First foal this season is already a winner

Mungrup Stud, one of WA's biggest thoroughbred breeders, has welcomed its first foal of the new season, which was delivered safely on Monday morning at the property near the Porongurup Range.

All thoroughbred horses in the Southern Hemisphere turn a year older on August 1, which also marks the official start of the new foaling season.

Although some foals are born before August 1, Mungrup Stud delivered their first newborn at 8am on Monday with the help of studmaster Claire Dawson and chief midwife Jan Williamson.

The filly is by Dick Turpin, a dual Group 1-winning horse, and out of About Even.

Dick Turpin is returning to Mungrup after serving at the English National Stud in the Northern Hemisphere season, and he has notched two winners and five placegetters from his first two-year-olds to race in the UK.

This foal is also part of the new Westspeed Platinum scheme, of which Dick Turpin is a nominated sire, boosting the prize money for which the thoroughbred can race.

Mungrup is expecting about 150 new foals to be born in the season, which stretches from August until December, giving the staff plenty of sleepless nights.

The foals will go on to be sold at yearling sales in Perth on their way to becoming racehorses.

Mungrup Stud's Ann Croucher said it looked like being another fantastic crop of foals this season.

"We've got here Oratorio who is the leading two-year-old and three-year-old sire in WA," Croucher said.

"He also produced champion two-year-old Lucky Street.

"We also have a new sire, Playing God, here and we are expecting his first foals any day, which is exciting as well."

Mungrup Stud has thoroughbreds ready to race, including two-year-olds, available to purchase all year round for any interested parties.