Darryl Sherer
This season 10 new stallions will commence stud duties in New Zealand offering breeders a wide range of exciting proven bloodlines. With a European Champion Sprinter, three Derby winners, a New Zealand Champion Three-Year-Old and TwoYear-Old, in the mix, there is plenty of variety on offer and with only one stud fee in excess of $10,000 and a couple of incentives available there is something for every breeder in the country. We contacted each stud master and asked them about why they thought their stallion would appeal to New Zealand breeders and what type of mares, both physically and genetically would suit their stallions. In addition, Andrew Stewart from Arion Pedigrees has supplied data on each horse to provide accurate statistics to help assist in your decision making.
ACE HIGH (AUS) 2014 BLACK OR BROWN (HIGH CHAPARRAL-COME SUNDAY BY REDOUTE’S CHOICE) RICH HILL STUD $10,000 PLUS GST John Thompson of Rich Hill Stud is delighted to be standing a son of High Chaparral who had so much success at stud when he stood in New Zealand. “He is a dual group one winner and has a similar race record to a number of other horses that have been successful when they have stood here,” Thompson said. “He had good two-year-old form and then went on to be a good three-yearold winning the Spring Champion Stakes and going on to win the VRC Derby. That’s not an easy achievement – Zabeel tried it and so did Dundeel, only four horses have been able to do it.
“Ace High really has a fantastic pedigree that will go well with our mares. His dam is by Redoute’s Choice out of a Sunday Silence mare they are both great bloodlines. He is one of the most exciting stallions we have brought here.
“That’s the beauty of this horse. He is going to click with so many mares. We know that the Zabeel – High Chaparral cross works, and he will go well with our Pentire mares. “Physically being a strong horse, he will cross well with Green Desert mares and Mr Prospector genes will click with him, He is an ideal pedigree for a number of mares.”
Ace High was sold at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast January Yearling Sale for A$130,000 to trainer David Payne.
A winner at his final start at two after earlier finishing fourth in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes at Randwick, Ace High put together a sequence of three victories in the spring of his three-year-old career, the last two the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick and Group 1 Victoria Derby at Flemington.
Returning in the autumn he was unlucky not to add the Group 1 Australian Derby to his record, going down by a narrow margin to Levendi. He added the Group 2 Hill Stakes at four and ended the racing part of his career with five wins and four placings from 28 starts and stakes earnings of A$2,269,325. One of 129 black type winners and 23 Group 1 winners by High Chaparral, Ace High is out of a Redoute’s Choice halfsister to black type winners Winner’s Way, That’s a Good Idea and Kneeling.
His third dam, the dual Listed winner Lady’s Delight is a half-sister to four black type winners while his fourth dam is a half-sister to the dam of champion sire Danehill. High Chaparral, the winner of 10 of his 13 starts, won the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster at two and was named champion Three-Year-Old Stayer in Great Britain and Ireland after winning both the English and Irish Derby, the Breeders’ Cup Turf and finishing third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the Ballydoyle stable of Aidan O’Brien. He returned at four to win the Irish Champion Stakes and repeat his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, albeit in a deadheat with Johar. Retired to stud in 2004, he shuttled to Windsor Park Stud in Cambridge for four seasons before his relocation to Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley.
High Chaparral died in 2014 and Ace High will be one of his last group one winners to retire to stud. High Chaparral has nicked well with mares by Danehill (15% stakes winner to runners) and his sons Danehill Dancer and Fastnet Rock, as well as mares by Zabeel and Cape Cross. Ace High is bred on the same Sadler’s Wells x Danehill cross as 2019 English Derby winner Anthony van Dyck's, 2019 Irish Derby winner Sovereign and Waikato Stud’s All Aged Stakes victor Tivaci.
ARDROSSAN (AUS) 2014 BAY (REDOUTE’S CHOICE-MISS ARGYLE BY IGLESIA) WAIKATO STUD $8,000 PLUS GST Ardrossan was purchased by Bruce Perry Bloodstock out the 2016 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for a group of New Zealand breeders including Waikato Stud, JML Bloodstock, Jomara Bloodstock, Jamieson Bloodstock, and Brown Thoroughbreds, with the plan to stand him at stud if his race performance warranted it.
That same group of shareholders are backing their judgement now by standing him at stud and will be supporting him with around 60 mares of their own. According to Bruce Perry they are hoping this will give the horse a good advantage.
