Cornerstone Stud has set the fees for the five stallions that they will stand in 2016 with newcomer Free Eagle (High Chaparral) to shuttle to the farm for the first time and stand for a fee of $18,700 (inc GST). The Dermot Weld-trained Free Eagle won three of his eight starts with his biggest victory coming in last year’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Royal Ascot. Winner of the Kilternan Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) at three he was also placed in the Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) at Ascot that year. He stood the 2016 Northern Hemisphere breeding season at the Irish National Stud where his fee was set at €20,000.

The farm also announced last week that Valentia (Fastnet Rock) would also be joining their 2016 roster and his fee has been set at $11,000 (inc GST). “With the news that Dalakhani will not be able to shuttle this year, as well as the passing of Hussonet, it is pleasing that we are able to replace quality with quality by adding Free Eagle and Valentia to our 2016 stallion roster,” said Cornerstone Stud managing director Sam Hayes.

Zebedee (Invincible Spirit) will shuttle to Cornerstone Stud for his second season this year and his fee has been set at $16,500 (inc GST).“Zebedee is proven as a phenomenal source of speedy early twoyear-old types, he has had over 60 two-year-old winners in his first two crops. In addition, during the past ten days he has sired a four-year-old Group Three winner and a three-year-old Listed winner in Europe. We know now that the Zebedee’s train on too,” said Hayes. Winner of the Flying Childers Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at Doncaster as a two-year-old, Zebedee’s first Northern Hemisphere-bred crops have included 94 winners which include the dual Group Two winner and Middle Park Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) second Ivawood who also finished third in both the 2000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) and Irish 2000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) last year as well as the Abernant Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) winner and Group Oneplaced Magical Memory.

Cornerstone Stud’s roster is completed by Good Journey (Nureyev) who will stand for a fee of $11,000 (inc GST), up from $8,800 a year ago, and Ambidexter (Commands) whose fee has been set at $5,500 (inc GST). “From relatively limited opportunities, Good Journey has sired Group One horses that have won from 1100 metres up to 2400 metres, he is a very versatile and extremely consistent stallion. His runners average $63,500 in earnings, with 65 per cent of them being winners, you just cannot overlook stats like that when discussing proven stallions in his fee range,” said Hayes.

Ambidexter meanwhile will be standing his fourth season at stud this year for a slightly reduced fee having stood for $6,600 (inc GST) in 2015. “Having had his first yearlings sell at an average of $30,000 and going to the stables of the likes of Richard Jolly, Nick Smart and Darren Weir, we really believe he has a great chance to succeed at stud off a low service fee. The feedback from breeders that have used him in each of his first three years at stud has been very positive,” Hayes added

CORNERSTONE STUD’S 2016 ROSTER

                              2016     2015

Free Eagle        $18,700 NEW

 Zebedee           $16,500 FOA

Valentia             $11,000 NEW

Good Journey  $11,000 $8,800

Ambidexter       $5,500 $6,600

All fees include GST