During the golden era of Western Australian breeding, few names shone brighter than Beau Sovereign. Standing at Glenn and Kathy Money’s Coral Park Stud in North Dandalup, this champion stallion helped redefine the standards of local bloodstock.
In the 1981–82 season, Beau Sovereign topped the WA Sires’ List with $437,995 in prize money, outperforming notable rivals like Jungle Boy, Zvornik, and Haulpak. He also ranked 13th nationally—a remarkable feat for a WA-based stallion. His dominance extended across multiple seasons, claiming the leading sire title in 1979–80 and 1983–84, and consistently placing in the top four until 1984–85, when The West Australian ceased publishing the rankings.
A son of the influential Sovereign Edition, Beau Sovereign’s first crop was extraordinary: 19 winners and two place-getters from 22 foals to race. His stud fee? Just $600 with a live foal guarantee—a stark contrast to today’s fees that soar into the tens of thousands. Dry mares boarded for $5 a week, wet mares for $7.50, making Coral Park a hub of accessible excellence.
Originally purchased for $30,000 from owner Harry Stokes, Beau Sovereign was initially owned in partnership by the Moneys and Irwin Hunter. Hunter later sold his share to Ray Jones and bookmaker Bob Howett, before the Moneys took full ownership.
Had Beau Sovereign retired in today’s racing climate, he would likely have stood at elite studs like Coolmore or Darley. His racing career, though brief, was brilliant. He won the 1971 Caulfield Guineas, defeating Tolerance and Trifling in what is widely regarded as a stallion-making race—previous winners include Redoute’s Choice, Lonhro, and Luskin Star.
Rated the third-best colt on the New Zealand two-year-old Free Handicap, Beau Sovereign impressed with wins in the AURC Breeders’ Plate and Waikato RC Tamahere Juvenile Handicap, and placings in the Eclipse Stakes and Great Northern Foal Stakes.
In Australia, he claimed the VRC Exford Handicap and the Moonee Valley Stakes (now the Bill Stutt Stakes), and ran a gallant third in the Cox Plate behind Tauto and Igloo, despite interference. He also placed in the William Reid Stakes, finishing behind legends Dual Choice and Baguette.
Injury cut short his racing career at just four years old, with a record of 6 wins, 2 seconds, and 2 thirds from 14 starts, earning $45,465. But his legacy was only beginning.
It was Kathy Money who first spotted Beau Sovereign in a photo of his Caulfield Guineas win and urged Glenn to consider him as a sire. The stallion’s striking looks—muscular build and noble head—were passed down to his progeny. Despite his lineage’s reputation for difficult temperaments, Beau Sovereign was gentle, once found sleeping side-by-side with Glenn during a bout of colic.
He sired 472 named foals, with 378 starters and 262 winners (69.3%), including 24 stakes winners (6.3%). His standout progeny included:
- Asian Beau (pictured below)– WA sprinting legend, winner of the Prince Of Wales, Winterbottom, Lee-Steere, Railway, Hyperion, and Australia Day Stakes.
- Palace Reign – Winner of the 1992 Caulfield Guineas, 1993 Memsie Stakes, and J.J. Feehan Stakes.
- Polo Player, Dark Beau, Sovereign Lady, and many more.
Beau Sovereign’s sons—Palace Reign, Asian Beau, Intrepid Flyer, Sophistocrat, Sydney Beau, and Top Operator—stood at stud in WA, continuing his influence.
Though his fertility waned later in life, Beau Sovereign remained a valuable broodmare sire. He passed away at 22 years of age, leaving behind a legacy that shaped WA racing for generations.