The shareholders will be looking to sell the yearlings commercially but also making sure they retain a significant number to race in Australia to develop the horse into a highly commercial stallion.
Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick believes that if Adrossan’s progeny are anything like him he will be an ideal stallion for the local market. “He should do well given his pedigree, his physique, his type, his performance and racing ability,” according to Chittick.
“He’s such a good type with such a good turn of foot if he passes on one hundred per cent of his best, he will leave breeders a good-looking horse that can gallop.”
Ardrossan was unbeaten in two starts at two including the Listed Star Way Stakes at Te Rapa. He had an injury interrupted three and four-year-old season racing in Australia but won a further two races from seven starts including the Group 3 Concorde at Ellerslie and finished third in the Group 1 Waikato Sprint behind Melody Belle and Bostonian on his return to New Zealand.
He retires with a record of four wins from 9 starts and stake earnings of NZ$112,000 and A$20,600. Ardrossan is one of 166 black type winners by Redoute’s Choice, the sire of 34 Group One winners. Ardrossan is a half-brother to black type winners Bergerac, the winner of eight including the Listed Bernborough Handicap at Doomben, and Cheyenne Warrior, the winner of four in Australia and Singapore including the Listed Gold Sovereign Stakes in Tasmania.
Their dam, the Listed Gimcrack Stakes runner up Miss Argyle, is a sister to Diamondsontheinside, a black type winner of 15, and a half-sister to the dams of Queensland Guineas winner Express Air and this season’s Queen Adelaide Stakes winner Heaven’s Deal. Redoute’s Choice, Australia’s champion three-year-old miler in 1999-2000, won five of his 10 starts from 1100m to 1600m including the Blue Diamond Stakes, Caulfield Guineas and CF Orr Stakes, all Group 1 events run at Caulfield, as well as the Group 1 Manikato Stakes run at Moonee Valley.
He was also Group 1 placed in the Australia Stakes, Futurity Stakes and Vic Health Cup and in his only unplaced run stretched out to 2000m when running fifth behind Sunline in the WS Cox Plate.
Retired to stud in 2000 at Arrowfield Stud in the Hunter Valley, Redoute’s Choice shuttled to France in 2013 for two seasons, he passed away in 2018. His sire sons include champion sires Snitzel and Not a Single Doubt, Stratum, Little Avondale Stud’s Nadeem, Beneteau and Bradbury’s Luck. Redoute’s Choice has nicked well with mares by Zabeel and his sire Sir Tristram, Last Tycoon (10 SW from 36 rnrs), Encosta de Lago and Hussonet (31% stakes winners to runners).
Ardrossan is bred on the same Danehill x Semipalatinsk cross as five- time Group 1 winner Black Heart Bart.
EMBELLISH 2014 BROWN (SAVABEEL-BLING BY O’REILLY) CAMBRIDGE STUD $5,000 PLUS GST. According to Cambridge Stud CEO Henry Plumptre the Cambridge Stud factor is a big part of Embellish being there at stud.
“He is a great-grandson of Sir Tristram and a grandson of Zabeel, so we are continuing the line, it’s an extremely successful line really it is the most dominant line in New Zealand if not the Southern Hemisphere,” he enthused.
“It’s very much a home-grown pedigree being by Savabeel out of an O’Reilly mare – a classic cross, a proven cross, and has worked really well.
“On his day Embellish was a very good racehorse a group one winner of the 2000 Guineas we never really saw the best of him after he got hurt in Australia.”
When it comes to his pedigree, Plumptre said he is a bit of an all-rounder.
“With a couple of home-grown stallions Savabeel and O’Reilly, I would look to stay away from those two stallions. Both those stallions have been very successful with Sadler’s Wells and Danehill who has been the backbone of breeding in the southern hemisphere.
I think he’ll cross well with those mares. “He is a lovely big horse and a nice type he should put size into those shorter leg Danehill mares and cross well with Encosta de Lago mares.
I wouldn’t think he would be a hard horse to match up with and I wouldn’t be surprised if he throws a really good type,” he concluded.
Embellish becomes the eighth New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner to retire to stud in New Zealand this century, joining successful sires Darci Brahma and the recently exported Jimmy Choux and new boys Turn Me Loose, Sacred Falls and Rock’n’Pop among others.
