Toretto’s win highlights Ardrossan’s sire power

Toretto‘s impressive win on Saturday at Ellerslie turned many heads – not just because of the two-year-old’s impressive turn of foot, a trait his sire Ardrossan also possessed, but for what it revealed about the son of Redoute’s Choice’s exceptional ability to produce winners from small numbers.

What’s more interesting is that at the recent NZB Ready to Run Sale Hong Kong buyers bought three of the five two-year-olds offered. And with bigger crops coming through, Ardrossan’s trajectory is going one way and that’s up – let’s take a look:

Performance analysis by crop

With just 37 foals from Toretto’s crop, Saturday’s win gives Ardrossan winners in all three crops of racing age and highlights him as a sire whose statistics punch well above:

• FIRST CROP (current four-year-olds):
  • 44 foals → 36 runners → 14 winners → FOUR stakes horses, including THREE stakes winners.
  • Outstanding metrics: 32% winners-to-foals, 39% winners-to-runners.

• SECOND CROP (current three-year-olds):
  • 56 foals → 14 runners → SIX winners → THREE stakes horses → ONE stakes winner.
  • Stakes winner: Beau Dazzler, winner of the Listed BRC Phelan Ready Stakes at Eagle Farm in Australia, a racing jurisdiction whose sires are focused on two-year-old speed and juvenile black-type status.

• THIRD CROP (current two-year-olds):
  • 37 foals → TWO runners → ONE winner (Toretto).
  • Toretto’s dominant Ellerslie victory over a short-priced favorite by 1.3 lengths has set him on a path to the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO race in January, all the best to Hollie Wynyard and his owners Johno Benner, Simon Barber, Sam Pinfold and the Leonardis.

Winners across regions

Ardrossan’s progeny have achieved success internationally, with winners in:

• New Zealand (15 winners)
• Australia (4 winners, including 3 stakes horses and 1 stakes winner)
• Hong Kong (1 winner)
• Singapore (1 winner)

Ready to Run Success

All five Ardrossan two-year-olds at the Ready to Run Sale sold, achieving a top price of $250,000. Notably, Hong Kong buyers secured three, including two purchased by Mr. KM Yeung, known for racing the “Patch” horses.

Looking ahead

With 78 living foals in his fourth crop (2025 yearlings), Ardrossan’s early results from modest numbers highlight his incredible value as a sire.

His remarkable statistics prove he’s a source of consistent success with yearlings being offered at all major sales including Magic Millions, NZB Karaka and Inglis Classic – click to view.