More Joyous to Visit Fastnet Rock

Champion Australian racemare More Joyous is in the news after delivering her first foal which has the distinction of being the first Southern Hemisphere bred foal born in Australia by world champion Frankel and her next mating will be to Fastnet Rock.

A homebred for John Singleton’s Strawberry Hill Stud that won nine Group I races and $4.5 million in prizemoney, More Joyous was sent to the UK for her first season at stud.

The resulting foal is a chestnut with two white feet and a blaze, so is not quite what was expected from a mating between two champion racehorses that were both bay.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting that,” revealed Duncan Grimley, Bloodstock Manager for John Singleton’s Strawberry Hill Stud.

“More Joyous has a black father and bay mother and Frankel is by a bay out of a bay, so when you’re thinking about what the foal will be like, chestnut doesn’t really enter your head.

“I’ve done a bit of research now though and 25% of Frankel’s first Northern Hemisphere crop of foals are chestnut and his sire Galileo has left plenty of good chestnuts including this year’s Epsom Derby winner Australia.”

More Joyous will remain in Australia to be covered next by champion sire Fastnet Rock, who is bay dominant.

“At least we know she’ll have a bay foal next year!” quipped Grimley.