He retires with a race record of three wins from 10 starts and stake earnings of NZ$476,185 and A$23,000 and being voted equal head of the New Zealand 3YO Free Handicap. After placing second at his only start at two, he reeled off three consecutive wins in the spring of his three-year-old campaign culminating in his 1 ½ length victory over stablemate Age of Fire in the 2000 Guineas.
Returning in the autumn he was runner up to Scott Base in the Karaka 3YO Million before finishing just out of the placings in two runs in Melbourne. Only the second son of Savabeel to retire to stud in New Zealand after What’s the Story in 2018, Embellish is one of 89 black type winners and 18 Group 1 winners for his sire.
A NZ$775,000 yearling purchase by David Ellis at the 2016 NZ Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, Embellish is a brother to Group 1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes winner Diademe, who recently sold for A$1.7 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, Listed placed Deadly Shadow and a halfbrother to Listed placed Roop All.
He is closely related to New Zealand Champion Sprinter Sacred Star and Spring Champion Stakes victor Vanbrugh. A winner at two over 1000m, Savabeel won the Group 1 double of the WS Cox Plate at Moonee Valley and Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick as a three-year-old and was also Group 1 placed in the Victoria Derby and Champagne Stakes.
Retired to stud in 2005 at Waikato Stud in Matamata, he has wrapped up his fifth consecutive New Zealand General Sire Premiership along with his fourth consecutive Dewar Trophy and Centaine Award, giving him the clean sweep of New Zealand stallion awards for the last four years.
Unsurprisingly Savabeel has had great success with daughters of former Waikato Stud residents O’Reilly (12 SW), Pins (10 SW) and Danasinga. He also has 31% SW to runners with mares by Flying Spur and 23% with Carnegie mares. Embellish is one of those 12 black type winners bred on the Savabeel x O’Reilly cross along with his sister Diademe, New Zealand Oaks victor Savaria and Herbie Dyke Stakes winner Costume.
EMINENT (IRE) 2014 BAY (FRANKEL-YOU’LL BE MINE BY KINGMAMBO) BRIGHTHILL FARM $8,000 PLUS GST European Group 2 winner Eminent becomes the first son of Frankel to stand at stud in Australasia when he retires to Brighthill Farm this coming season.
And this has Nick King pretty excited. “Not only he is the first son of Frankel to stand at stud in Australasia, but he was a high quality three-year-old racehorse,” King said.
“He is a really good looking individual and fits a lot of bills. We are chuffed to have him.
“Frankel was such an amazing racehorse and is turning out to be an incredible sire, he is already the sire of 34 Group winners and in record time, and with his pedigree, it’s also a good way to access that incredible Galileo line.
“I guess that with all these types of stallions with Galileo being such a dominant sire line we should look to horses that have crossed well with that. Frankel has crossed well with Sadler’s Wells despite the fact he has two strains himself.
“He will definitely cross well with Mr Prospector line mares and we are looking to the Nureyev line to trace back to that wonderful mare Special. We can get this through Zabeel.
“He is a lovely imposing horse physically, so he is going to suit a lot of mares.”
After winning his only start at two, Eminent opened his three-year-old campaign with a comfortable win over Group 1 winners Rivet and Benbatl in the Group 3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket. Going off as third favourite in the 2000 Guineas, he finished just behind the placegetters in sixth before a fourthplace finish, beaten by just over a length, in the English Derby and a fifth in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.
Taken across the channel to France, Eminent downed a smart field which included Godolphin’s rising star Avilius in the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano over 2000m at Deauville before ending the year with a third in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. Lightly tried in Great Britain at four, Eminent then travelled to Australia where first up he almost stole the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes at Randwick, only being run down late by the afore-mentioned Avilius.
He retires to stud with a race record of three wins and two placings from 14 starts. A £150,000 yearling purchase at the 2015 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Eminent is a son of Group 1 placed You’ll be Mine, a half-sister to Diamondsandrubies, winner of the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at Curragh. His grandam, the Irish champion twoyear-old filly Quarter Moon, is a sister to Irish 1000 Guineas victor Yesterday and group placed All My Loving and Hold Me Love Me.
Further down the page we find Group 1 winners Aussie Rules, Coronet, Allegretto, Albanova and Alborada. Eminent’s sire Frankel was crowned Horse of the Year in Europe in 2011 and 2012 and retired to stud unbeaten in 14 starts, 10 at Group 1 level. His results in the breeding barn have been just as outstanding with a strike rate of 17% stakes winners to runners, 44 black type winners in total to date, eight of them at Group 1 level including champions Cracksman and Soul Stirring.
