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Eric Lucas, an Australian Thoroughbred aficionado who dedicated three decades to the Japanese racing scene and co-owned the international Gr. 1 winner Panthalassa, continues to support the stallion he holds in high regard. Lucas, who is now semi-retired and maintains broodmares across Australia, Japan, and Europe, has chosen to retain his share in Panthalassa, the Yulong-owned stallion set for his first Southern Hemisphere season.
Panthalassa, trained by Yoshio Yahagi, enjoyed a distinguished racing career spanning five seasons and 27 starts, with notable victories including the 2022 Gr.1 Dubai Turf and the 2023 Gr.1 Saudi Cup. The stallion will stand at Yulong’s Victorian operation near Nagambie.
Joining Panthalassa in Melbourne for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season are other Japan-based stallions: Admire Mars and Maurice, who will stand at Arrowfield Stud; Woodside Park Stud’s Benbatl; and Rich Hill Stud’s Satono Aladdin. The stallions arrived in Melbourne on July 16 and are expected to complete their quarantine period by August 3.
Lucas is committed to utilizing all available nominations for Panthalassa in both his inaugural and future seasons at stud. He envisions breeding a top-class Gr.1 Guineas and Cox Plate contender from his esteemed sire.
"He did a lot of racing at 2, he won every year that he raced and he was really in the peak form of his career in the last year that he was at the track, so the fact that he had some precocity, combined with his ability to stay, (makes him an appealing stud prospect),"
Lucas told ANZ Bloodstock News. "He's got deep stamina but the thing that I think is really interesting about him in Australia is, he had tremendous speed and the sectionals that he ran are just in a different league to most of the staying horses that have come to Australia, and stood at stud down here."
Lucas raced Panthalassa in collaboration with the Hiroo Racing Club, a Japanese syndicate he has been involved with for nearly a decade.
While the Australian owner and breeder is aware of the commercial aspects of racing, his true passion lies in the dream of breeding and racing a classic winner.
"I like to breed not necessarily or even mainly with a view of sales ring success, although I do sell horses commercially, and you have to, but I am always interested in trying to produce an individual, especially one that can get over a little bit of ground," Lucas said.
"I am an old-school racing person. I am less interested in six-furlong racing than I am in getting horses that can win over 3-year-old classic distances from a mile to a mile-and-a-half and that's why the Panthalassa story is so exciting for me."
He added: "I think he'll go very well with Australian mares physically because ... I wouldn't say he's light, but he's not a big horse.
"He's very athletic and very strong and I think he'll put some quality into some of the larger, well-muscled Australian mares that maybe could do with a little bit more quality and length of rein."
Panthalassa, one of three Lord Kanaloa sires on the Yulong roster in 2024, will stand for an introductory fee of AU$16,500 (inc GST).