Millstream Farm’s well performed young stallion Ato has made a pleasing start to his stud career, despite being represented by a relatively small first crop (now three-year-olds).
To date, Ato has been represented by just 19 runners, but of these, eight have won and they include Chijmes –who beat subsequent G1 Gbets Cape Derby winner Atyaab when he won the Listed Sea Cottage Stakes back in January.

The G1 winning Ato was back in the news this weekend, when his three-year-old son Sygone romped home to a 3.5 length win in the G3 Zimbabwe Guineas at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.
Bred by Maine Chance Farms (who bred Ato himself), the Bridget Stidolph trained Sygone took his tally of wins to three as he drew clear under Collen Storey to win Sunday’s 1600m contest as he liked.

Out of the Victory Moon mare Sky Pirate, Sygone had captured the ZPCS Goodwill Trust Charity Jacaranda Free Handicap earlier in the season.

His sire Ato was a superb athlete, and Singapore’s Champion 4YO of 2012. The striking bay won or placed in 18 of his 25 outings, with Ato recording a career high when downing an international field to land the 2012 G1 Krisflyer International Sprint by a length and a half.

From the same male line as Silvano, Ato is one of more than 160 stakes winners sired by G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Royal Academy –a multiple champion sire in Brazil, whose notable international G1 winners included Val Royal (Breeder’s Cup Mile), Oscar Schindler (Irish St Leger –twice), Carmine Lake (Prix de l’Abbaye), Zalaiyka (French 1000 Guineas), Sleepytime (1000 Guineas) –and Hong Kong champion Bullish Luck.