Golden Rose Stallions - How The Race Has Shaped Stud Careers

Kristen Manning

Editor

Last updated: Wed 23 Sep 2026 16:38

Kristen Manning 45 minutes ago

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The Golden Rose has become a major stallion-making race since gaining Group 1 status in 2009
Zoustar, The Autumn Sun and Bivouac are among those to build successful stud careers after Rosehill glory
We track the breeding records, service fees and standout progeny of the race’s leading stallion graduates

Bivouac, ridden by Hugh Bowman, wins the 2019 Golden Rose. (Getty)

Beginning its life as the Peter Pan Stakes, the race now known as the Golden Rose was run as a Group 2 1500m race from the late 1970s, won by the likes of Kingston Town, Sir Dapper, Brave Warrior, Flying Spur and Fairway, before losing its black-type status when renamed in 2003.

Denman sets the standard
Zoustar leads the next wave
Exosphere, Astern and Trapeze Artist
The Autumn Sun and Bivouac
Ole Kirk and the next generation
Militarize's brief stud career
Broadsiding, Beiwacht and what comes next

An increase in prize money to seven figures assured that it would eventually become a highly respected race again and, after being run as a Listed race in 2005, it was a Group 3 once and a Group 2 twice before becoming a Group 1 in 2009, with Denman its first winner as an elite-level contest.

He is one of the 15 winners since that time to go on to stand at stud and, with the Golden Rose a race studmasters are more than happy to have on the resume of stallion prospects, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the records of those horses.

Denman sets the standard

It was the fifth success in a run of six wins for Denman when he won the 2009 Golden Rose. He raced another six times, winning the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes at his next outing before putting together another three-race winning streak the following summer, including the Group 2 Autumn Stakes.

Retired from stud duties last year, the handsome son of Lonhro sired 18 stakes winners, with his best-performed son being Hong Kong Group 1 winner Hot King Prawn. He began his stud career at a fee of $38,500, which had fallen to $8,800 by the end of his stint.

The flashy chestnut Toorak Toff won the 2010 Golden Rose, with his next victory coming in the following year's Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. The sire of three stakes winners, he last served mares in 2023 at a fee of $3,300, having kicked off his stud career at $16,500.

After gelding Manawanui won the race in 2011, Epaulette became the next future stallion to claim the Golden Rose in 2012. At his following start he took out the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude before adding the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 the following year.

Exported to Turkey in 2021, where 30 of his first 74 runners have won, Epaulette stood in Australia at fees between $22,000 and $27,500. Soqrat, Daumier and Red Lark are amongst his 15 stakes winners, giving him an international Group 1 footprint across South Africa, Australia and America.

Zoustar leads the next wave

The second Golden Rose winner to subsequently be crowned Champion Sire, after Flying Spur, was Zoustar, whose 2013 success was followed by victories in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes and Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.

Debuting at a fee of $44,000 and standing for $275,000 since 2024, the Widden Stud-based son of Northern Meteor has 11 Group 1 winners amongst his 82 stakes winners.

He is yet to sire a Golden Rose winner, though Zousain came agonisingly close when nabbed on the line by stablemate The Autumn Sun in 2018, and Zoustar is not represented by a runner in Saturday's edition.

The 2014 winner Hallowed Crown added the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes and Group 1 Randwick Guineas to his resume before retiring to stud at $33,000.

Retired from stud duties after serving his final book of mares at $8,800 last spring, he has sired seven stakes winners, headed by dual Group 1 winner Colette.

Exosphere, Astern and Trapeze Artist

A second Golden Rose winner for the mighty Lonhro, Exosphere won the 2015 edition before taking out the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes at his next start.

His initial fee of $27,500 had fallen to $6,600 when he died in Queensland two years ago. Skybird and Headley Grange are his two Group 1 winners amongst 11 stakes winners.

The 2016 Golden Rose was the last of five victories for Astern, the Darley-bred and raced colt who returned home to stand at a fee of $38,500.

His fee fell to $11,000 before climbing back to $22,000 and then dropping to $16,500 prior to his move to Turkey early last year.

Nineteen of his progeny have won stakes races, including Group 1 performers Golden Mile and Affaire A Suivre.

One of three Golden Rose winners on the Widden Stud roster, 2017 hero Trapeze Artist went on to win another four races, three of those at Group 1 level — the T.J. Smith Stakes, All Aged Stakes and Canterbury Stakes.

The descendant of Phar Lap's full sister Raphis debuted at a fee of $88,000 and stands for $27,500 this year. He has sired 12 stakes winners, including Group 1 winners Griff and Panova.

The Autumn Sun and Bivouac

The Autumn Sun had been beaten only once when he contested the 2018 Golden Rose, which he won a few weeks before heading to Melbourne to add the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas to his impressive resume.

He raced another three times and won them all, including the Group 1 Randwick Guineas and Rosehill Guineas.

Bred by Arrowfield Stud, he returned there to stand at an initial fee of $77,000. As the sire of reigning Australian Horse of the Year Autumn Glow — one of his five Group 1 winners and 11 stakes winners — it is hardly surprising that his fee has increased, with breeders supporting him this year doing so at $137,500.

golden rose piece — The Autumn Sun, ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, wins the 2018 Golden Rose. (Getty)

It was a third Danehill-line winner in a row when Bivouac succeeded in 2019 and another Golden Rose victory for Darley, who stood him for $66,000 in his first season. His fee is down to $33,000 this season.

Bivouac went on to win another two Group 1 races, the Newmarket Handicap and VRC Sprint Classic, while the son of Exceed And Excel has already sired eight stakes winners from his first two crops of racing age.

Two of those are Group 1 winners — Fireball Miss and last year's Golden Rose hero Beiwacht.

Ole Kirk and the next generation

At his next start after winning the 2020 Golden Rose, Ole Kirk — whose dam is a full sister to Black Caviar — took out the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas.

He retired to Vinery Stud at a fee of $55,000 and now stands for double that amount at $110,000. He sired seven stakes winners from his first crop, with his first Group 1 winner being Thousand Guineas heroine Ole Dancer.

The 2021 Golden Rose was the third of three victories for In The Congo, who is due to have his first runners this season.

The Newgate Farm-based son of Snitzel stood for $33,000 in his first year and is now available at $22,000.

The third Widden-based Golden Rose winner is Jacquinot, whose 2022 success was his second of five victories. The son of Rubick went on to take out the Group 3 Manfred Stakes and Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes.

Also due to have his first runners soon, Jacquinot stood his first season at $33,000 and is now priced at $19,800.

Militarize's brief stud career

The following year's winner Militarize had a short-lived stint at stud.

Standing at a fee of $38,500, the three-time Group 1 winner experienced severe fertility issues and was eventually gelded and put back into work.

His only crop is an extremely small one, with just five yearlings — four fillies and one colt — making his time at stud one of the more unusual chapters among Golden Rose winners of the Group 1 era.

Broadsiding, Beiwacht and what comes next

At a fee of $66,000, 2024 Golden Rose winner Broadsiding proved popular when retired to stud last spring, serving 160 mares, with 29 foals already returned to the stud book.

Darley also won last year's Golden Rose with Bivouac's son Beiwacht and, having since added another two Group 1 victories — including the recent Memsie Stakes — he is another winner who appears destined to attract considerable interest when his own time at stud arrives.

From Denman through to Beiwacht, the Golden Rose has increasingly developed into more than simply one of the spring's major three-year-old races.

For colts with stallion aspirations it has become an increasingly valuable race to have on the resume, and the records of its winners at stud show just how significant a Golden Rose victory can become long after their racing careers are over.