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Stallion News Big Shuffle dies
The Gestüt Auenquelle-based stallion Big Shuffle, the sire of the Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio winner Turfrose and the Group 2 winner Auenklang, has died. The son of the US stallion Super Concorde was last season’s leading sire in Germany, a title he claimed on four other occasions. He stood in Germany for the whole of his career. Bred by Moyglare Stud Farm, Big Shuffle won the Cork And Orrery Stakes and Tetrarch Stakes at three, and the Greenlands Stakes at four for trainer Dermot Weld.
Kap Rock to stand at Haras de la Hetraie
KAP ROCK, a Video Rock half-brother to the promising sire Kapgarde, will stand alongside his older brother at Haras de la Hetraie in Normandy. A fee of €1,200 has been set. Kap Rock finished in the frame in eight of 12 starts over hurdles with his finest moment coming when successful in a three-year-old hurdle at Auteuil. His Garde Royale half-brother, Kapgarde, has made a fine start to his stud career in France. Last season he was represented by the Auteuil Grade 3 winners Futio and Royale Francois, while his runners on this side of the Channel include David Pipe’s young hurdler Mr Thriller.
Dansili half-brother heads to New Zealand
RAISE The Flag, a son of Hasili and a half-brother to leading UK sire Dansili, has been retired to stand at White Robe Lodge Stud, New Zealand, in partnership with owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms. Raise The Flag, who is by Sadler’s Wells, ran once for trainer André Fabre when sixth in a Longchamp maiden as a three-year-old in 2008. He will stand his first season for NZ$4,000 (£1,838/€2,044). White Robe Lodge’s Brian Anderton wrote on the farm’s website: “Raise The Flag suffered an unfortunate injury at his only start at Longchamp in the care of André Fabre, but he was held in high regard and we know the genetics are all there to be passed on.” On the arrival of Raise The Flag to New Zealand shores Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for Juddmonte, said: “Juddmonte is delighted that Brian Anderton’s White Robe Lodge Stud have agreed to stand Raise The Flag, a son of the world’s greatest living broodmare Hasili. “The reputation of White Robe Lodge Stud in not only making top class stallions, but also raising top-class racehorses, was a major factor in the decision to send Raise The Flag to New Zealand.”
Dunkirk retires to Ashford
The Unbridled’s Song colt Dunkirk, runner-up in the 2009 Belmont Stakes (G1) and Florida Derby (G1) has been retired to stud and will stand the 2010 season at Ashford Stud in Kentucky, for $10,000. A $3.7-million top-priced 2007 Keeneland September Sale yearling, Dunkirk won his first two starts for trainer Doug Pletcher. He is out of Secret Status, a dual Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare, who won the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks and G1 Mother Goose Stakes. He failed to recover sufficiently to return to training after picking up an injury in the Belmont Stakes.
Trade Fair sold to Australia
Trade Fair, a son of Zafonic who has stood for the past four years at Tweenhills Farm in the UK, has been sold to Ted Van Heemst’s Lynward Park Stud in Western Australia. He will remain in Australia, where he has been shuttling for the southern hemisphere season. The deal was handled by David Redvers Bloodstock and John Chalmers Bloodstock. David Redvers of Tweenhills said: “Trade Fair has made a bright start in Western Australia, but although he has had plenty of winners here and has the hugely promising David Elsworth-trained runner Fair Trade to look forward to, he failed to produce a stakes winner with his first two-year-old crop and that was going to make promoting him very difficult this season. “At the end of the day, we were made an excellent offer and it was in his shareholders’ best interests to accept.” Tweenhills has an agreement to lease back the stallion next year if it wishes to. The dual Group 3 winner sired six winners from his first crop of runners.
Foals start arriving for Papal Bull
This season’s new foals have started arriving and first-crop sire Papal Bull has got off the mark early. The Coolagown Stud stallion has already had three new foals, two colts and a filly. One colt is from the family of Holy Roman Emperor, while the other is out of Fernlawn Hope, a Danehill Dancer half-sister to Group 3 winner Sir Diamond. The filly is out of Humble Fifteen, a black-type placed winner from the family of Balanchine, Stage Call, Romanov and Saoirse Abu. David Stack of Coolagown Stud reports that the foals are “very strong and correct with good bone”. Papal Bull covered 155 mares in his first season at stud.
Ghostzapper fee reduced
The 2004 Horse of the Year and champion older male Ghostzapper has had his 2010 fee reduced to $30,000 from the previously announced $50,000. He originally stood at $200,000 in 2006. His fee was reduced to $150,000 in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, he stood at $125,000. He sired eight winners from his first crop of two-year-olds last season and one minor stakes race winner, Golden Ghost. The 10-year-old stallion stands at Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs near Paris, Kentucky. “It’s a readjustment because of the market,” said Adena Springs representative Jack Brothers.
Darley to set up new pre-training facility in the US Darley has bought 360 acres in Aiken, South Carolina with the intention of building a training facility. “Aiken has a history of developing young horses into racehorses,” said Darley USA President Jimmy Bell to the thoroughbredtimes.com. “Our search was about the health and welfare of the horse. There were a number of factors involved with our selection of Aiken – the history, the location, and the weather. The horses get a little bit of everything.” The property is about six miles from the Aiken training track, which was bought by Darley as part of its purchase of Stonerside Stables in 2008 and where it has around 65 horses in training. Darley will send its yearlings to be broken and its young horses to be trained at the new facility, added Bell.
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