Godolphin Australia has confirmed the decision to stand their sprint star Paulele on the Darley stallions’ Northwood Park roster in Victoria for the 2023 breeding season at a fee of $16,500 including GST.
“The decision to stand Paulele in Victoria was straightforward; there’s significant investment in the Victorian industry from investment in broodmare bands through to infrastructure, training facilities and operations to race programming, welfare initiatives and even the all-important VOBIS scheme that rewards both owners and breeders,” said Godolphin Australia’s Managing Director Vin Cox.
“He’s good-looking, he’s a G1 weight-for-age sprint winner - and he had to do it from barrier 15 carrying the top weight (58.5kg) and come from last to do so – not easy. We gene tested him and confirmed he has the sought-after CC speed gene, and Australia has the perfect environment to rear the best sprinters in the world.”
A G3-winning juvenile and pre-Christmas Saturday winner, Paulele commenced his career at The Valley in November with a 1.8-length win over 1,100m, he then set off to Royal Randwick with a thrilling two-length win at 1,200m and concluded his two-year-old season with a 2.5-length win in the G3 Kindergarten Stakes (1,100m), a race won by fellow Darley stallion, Bivouac.
“He loves his work,” continued Cox, “and the staff at Osborne Park always comment on how easy he is to have around, and that character shines through in his race record being a Stakes winner at two, three and four with form around Home Affairs, Nature Strip and Eduardo.”
Paulele returned stronger and faster at three. The handsome colt was challenged by the handicapper to carry 7.5kg above weight for age in The Rosebud first-up over 1,100m at Randwick. James McDonald chose the colt for his mount, against a field that included subsequent Group 1 winners In The Congo (who carried 53kg) and Mazu (56.5kg). In winning he beat handicapper, he beat the weight (59kg), he beat the clock and he beat the high-class field.Very few horses are capable running 43.0s for 800m, carrying 7.5kg above weight for age.
The honour role for the G2 Roman Consul Stakes in the spring is littered with the names of high-class stallions. Paulele’s win came in a faster time than established sires Exceed And Excel (2003), Fastnet Rock (2004), Zoustar (2013), Brazen Beau (2014) and Russian Revolution (2016); Paulele closed out his Classic year earning $1.06 million for 11 starts, with three wins at Stakes level and three G1 placings including the G1 TJ Smith behind seasoned horses Nature Strip and Eduardo.
In his four-year-old season, Paulele’s highlights include the G2 Schillaci Stakes (1,100m) and he produced an electric G1 last-to-first sprint win in the $1.5 million WATC Winterbottom Stakes, giving the audience another show of his fast twitch muscles. His eight wins include five at Group level all over sprint distances. Paulele’s hunt to add a sixth Group victory continues as the colt prepares to head to Brisbane for a tilt at the Doomben 10,000 in early May.
“In our opinion, he’s low risk. Especially if you’re looking to breed to sell, breed to race or breed to upgrade your mare.
“We’ll offer a limited number of breeding rights in him, and he’ll be further backed by the Godolphin broodmare band and our nominations, stallion, marketing and racing teams to ensure he receives every opportunity.”
Paulele, is by four-time G1 winner Dawn Approach and represents a speed branch of the Galileo sire line. He is out of a four-time sprint-distance winner Chatoyant (Flying Spur), a $450,000 2004 Inglis Easter yearling and a subsequent three-time Group-producing mare.
Nominations or breeding right enquiries contact one of our nominations team members:
Racing writer Jay Rooney takes a look at the Winterbottom Stakes and why it is again proving itself as the best race of The Pinnacles carnival at Ascot after Paulele’s stunning win. https://t.co/2y9UwUE0vHpic.twitter.com/6ewp1c9R6Z
Some smart two-year-olds have won what is Saturday’s opening race at Randwick - Aim (2019) and Fireburn (2021) among them. Our #ThrowbackThursday takes us to 2020 and Godolphin colt Paulele made it two from two with an all the way win. pic.twitter.com/uLzICbza8S