Eminent is bred on the same Galileo/ Kingmambo cross that gave us the 2018 Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter.
HOWARD BE THY NAME (AUS) 2012 BAY BY REDOUTE’S CHOICE-BELLINI ROSE BY FALTAAT) GRASSYARDS $5,000 PLUS GST One of two sons of Redoute’s Choice to enter stud in New Zealand in 2019, Howard Be Thy Name’s best performance on the track came at the end of a four-race winning streak when winning the Group 1 South Australian Derby at Morphettville.
He will stand at Grassyards, Mosgiel near the famous White Robe Lodge. Grassyards is the family farm of Jason and Charlotte Coutts and their sons, Felix, Noah and Quinn. Charlotte is well known in equestrian circles in New Zealand, and they are known pony breeders who have decided to chance their luck with thoroughbreds.
“We are hugely into horses and thoroughbreds are now the last part of our equation we have a good environment here, and farming is our forte’” explained Jason Coutts when asked about Grasslands and Howard Be Thy Name.
“The fact that Howard Be Thy Name is a Group one winner by Redoute’s Choice has to be a big tick for the South Island, and he is one of the last group one winning sons of Redoute’s Choice to go to stud.
“As well he is out of a group two winning mare and I think that the incentives we are offering to breeders will help them make the decision to actually breed a mare especially in the South Island. We are putting up $60,000 that’s $30,000 for the first breeder who breeds a twoyear-old winner and another $30,000 for the breeder who breeds the first threeyear-old winner.
“As we know the industry is struggling so we are trying to offer something to keep people pushing on until it sorts itself out,” he said. “I think a broad range of mares will suit the horse, especially mares by O’Reilly, Coat’s Choice and Stravinsky there is enough confidence from what we have seen in Australia with Redoute’s Choice for him to put speed into New Zealand mares.
Out of dividend bearing place only once at three, that being a fourth place finish in the Queensland Derby, Howard Be Thy Name also won the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes and Listed Port Adelaide Guineas, finished runner up in the Listed Tasmanian Derby and third in the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes at Doomben.
On retirement his race record stood at five wins and eight placings from 23 starts and stake earnings of A$615,540. One of 166 black type winners and 34 Group 1 winners by Redoute’s Choice, Howard Be Thy Name was bred by Watson Bloodstock and carries the Westbury Stud brand. One of two winners for his dam, the Group 2 winning Faltaat mare Bellini Rose, he descends from the family developed over many years by Pencarrow Stud of Group 1 winners Darci Brahma, Ethereal and Stony Bay.
Redoute’s Choice, Australia’s champion three-year-old miler in 1999-2000, won five of his 10 starts from 1100m to 1600m including the Blue Diamond Stakes, Caulfield Guineas and CF Orr Stakes, all Group 1 events run at Caulfield, as well as the Group 1 Manikato Stakes run at Moonee Valley.
He was also Group 1 placed in the Australia Stakes, Futurity Stakes and Vic Health Cup and in his only unplaced run stretched out to 2000m when running fifth behind Sunline in the WS Cox Plate.
Retired to stud in 2000 at Arrowfield Stud in the Hunter Valley, Redoute’s Choice shuttled to France in 2013 for 2 seasons. His sire sons include champion sires Snitzel and Not a Single Doubt, Stratum, Little Avondale Stud’s Nadeem, Beneteau and Bradbury Luck.
Redoute’s Choice has nicked well with mares by Zabeel and his sire Sir Tristram, Last Tycoon (10 SW from 36 rnrs), Encosta de Lago and Hussonet (31% SW to rnrs).
JON SNOW 2013 BAY (IFFRAAJ-ORINDA BY O’REILLY) CLEARVIEW PARK $6,000 PLUS GST Jon Snow becomes the latest Australian Derby winner to retire to stud with the announcement he would stand at Clearview Park in Timaru in the 2019 breeding season. Clearview Park is run by Aaron Tapper a grandson of the former group one Matamata based trainer Hec Tapper.
Tapper and his partner Lacy Stewart, had always followed Jon Snow’s racing career as Lacy was a big Game Of Thrones fan, and as they were both keen to get a well credentialled stallion for South Island breeders they were pretty quick to snap Jon Snow up when the offer to stand him came through.
