An impressive stallion at 16.2 hands, D’Argento has produced the likes of Statuario (Group 1 runner-up), Rag Queen (Group 1 raced), and listed winner Silver Dagger.
The Australian thoroughbred landscape is witnessing the rapid emergence of a new force in the stallion ranks: D’Argento.
The Group 1-winning son of the recently deceased champion sire So You Think is not merely following in his father’s footsteps; he is carving out a highly distinctive and successful path, particularly through the remarkable results of his progeny in recent times.
With the profound loss of So You Think, whose influence shaped the middle-distance and staying ranks for over a decade, the focus has inevitably shifted to his sons at stud. Among them, D’Argento, standing at Bowness Stud, is distinguishing himself with a rare combination of quantity and quality in his runners, proving to be the heir apparent in siring high-class black-type performers early in his career.
D’Argento retired to stud in 2020 after a stellar career that included victory in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas and placings in elite races such as the Epsom Handicap (G1) and the Winx Stakes (Warwick Stakes) (G1), where he competed against champions like Hartnell and the legendary Winx. His race record of four wins and four placings from just 14 starts, earning over $1.1 million, showcased his versatility and class.
Now, as a sire, his statistics are compelling:
• He has sired 56 progeny to race, yielding 22 individual winners—a strong 39.0% winners-to-runners ratio.
• Total progeny earnings have soared past the $2.2 million mark.
• Crucially for a young stallion, his black-type production is outstanding: 1 Stakes Winner and an exceptional 5 Stakes Placegetters.
This means D’Argento has produced 6 individual stakes performers from his first crop to race. This density compares favourably with almost any contemporary young stallion and is unmatched among the current Australian-based sons of So You Think.
Leading the charge for D’Argento is the talented gelding STATUARIO (3 wins, $434,465). Statuario’s impressive recent campaign culminated in a victory in the Listed MRC Galilee Series Final, followed by a brave second-place finish in the prestigious Group 1 South Australian Derby.
This performance alone provided a massive boost to his sire’s profile, confirming D’Argento’s ability to inject both class and stamina into his progeny. However, Statuario is far from an isolated success.
The stallion’s versatility is highlighted by a diverse group of stakes performers across various distances and age groups:
• The filly Silver Dagger captured the Listed TRC Thousand Guineas, demonstrating classic distance potential.
• All Kinds of Folk showed significant promise with a second in the Group 3 SAJC Auraria S. and a fourth in the Group 2 VRC Edward Manifold S.• The speedy two-year-old filly Rag Queen banked over $284,000, placing third in the rich Restricted Listed Inglis 2YO Millennium and running fourth in the Group 3 Gloaming S.
• Silva ‘n’ Suave claimed a Group 3 placing in the SCTC Ken Russell Memorial Classic, underscoring the stallion’s ability to get sharp juveniles.
• Another two-year-old, Sequista, placed third in the Restricted Listed Inglis Nursery, continuing the strong juvenile performance.
• Silver Lifestyle was fourth in the Listed SAJC HC Nitschke S., adding to the list of near misses at stakes level.
The momentum D’Argento has built in recent weeks is palpable. The stallion has been in prolific form, recently recording a remarkable nine individual race winners within a single month [or recent period], a statistic that would make any farm manager sit up and take notice.
This hot streak was encapsulated by a recent winner’s double across the country. First, It’s Only Magic broke his maiden at Strathalbyn. Hours later, the filly Ladies Pro delivered an eye-catching performance on debut at Belmont, coming from well back to sweep past the favourite and win by nearly two lengths.
Speaking after the win, Jocelyn Daly of Bowness Stud emphasised the timeliness of D’Argento’s success.
“With Coolmore announcing the devastating news this week of the loss of So You Think, we know how fortunate we are to stand one of his Group 1-winning sons at stud, and with nine race winners so far this month, we’re excited to see his third crop of 2yos race in the coming months.”
Ladies Pro was an astute $45,000 purchase by Williams Racing and Suman Hedge Bloodstock. Her victory further validates the quality D’Argento is injecting, and her pedigree, being out of a Pierro mare from the family of Group 1 winners Universal Prince and Krone, highlights the successful genetic blends his progeny possess.
So You Think’s legacy is carried by several sons, but D’Argento is rapidly asserting himself as the most potent commercial option right now in terms of immediate high-class results. While other emerging sons of So You Think may have achieved Stakes Winner status, D’Argento’s six individual stakes performers set him apart.
His ability to produce a Group 1-placed Derby contender (Statuario), combined with multiple other Listed and Group 3-placed runners across a spectrum of distances, indicates a sire capable of upgrading his mares and stamping his foals with his own high-end class.
His pedigree, being out of a Listed-winning Redoute’s Choice mare (Fullazz), introduces potent speed and precocity into the So You Think line, a crucial factor for success in the Australian market. This genetic blend—the stamina of High Chaparral/So You Think with the speed of Redoute’s Choice—is clearly delivering results on the track.
Currently standing at an accessible fee of $16,500 (inc. GST), D’Argento presents exceptional value. His rapid rise, marked by consistent winners and a growing portfolio of black-type athletes, signals that he is not just a young stallion with promise, but a proven sire already delivering at the highest levels. As his progeny mature and his early crops move into the lucrative three and four-year-old ranks, D’Argento looks poised to become a true powerhouse of the Australian breeding scene.
– Tully Potts
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