What are the odds a son of GALILEO, with a first crop of only 77 live foals, sires a 900m 2yo winner from his first ever starter? And what if the median price of that sire’s yearlings was just $26,250?
The vagaries of the breeding world produced another quirk on Sunday at Trentham when ARMORY’s first ever runner (SILHOUETTE) bolted in by a widening 4 lengths over the specialist short course distance of 900m. The result was timely as it came less than 24 hours after the running of the Cox Plate, a race ARMORY finished runner-up to SIR DRAGONET in five years ago.
The Cox Plate is often referred to as Australasia’s weight-for-age championship, but it has also become a supreme stallion-making race. The Moonee Valley showpiece has featured successful stallions like SO YOU THINK, SAVABEEL, STRAWBERRY ROAD, LONHRO, SHAMUS AWARD, OCEAN PARK, DUNDEEL, CASTELVECCHIO, PROISIR, PIERRO & ALL TOO HARD. And those with progeny yet to race include the likes of ANAMOE, STATE OF REST & GOLD TRIP.
Sunday’s result, above all else, tells us that ARMORY, who contested Group 1s in five different countries, is not your run-of-the-mill European stallion to stand in Australasia. If he can get a 2yo 900m winner on debut (something none of the aforementioned Cox Plate alumni were able to do!), then there is enough speed and substance in his progeny to suggest he will be one of the few stoutly bred stallions to make it in this part of the world.
This development is significant from Proven Thoroughbreds’ perspective, having purchased the ARMORY x ZUMA colt at the NZB Karaka Sale earlier this year. A big, raw, scopey colt, he is one of the better-credentialled ARMORY 2yos as he was the second highest priced by the sire at Karaka 2025. ZUMA has now produced 3 winners (the latest was last month) and Kerry Parker trains.