Tapper believes that Jon Snow’s bloodlines will appeal to lots of breeders, not just those in the South Island. “Bloodlines first off will be his appeal,” he said,
“He is out of an O’Reilly mare out of a Zabeel mare, which goes back to Soliloquy and the third dam is the Champion Filly Solveig. That bloodline will keep going for a number of years. And he is by Iffraaj and he is still kicking goals and now so are his sire sons.
“As far as mares, well he will match with Savabeel mares and he’s got no Danehill in his bloodlines so anything with a lot of Danehill will go well. Having no Danehill is a real positive for him, and I am sure he will match well with anything that suited Iffraaj.
“He measures just a touch under 17 hands and is a lovely big bay. I am sure he will put size into smaller mares, and obviously he has a stamina-based pedigree and will put endurance in some mares’ progeny.”
As an added incentive to breeders, Clearview Park will offer a 15% discount off Jon Snow’s service fee to NZTBA members. Racing consistently in only the best company, Jon Snow retires with a race record of 4 wins and 8 placings from 23 starts and stake earnings of NZ$201,250 & A$1,823,500.
A winner over 1200m at two, Jon Snow added the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes to his derby win and was black type placed on five occasions including thirds in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby and Group 1 Levin Classic.
As a four-yearold he took out the Group 3 JRA Cup at Moonee Valley and placed third in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes while his final season on the track earned him placings in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes and Zabeel Classic. One of 68 black type winners and nine Group 1 winners by Iffraaj, Jon Snow is from a winning O’Reilly half-sister to dual Group 3 winner Mr Ubiquitous.
His grandam, a winning daughter of Zabeel, is a three-quarter sister to Sydney Cup winner Gallic and a halfsister to black type winners Greig and Lady Solvil. Directly descending from champion fillies Solveig and Soliloquy, Jon Snow’s family also features Group 1 winners Cross Swords, Fiveandahalfstar, Culminate, Captivate and Savaria.
A triple Group 2 winner and Group 1 placed in Great Britain, Iffraaj won seven races from 13 starts. His victories included the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood and two editions of the Park Stakes, one at York and one at Doncaster plus a runner up position in the July Cup at Newmarket.
Retired to stud in Ireland in 2007 and first shuttling to Haunui Farm in 2008, Iffraaj has been New Zealand’s leading sire of three-year-olds twice and twoyear-olds once. He has also finished second twice on the New Zealand General Sires Premiership. His sire sons include French champion Wootton Bassett, himself the sire of Cambridge Stud’s Almanzor. Iffraaj has crossed well with mares by Danehill and his sons.
OCEAN EMPEROR 2011 BAY (ZABEEL-TOOTSIE BY PINS) WEOWNA PARK $8000 Ocean Emperor is most likely to be the last son of Zabeel to retire to stud in New Zealand, and he will stand at Gary and Jenny Hennessy’s Weowna Park in Matamata.
There is probably no bigger fan of Ocean Emperor than Hennessy who trained the Zabeel stallion throughout his career, and needless to say he is pretty excited about offering him to New Zealand breeders.
“Ocean Emperor’s sire line Sir Tristram, Zabeel and more recently Savabeel have dominated our industry for the last 30 years. That is what has stood us apart from Australia. We can breed a horse that is very competitive over there. This sire line, especially lately through Savabeel, is why Australian buyers come here. As well Zed who was a one race winning son of Zabeel has left a filly that could possibly be the next Winx.
“Zabeel has left 166 stakes winners so for a blueprint for breeding mares you only have to look at Zabeel. He has a wealth of broodmare nicks that are tried and true. For example, he clicked really well with Flying Spur and Savabeel has left 15 stakes winners with Flying Spur in their pedigree so there is a clear pattern there. He is free of Danehill and that is a method that Sir Patrick has used with Eight Carat so it looks pretty good to me.”
Ocean Emperor begins his new career as the winner of nine races from 28 starts including two editions of the Group 2 Tauranga Stakes and the Group 2 JapanNew Zealand International Trophy. One of 166 black type winners by multiple Australian and New Zealand champion sire Zabeel, Ocean Emperor is a son of the Group 3 winning Pins mare Tootsie, winner of the Mannerism Stakes at Caulfield and runner up behind Vonusti in the Group 1 Telegraph at Trentham.
She is a sister to Group 2 winner Legless Veuve and Eudora, dam of NZ Bloodstock Filly of the Year and dual Group 1 winner Savvy Coup. Their dam Hyades is half-sister to black type winners La Rose Noir and Urbane.
