Swettenham Stud has announced Frankel’s Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois winner Diego Velazquez will stand for an introductory service fee of $25,000 (plus GST) this year.

Owner Adam Sangster will stand him at the Nagambie nursery alongside Champion Irish-bred Victorian sire Toronado (High Chaparral), Lofty Strike (Snitzel) Wooded (Wootten Basset) and I Am Immortal (I Am Invincible).

Diego Velazquez is a physical masterpiece and brings the incomparable Frankel bloodline to Nagambie.  A 2.4 million guineas yearling, he was a precocious Group 2 winner at two and an exceptional Group 2 winner at three before progressing to Group 1 glory at four in the Prix Jacques Le Marois (1600m) at Deauville.

Joining the honour-roll of champions like Dubawi and Kingman, he defeated a galaxy of Group 1 winners the calibre of Notable Speech (US Breeders’ Cup Mile) and Docklands (Queen Anne Stakes).

Diego Velazquez is the total package: elite pedigree, precocious speed, and Group 1 miler toughness.

“Frankel boasts an impressive 18% Stakes winners to runners record in Australia, so it’s a great privilege to provide the Australian industry with the most significant injection of Frankel blood to date,” Sangster said.

“To get a gauge of how nice of a horse Diego is, he was one of the most expensive Frankel yearlings ever sold, selling for the equivalent of AUD5 million.  Only the Winx filly has sold for more than that in Australia this decade.”

Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien is a keen student of turf history and needed little prompting to recognise the significance Diego Velazquez winning the Prix Jacques Le Marois in the Swettenham silks.

“It’s incredible and I’m so delighted for the Sangster family.  Diego Velazquez has done everything.  He’s a great model and he’s determined.  He loves fast ground and is fast himself.”

Toronado remains the benchmark for consistency as the undisputed king of Victoria and his reign will continue after finishing as a Top 3 sire in the world for winners in 2025.

Toronado is currently the No.1 active sire in Hong Kong, fuelled by the HK 4yo Series success of Little Paradise and Stormy Grove.

Domestically, he leads the Victorian sires table for winners (134) and wins (211) leading into Easter and those stats have been bolstered by the immediate impact of his first crop from the $80k fee headlined by recent G2 VRC Sires’ Produce winner Grinzinger Heart.

In 2026, the market continued to show an insatiable appetite for the Toronado progeny.  He led all stallions at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale by aggregate.  And at the recent Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, he managed to produce an exceptionally strong median price of $400,000 (5x service fee).

Toronado will stand for an unchanged service fee of $80,000 (plus GST).

Lofty Strike is the blue-blooded speedster of the roster.  A precocious colt, he burst on the scene as an undefeated 2yo in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude and then trained on at three with another eye-catching finish to win the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Sandown.

He was also a multiple Group 1 placegetter that season against all ages in the MRC Oakleigh Plate (1100m) and VRC Newmarket Hcp (1200m).

Lofty Strike is by Champion sire Snitzel out of G1 Golden Slipper winner Overreach.  His first foals have surpassed the lofty expectations of breeders as they head to the 2026 weanling and 2027 yearling sales.

Buyers will have the opportunity to capitalise on  what we predict will be a precocious and speedy first crop.  Lofty Strike will remain unchanged at a $20,000 (plus GST) fee this year.

Wooded validated his future in both hemispheres when his first northern crop produced the Group 1 French performers Woodshauna and Jawwal.

Woodshauna won the G1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville and Jawwal was beaten a short-neck when runner-up in the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp.

With Australian trainers reporting his first southern crop are developing into quality 3yo types, Wooded offers world-class Wootton Bassett blood at an accessible price point with plenty of upside.  He will return to Swettenham for a $15,000 (plus GST) fee.

I Am Immortal is the ultimate value upgrader and continues to punch well above his service fee  That was highlighted when he was the most represented stallion in this year’s $1 million VOBIS Platinum Showdown.

With Saturday stars like McGaw, Athanatos and Immortal Star keeping him in the headlines, and having covered over 100 mares last season, he remains the go-to for breeders looking for consistency from a modest investment.

I Am Immortal will continue to represent excellent value at an $8,000 (plus GST) fee.

With the Victorian breeding industry continuing to lead the way through the lucrative VOBIS scheme, Swettenham’s 2026 roster is strategically positioned to offer breeders “Quality at every price point.”

For bookings or further details contact:

Sam Matthews (0487 851 572) / sam@swettenham.com.au or Marcus Heritage (0429 632 397) / marcus@swettenham.com.au