Leading owner-breeder Santo Guagliardo has upgraded his Ridgeport Farm roster with rising sire Ducimus joining Rommel at the new stud on the block in WA.
Guagliardo installed former Mogumber Park stallion Rommel (Commands) as foundation sire at his Waroona stud last year and he purchased Ducimus (Snitzel) last week.
Ducimus had been based at Rivercrest Farm for his first five books and was coming off covering 79 mares for studmaster Steve Hoare last spring. The south-west horseman stood him on behalf of Hong Kong-based Orbis Bloodstock.
“Good luck to Santo – he has some lovely fillies and mares and they will help Ducimus continue his great start with us,” Hoare said. “We have shares in the horse and will continue to support him in years to come.”
Guagliardo celebrated the move on Saturday when Ducimus 2yo Show The Way did exactly that winning the Quayclean Plate (1000m) at Ascot. The promising youngster scored by a half-length from Battle Commander (Rommel) for trainer Neville Parnham.
Show The Way (Photo / Western Racepix) was bred by the late Dick Vincent and his dam From The Heart (Show A Heart) delivered her final foal – a filly by Ducimus – for Steve and Diane Hoare last September.
“My partners and I are thrilled to be able to acquire a stallion of the calibre of Ducimus and stand him at my newly-developed property in Waroona,” Guagliardo said.
“He is a stallion who looks to have some really nice young horses in training at present, and off the back of serving his biggest and best quality book of mares yet in 2023, Ducimus is certainly well placed to have a bright future.”
Guagliardo was also in the news when he topped WA buyers at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney last week. He paid $450,000 for the I Am Invincible – Falerina colt (Lot 17) that was offered by breeders Yarraman Park.
Falerina (Stratum) is a Sydney-winning half-sister to Jade Marauder (G3 ATC Sweet Embrace Stakes) and Bliss Street who won a G3 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes at Ascot before travelling east to win again at that level in the G3 MRC Thousand Guineas Prelude.
