The handsome stallion Raging Bull, unique because his pedigree combines the best of both the northern and southern hemispheres, is heading across the Tasman to take up residence at Llowalong Farms for the forthcoming breeding season.
The lure of the Vicbred Pure First Win Bonus of $12,000 was an attractive carrot in relocating the 2008 son of Christian Cullen and Artsplace mare San Sophia.
Connections were also motivated to move to Victoria because another very successful son of Christian Cullen, Alta Christiano, sadly passed more than two years ago.
Raging Bull looked to have a huge future when he commenced racing in 2011 from the Cran Dalgety barn. Christen Me was a stable mate at the time and Dalgety could not separate them in their two-year-old ability.
However, after two blazing wins as an early two-year-old, Raging Bull developed soreness in a fetlock suspensory and his racing career was restricted to 10 starts, nearly all in stakes races. Those 10 runs resulted in five wins and five second placings.
Only three horses ever beat him home in that restricted career, those being Smolda (1:50.6; $2,415,738), Christen Me (1:49.4; $2,732,277) and Ideal Scott (1:52.8; $842,757).
His dam San Sophia took a record of 1:52.6 and $91,481 in earnings in the USA and is a full sister to one of the greatest females to race in North America during the 1990s in Galleria (1:49.2; $1,814,453). San Sophia is by Artsplace, now clearly established as the greatest broodmare sire in the history of the sport, and is the dam of nine winners of over $700,000 and three in 1:55.
Raging Bull retired to stud in New Zealand in 2013 and from limited opportunities (just 66 foals that are now aged four years and older) he has sired 25 individual winners.
Those winners include Wildwest (1:52.8), who in February won the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup and now has earnings of more than $470,000. Raging Bull also sired the Kerryn Manning-trained mare Our Bare Knuckle (1:51.5; $100,340), whose first foal sold for $90,000 at the 2022 Auckland Yearling Sale.
Raging Bull, who is a son of the incomparable Christian Cullen, can hopefully now take over the mantle of the deceased Alta Christiano. He has been a revelation as a sire following a relatively humble beginning. At time of writing, he is in third position on the Australian Sires List for the 2022 season based on average earnings per starter (min 80 starters).
Behind him are the superstars of our breeding industry in Bettors Delight, Somebeachsomewhere, Art Major and American Ideal.
Racing Bull will arrive at Llowalong Farms on Thursday, June 30, and have a service fee of $3300 (inc GST) for his debut season in Australia.