A champion on the track and in the serving barn, Zabeel needs no introduction. Winner of the Australian Guineas at Group 1 level at 3 from the stable of champion trainer CS Hayes, he signed off his racing career with seven wins from 19 starts and over A$1.1 million in stakes. Sire of 166 black type winners, 113 at group level, 46 of those at group 1 level, Zabeel was four times crowned New Zealand champion sire, twice Australian champion sire and 15 times winner of the prestigious Dewar Stallion Trophy.
His sire sons include Savabeel, winner of the last 5 New Zealand stallion titles, Reset, Octagonal, himself sire of champion Lonhro, and Don Eduardo.
STAPHANOS (JPN) 2011 BAY (DEEP IMPACT-KOKOSHNIK BY KUROFUNE) NOVARA PARK $7,000 PLUS GST Only the second son of Deep Impact to stand at stud in New Zealand, Staphanos arrives from Japan to stand his first season at Novara Park in Cambridge.
Novara Park stud master Ray Knight is sure that breeders will be impressed with Staphanos when they see him.
“Basically, he is a high-class racehorse, a very very good individual and a most importantly, a son of Deep Impact. “He will suit all types because he is beautifully balanced, and he can probably go across all our mares here in New Zealand. At 16.1 he is a quality horse who is clean boned and a good type. He is physically very correct and if he throws horses like himself that will be a good start, it’s important at sale time for a first season sire to leave good types.
“With his bloodlines he has a very open pedigree so will cross with most of the mares we have in New Zealand. If you look closely at historically what Deep Impact has successfully crossed with then we have all those mares here.
“He has plenty of depth on his dam side as well.”
Racing only in the best class in both Japan and Hong Kong, Staphanos compiled a race record of four wins and 10 minor placings, his best result being his victory in the Group 3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup Fuji Stakes in Tokyo. Group 1 placed in Hong Kong in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup and Hong Kong Cup, he also filled the runner up role in the Group 1’s Tenno Sho (Autumn) in Tokyo and Osaka Hai at Hanshin racecourse.
One of 135 black type winners and 42 Group 1 winners by the recently deceased seven-time Japanese champion sire Deep Impact, Staphanos is a brother to group three placed Finift and out of a sister to the black type winner Golden Hind. His grandam, the nine-time black type winner Gold Tiara, is a half-sister to Poet’s Voice, winner of the 2018 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, black type winner Queen’s Park and the dam of Dubai Group 1 winner Blair House.
Horse of the Year in Japan in 2005 and 2006, Deep Impact’s victories include the Group 1’s Japan Cup and Takarazuka Kinen at Kyoto.
He is a son of North American Horse of the Year Sunday Silence, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and champion sire in Japan on 13 occasions. Deep Impact is brother or half-brother to three black type winners including grade 2 winner Veil of Avalon.
Deep Impact has crossed extremely well with mares by Storm Cat, the mating having produced 11 black type winners from 59 runners, including eight at the highest level. Other sires nicking well with Deep Impact include French Deputy, Tony Bin and King Kamehameha.
SUMMER PASSAGE (AUS) 2014 BAY (SNITZELSUBSEQUENT BY ENCOSTA DE LAGO) MAPPERLEY STUD $8,000 PLUS GST The top-rated colt on the 2016-17 New Zealand 2YO Free Handicap, Summer Passage retires to Mapperley Stud after a racing career which took him from New Zealand to Australia to Hong Kong. He is the first son of Snitzel to stand in New Zealand and the team at Mapperley Stud are excited to be standing him, according to Simms Davison.
“Snitzel is the hottest sire in Australia at the moment, leading the two- and three-year-old sires’ lists, he is a very dominant sire.
“We also know that his progeny train on at three and beyond and they perform on dry and tracks and wet tracks and we think that a son of Sniztel with that ability will go really well in this environment.
“We are hoping all his good attributes will be passed on. Juvenile speed is really important in New Zealand now more and more people are wanting to breed horses that target that two-year-old market. People who are trading horses want some early juvenile speed in their pedigrees. “We know how well Snitzel had gone in Australia over those New Zealand mares, and there are plenty of mares that need that precocious speed. He is a big strong horse with precocious form, so I don’t see any reason why he won’t pass it on.
“If you look at Snitzel’s winners there are five really strong lines that will give positive results. The best is the Success Express line which with Snitzel has produced 22% runners to winners. The other lines which have all produced over 10% are the Nureyev line stallions Zabeel, Stravinsky, Spinning World, Thorn Park etc., then Iffraaj, Red Ransom with Ekraar and Charge Forward, and Street Cry with Per Incanto and Shocking.
