Atlas Stallions is pleased to have acquired Spill The Beans for the 2018 breeding season in partnership with Aquis Farms Australia. Spill The Beans will be standing at the prestigious National Stud in Newmarket. As the first son of the outstanding Snitzel, the current Australasian Champion Sire, to stand at Stud in Europe, Spill The Beans can also boast two other Champion sires in his pedigree, with his Grand Sire Redoute’s Choice being a 3 time Champion and his Grand Grand Sire Danehill being crowned Champion a record 9 times.
Bred and raced by the famous Arrowfield Stud, Spill The Beans had the all-important natural ability to match his well-constructed stallion’s pedigree. He is out of ‘Miss Dodwell’, who was a winner at 2, and comes from the family of Champion 2 Year Old ‘Bounding Away’ and the legendary Group 1 winner ‘Speak Fondly’. Jon Freyer, Bloodstock Manager at Arrowfield Stud said:
‘’Spill The Beans was a highly talented, good looking son of Snitzel. He had dazzling early pace, a high cruising speed and great tenacity. Sound and genuine he has all the attributes owners, trainers and breeders most admire.’’
• Undefeated as a 2 Year Old
• Multiple Group winner at 3, including the Group 2 QTC Cup (6.5F)
• Winner of 5 of his 11 starts and placed a further 4 times
• Total earnings of $560,700
• Beat Group 1 winners such as Pride Of Dubai, Stratum Star and Holler
• Most popular first season sire in 2016 covering over 200 mares
• Champion Sire 2016/2017 season
• Equalled the record of 26 stakes winners in a season set by his Grand Sire Danehill
• Son of 3 time Champion sire Redoute’s Choice
• Sire of 12 Group 1 winners and 68 stakes winners in total• 3rd generation in his sire line to be crowned Champion Sire
Atlas Stallions was established in 2017, with the aim of bringing quality sire lines from overseas to the United Kingdom.
For decades horses from the UK have shuttled all around the world, but rarely do horses reverse shuttle to the UK. Exceed and Excel was an outstanding performer in Australia and has been reverse shuttling throughout his career at stud between to the UK from Australia, having considerable success in both Hemispheres, with the likes of Group 1 winners Excelebration in the Northern Hemisphere and Helmet in the Southern Hemisphere. He is one of few foreign horses accessible to European breeders, we hope to change this.
In our first year this year we have partnered with Aquis Farms Australia and The National Stud to bring the first son of Snitzel, Spill The Beans, to European breeders. We want to bring the best bred and best looking horses from abroad and in Spill The Beans we have started very strongly.
Aged 28, Billy has spent the last 8 years working both in the UK and abroad. Starting his career in racing opening doors at Tattersalls for bloodstock agent James Delahooke he moved onto to work at Hascombe and Valiant Stud, breeders of Golden Horn and Cracksman among other greats.
After a successful spell at Hascombe and Valiant Billy spent 2 years as pupil assistant with Olly Stevens at the Qatar Racing owned Robins Farm where he was involved with Royal Ascot 2 year old winner Extortionist and Flying Childers winner Green Door. From Olly’s he went on to be assistant trainer for Ralph Beckett for 2 years, being involved with Group 1 performer’s Talent, Secret Gesture and most famously Simple Verse.
Following on from Ralph’s, he went on to be assistant to Godolphin in Australia, where under John O’Shea he enjoyed multiple Group 1 successes and eventually ended up in charge of their Melbourne Stable. But it was here in Australia where his interest in sprint racing and precocious stallions was unearthed, with speed being the name of the game in Australia and the pinnacle being to win The Golden Slipper. Billy spent much of his time on the Godolphin studs and touring around Scone and Victoria on stallion tours gathering information and looking at potential targets. With the aid of Mckeever/Ferguson Bloodstock Atlas Stallions was formed.