Multiple Group One winner retired to stud

SUPERSTAR pacer Poster Boy has been retired to stud and will stand his first season at Northern Rivers Equine in Kyabram this year.

The five-year-old has raced 30 times for 22 wins as well as seven placings for earnings of $803,310.

Owner-breeders Bill and Anne Anderson said it had been “an emotional time” deciding Poster Boy’s future and did rule-out a racetrack return next year.

“It’s been a really hard week or two weighing it all up, but he’s got nothing left to prove to us and COVID-19 left us without any really big races to set him for through the middle and latter part of this year,” Anne said.

“It’s cruel because this was to be his year. He got so ill with pneumonia last year and then just when we had him back and flying, along came COVID-19, but we have to move on and now’s the right time to give him his chance at stud.”

Poster Boy adds to the blossoming roster of Northern Rivers Equine in Kyabram, which will also stand recently-retired glamour North American pacer Lather Up, Yankee Rockstar (Poster Boy’s half-brother) and established star American Ideal as well as another exciting freshman, Soho Tribeca.

“We had huge interest in him as a stallion, from two of the biggest studs, but we’ve decided to keep 100 per ownership of him ourselves to keep the option of a racetrack return open,” Bill said.

“We went with Kath McIntosh and Northern Rivers Equine because we’ve had a long relationship with her. She’s a new player in the game and we think she’s a rising star. Kath is also one of three vets at Northern Rivers and that means a lot to us as horse lovers.”

Trained by Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin, Poster Boy ran sixth on debut at Menangle as an early two-year-old, then never finished outside the top three in his next 29 starts.

The regally-bred entire won five Group Ones and also ran a slashing third to Spankem in Australasia’s premier speed test, last year’s Miracle Mile.

“We bought his mum (Aston Villa) as a yearling in Lexington, Kentucky. We were there when Poster Boy was born,” Anne said. “Of all the top horses we have bred, he’s the best, he’s our favourite. He’s the prodigal son.”

The Andersons do differ on one thing, which of Poster Boy’s wins was their favourite.

“Bill says the Chariots Of Fire, but my favourite was the New South Wales Derby,” Anne said.

The Andersons praised Stewart and Tonkin for an outstanding job training Poster Boy.

“He’s Emma’s favourite. One of her all-time favourites,” Bill said. “He’s the first horse she checks every morning.

“She thought he wasn’t himself one day and that turned into the pneumonia. We’ve got so much to thank them for.”

McIntosh said she and the team at Northern Rivers Equine were thrilled to reach a deal with the Andersons.

“We’ve got Yankee Rockstar here already for Bill and Anne and we are all extremely excited to be standing such a high calibre and exciting new stallion as Poster Boy this year,” McIntosh said. “We will have a roster of six great stallions, including three Australian stallions from mares that have been crowned Australian Broodmare of the Year.

“Additionally, we are delighted to announce John Coffey has joined our team as our bloodstock consultant and stallion sales manager. I don’t think there is anyone in Australia with the level of expertise and knowledge in this space as John.”

Poster Boy is by the deceased Somebeachsomewhere, which stamped himself as one of the modern era’s great pacers with 20 wins from 21 starts and $US3,328,755 and made a huge impact in the breeding barn before his passing.

Aston Villa has five foals three-year-old or older for five winners, headed by Poster Boy, Yankee Rockstar and Born To Rocknroll.

“Poster Boy is bred on the exact same cross as new siring sensation Captain Treacherous – by Somebeachsomewhere out of an Artsplace mare,” McIntosh said.

“You could argue Poster Boy’s dam is a better broodmare than Worldly Treasure, the dam of Captain Treacherous.

“Apart from ‘The Captain,’ her five other foals to race have only earned $US299,000 between them. Aston Villa’s four other foals to race have earned more than $A710,000 between them.”

Poster Boy’s service fee will be $4950 (inc GST).

• ADAM HAMILTON