopes the announcement serves as a boost for Tasmania’s breeding sector, which has faced a difficult period.
“We hope this acts as a sign of confidence for local breeders that we’re investing not just in a new stallion, but in mares to go to him,” he said.
“Ultimately, we want to inject confidence into the local breeding industry.
“With Needs Further and Alpine Eagle, we’ve proven you don’t need to stand in the Hunter Valley to produce quality racehorses and Bodyguard will complement our existing roster really well.”