“Australians know Snitzel well and we are pretty sure that the stock from a son of Snitzel will be pretty well received at Karaka.”
Summer Passage broke his maiden with a victory in the Listed Matamata Slipper before downing a field of 10 in the Group 1 Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie. Taken to Sydney he struck a heavy track when finishing second as part of a Snitzel trifecta in the Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick, only going down to Invader by less than a length with multiple Group 1 winner Trapeze Artist in third. As a spring three-year-old Summer Passage finished second in the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas.
Summer Passage is one of 90 black type winners by Snitzel, recently crowned Australian Champion Sire for the third consecutive season. Thirteen of those 90 have been victorious at the highest level and they include the afore-mentioned Trapeze Artist, champion sprinter and dual winner of The Everest in Redzel and Cox Plate winner Shamus Award.
Summer Passage is out of the winning Encosta de Lago sister or half-sister to 3 black type winners and from the immediate family of Shania Dane, Scintillation and Man From Uncle. A group 1 winner of the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield, Snitzel was rated second on the 2005-06 Australasian 3YO Classification in the sprinting division. Himself a son of champion sire Redoute’s Choice, Snitzel is a brother to Group 3 winner Viennese and half-brother to Group 3 winner and successful sire Hinchinbrook.
Summer Passage is bred on the same Snitzel/Encosta de Lago cross as his conqueror in the Sires’ Produce Stakes, Invader. Snitzel has worked extremely well with mares by Zabeel, Red Ransom and Elusive Quality.
U.S. NAVY FLAG (USA) 2015 BAY OR BROWN (WAR FRONT-MISTY FOR ME BY GALILEO) VALACHI DOWNS $20,000 PLUS GST A champion racehorse with a champion pedigree to match, is the best way to describe U.S. Navy Flag according to Valachi Downs Stud manager Jonathan Scully.
“U.S. Navy brings a power load of speed from Europe that we haven’t seen here for a very long time. He was a wonderful sprinter with an exquisite pedigree that will go well over New Zealand bred mares,” he said.
Valachi Downs resident pedigree expert and breeding consultant Gareth Downey has had good look at what type of mares will suit U.S. Navy Flag and this is his conclusion.
“The good thing with U S Navy Flag is he seems to suit almost anything on pedigree so the main thing is to simply match your mare to him on type. He carries no Danehill or Zabeel so is a good option for all those mares that do.
“Some of the standout options for him if we were to name just a few would include mares by or carrying Zabeel, O’Reilly, Encosta De Lago, Fastnet Rock, Pentire etc.
However, if your mare is a reasonable size herself and would benefit from a stallion to add quality, strength, athleticism, correctness and a great action then U S Navy Flag is the right option for her. U.S. Navy Flag was the first horse to win the Middle Park/Dewhurst Stakes double since Diesis in 1982, U.S.
He becomes only the second son of his sire War Front to stand at stud in New Zealand.
Rated the leading Three-Year-Old Male on the 2018 World Thoroughbred Rankings in the sprint division, champion European Two-Year-Old and champion European Three-Year-Old Sprinter, U.S. Navy Flag won five of his 19 starts and was placed on four occasions.
As well as the Newmarket two-yearold Group 1 double, he also claimed the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes at the Curragh during his two-year-old season. At three he returned to Newmarket to beat the older horses in the Group 1 July Cup over six furlongs as well as placing in the Irish 2000 Guineas.
One of 84 black type winners for his sire, a full 25% of these winning at Group 1 level, U.S. Navy Flag is a brother to three-time Group 1 winner Roly Poly and Grade 3 winner Cover Song. He is out of the champion filly Misty For Me, the Irish 1000 Guineas victor and a sister to black type winners Ballydoyle, the French Champion two-year-old filly off her year, and Twirl. European champion twoyear-old Fasliyev and North American grade 1 winners Desert Wine and Menifee feature further back in the pedigree.
A grade 2 winner and grade 1 placed in North America, War Front’s sire sons in Australasia include The Factor, Declaration of War and Sweet Orange. A son of champion sire Danzig, he is a halfbrother to 3 black type winners including grade 2 winner Teammate.
War Front has crossed well with mares by Sadler’s Wells (28% SW to runners), Pulpit, Galileo, AP Indy and Arch.