The Varsfontein bred dual international Gr1 winner and 2018 SA Triple Crown bridesmaid Surcharge has been retired to stud in Australia.
Surcharge (renamed Yulong Prince on export) was originally a vendor buy-back on the 2016 Val De Vie Yearling Sale.
He was then sold for R200 000 off the BSA National Yearling Sale of the same year.
Surcharge – set to make his name in the breeding barn in Australia (Pic – JC Photos)
He was put through the ring and bought back for R550 000 by Dusty Trail Investments off the 2016 CTS Johannesburg Ready To Run Sale. He raced in the Ian Van Schalkwyk silks.
Yulong Stud announced this week that the son of Gimmethegreenlight will stand at their stud in Nagambie this coming season.
One of the best horses of his generation here, winning six of 11 starts including the Gr1 Daily News 2000, Yulong Prince was relocated to Australia in 2019.
His victory in the Gr1 Kennedy Cantala Stakes during Melbourne Cup Week was very special as it was also the first Australian Gr1 for Yulong owner Mr Yuesheng Zhang.
“We will be offering a limited number of breeding rights in the stallion, set up in a generous structure for those willing to support the horse in his first years at stud, ” said Yulong Chief Operating Officer, Sam Fairgray
Trainer Chris Waller was glowing in his endorsement of Yulong Prince, not only as a racehorse but as a future stallion.
“Yulong Prince was a very impressive horse on two fronts,” said Chris.
“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.”
Bred by Varsfontein Stud, Yulong Prince is one of 20 stakes winners by the Australian-bred son of More Than Ready (USA) Gimmethegreenlight.
A top-quality sprinter-miler, Gimmethegreenlight won six races from 1000m to 1600m. As a 2-year-old, he won his first four starts then became the first 3-year-old in 42 years to win the Gr1 Queen’s Plate.
Gimmethegreenlight
He was crowned 2016 Champion Freshman Sire in South Africa and in 2017 was the Leading Second Crop Sire, the 2018 Leading Active Sire of 3-year-olds and the 2019 Leading Active Sire by Stakes Winners.
Gimmethegreenlight’s two-time winning dam, Yes She Can Cancan (AUS) (Canny Lad), has also produced GR1 Coolmore Stakes winner OfcourseIcan (Mossman).
This is the same family as influential sires Kris and Diesis, successful South African sire and Gr1 Gran Criterium winner Count Dubois, and Irish 2000 Guineas hero Indian Haven.
“There is a lot to like in regard to Yulong Prince’s pedigree and it has a strong Australian flavour,” said Troy Stephens, Nominations and Sales Manager. “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.”
The bottle green with white and green checked sleeves colours of Yulong Investments have quickly become a familiar, and successful, sight to Australian racing enthusiasts and punters.
Sam Fairgray and Yuesheng Zhang
The rapid growth from their first purchase in Australia in 2014, to 2019 where Yulong stood their inaugural stallion, Gr1 Australian Guineas winner Grunt (O’Reilly-Ruqqaya, by Van Nistelrooy), with the brand also managing three properties, 180 broodmares globally, and over 200 racehorses, has been astounding.
The driving force behind the business is Chinese billionaire Mr Yuesheng Zhang, who grew up in a small town in Mongolia, where farming life is intertwined with horses. From here to billionaire in China’s booming economy, the love of horses stayed with Zhang, and this rapidly grew into a fascination with the Thoroughbred industry.
Contact
- Troy Stephens, Nominations and Sales Manager
- Ph: 0455 316 666
- E: [email protected]
