12 NEW STALLIONS IN INDIA, 2009

ARABIAN GULF

ARABIAN GULF (Bay 2004 by Sadler’s Wells-Wince, by Selkirk) became the second son of the incomparable Sadler’s Wells to stand in Western India after Alnasr Alwasheek. The white-faced Juddmonte Farms-bred holds court at the Manjri Horse Breeders Farm at Pune, Maharashtra. Trained in England by Sir Michael Stoute, the sturdy and imposing colt had a brief career consisting of just three starts. Unplaced in a 7 fur. maiden at Newmarket at the backend of his 2-y-o season, he came out with all guns blazing in the spring of 2007, when accounting for a dozen opponents in a 10 fur. maiden on the same track.
Immediately thrown in at the deep end when asked to take on Soldier Of Fortune in the Gr.3 MBNA Chester Vase over an extended 1-1/2 miles, he all but pulled it off, knuckling under in the last stride. The magnitude of this achievement can be truly appreciated when one notes that his conqueror was coming off a facile win in the Gr.2 Prix Noailles and was destined to go on to a nine-length victory in the Gr.1 Budweiser Irish Derby six weeks later! A tendon injury in the summer prematurely terminated Arabian Gulf ’s racing career.
As a son of the most pre-eminent sire in Europe out of an English 1000 Guineas winner, he could hardly be better-bred. His own-sister Quiff was a Gr.1 winner herself (Yorkshire Oaks), and their grandam Flit was a winning own-sister to Gr.2 winner Skimble (herself dam of Gr.1 winner and sire Skimming).

CARNIVAL DANCER

CARNIVAL DANCER (Bay 1998 by Sadler’s Wells-Red Carnival, by Mr. Prospector), who stood the 2004-2008 seasons at the Cheveley Park Stud, Newmarket, England, has been imported to stand at the Dashmesh Stud Farm in Punjab. Home-bred in England by Cheveley Park Stud Ltd., Carnival Dancer raced for four seasons, the first three under the tutelage of Sir Michael Stoute – as a five-year-old he moved to the yard of Mrs. Amanda Perrett. He scored five times, annexing the healthy sum of £229,475. His victories included a trio of Gr.3 events over 10 fur./2000 m., namely the Sodexho Prestige Scottish Classic at Ayr, the Prix La Coupe at Longchamp and the Prix Gontaut Biron at Deauville, while he ran creditably in all his three attempts at the 10 fur. Gr.1 Champion Stakes, his best placing being second to Rakti.
Retired to his birthplace, the half-brother to Gr. 1 winner Desert Lord (Green Desert) and Gr.2 scorer Funfair (Singspiel) somehow did not seem to capture the imagination of British breeders and thus attracted relatively few mares in his first 4 seasons. He has sired a stakes winner in German Listed winner Carnival Run and the stakes-placed Carnival Queen. Nothing more needs to be added about his champion sire, nor about his equally illustrious maternal grandsire. Carnival Dancer’s dam was herself a Gr.3 winner and own-sister to champion Seaside Attraction and Gr.3 winner and sire Cape Canaveral, and three-parts sister to Gr.1 victor and sire Cape T own.

CURULE (Dark Bay/Brown 1997 by Go For Gin- Reservation, by Cryptoclearance), who was racing in the UAE till the age of 10, was bred in the USA by the partnership of Allan G. Lavin, Jr., Kevin S. Lavin, Carl F. Pollard & James D. Bohan. Sold as a yearling for $62,000, he showed vast physical improvement in just six months to fetch $325,000 as a twoyear- old in training.
As a three-year-old, he started off in Dubai and spent some of his time vainly chasing China Visit, to whom he finished third in the UAE Derby at Nad Al Sheba – Curule was also a head behind the former when seventh in the Gr.1 Kentucky Derby of 2000, won by Fusaichi Pegasus. Saddled there by Godolphin’s Saeed Bin Suroor, Curule remained in the USA, and added a Belmont win and a noteworthy runnerup effort to Graeme Hall in the Gr.2 Jim Dandy Stakes to his resume. At 4, Curule gained revenge over China Visit when runner-up to Festival Of Light in the Gr.3 Godolphin Mile, with the Greentree Stud resident fourth. In the very same race in 2002, he showed his consistency by finishing third to Grey Memo and Skoozi. Overall, he has earned almost £400,000, virtually all on dirt.
Curule’s sire, Go For Gin, won the 1994 Gr.1 Kentucky Derby while his dam scored 4 times. She was a halfsister to Gr.3 winner Tower Full and to stakes winners Carry Out and Dinners On Me. The next dam, stakes winner Fine Dining, was out of track-record setter Alencon. This is the family of Bold Lad(IRE).

DECADO (Bay 2003 by Danehill Dancer-Pirie, by Green Dancer) joins Danehill’s son Marcus Andronicus and replaces the ill-fated Magistretti at the Chettinad Stud Farm in North Madras, Tamil Nadu. The good-looking chestnut was bred in Ireland by Stonethorn Stud Farms Ltd. and sold as a yearling at Goffs for €110,000, a price which ranked amongst the top half a dozen yearlings by his sire in 2004. Trained at Friarstown in Co. Kildare by Kevin Prendergast for Mrs. Catherine O’Flynn and ridden in every one of his 13 European starts by Declan McDonogh, he scored at the second of his two starts at 2 and carried over his form to the next season.
At 3, during a very wet spring, he won the Listed Loughbrown Stakes (7 fur.) at the Curragh, then repeated in the Gr.3 Tetrarch Stakes over the same course and distance. That set him up for a clash with Araafa and George Washington in the Gr.1 Boylesports Irish 2000 Guineas, in which he ran third, beaten a length and two lengths. Later that season he showed his affinity for his local track and conditions when annexing the Gr.3 Keeneland International Stakes over 9 fur. at the Curragh.
Transferred to trainer Patrick Gallagher in California, Decado showed none of his old form, his best performance being when 4th (promoted to 3rd on the disqualification of Epic Park).
His sire is a very successful son of Danehill who has worked his way up spectacularly from a low fee, while his dam is an unraced half-sister to Gr.2 winner Fracas.

DECLARATION OF WAR

DECLARATION OF WAR (Bay 2005 by Okawango- Date Mate, by Thorn Dance) ended a long search on the part of Lingwood Stud & Agricultural Farm, near Gurgaon, Haryana, to find a barnmate – and eventual replacement – for their stalwart, Gaswar.
Bred in Ireland by the St. Simon Foundation and sold as a yearling for 25,000 guineas, the grandson of Kingmambo was sent to Peter Chapple- Hyam to be schooled. The precocious runner was quickly away, scoring on debut – often the sign of a good horse – at Newmarket and then repeating in the 6 fur. Listed Vodafone Woodcote Stakes at Epsom on Derby Day, just a couple of hours before Authorized etched his name in the record books.
A mere neck separated Declaration Of War from the victorious Hatta Fort in the 7 fur. Gr.2 Weatherbys Superlative Stakes, and while the former took revenge over the latter in the Gr.1 Prix Jean Luc Lagardere (Grand Criterium) over 1600 m. at Longchamp, the pair was trumped by Godolphin’s Rio De La Plata. Although Declaration of War ran thrice thereafter, he never recaptured his earlier form. Racing Post rated him at a mark of 111.
Okawango also had a career similar to that recorded by his son – being a very good two-year-old – and in his day he had gone one better by actually winning the Gr.1 Grand Criterium, instead of being runner-up. Date Mate, the dam of Declaration Of War, was out of a Group-placed half-sister to noted sire Baillamont. This is the immediate family of sires Faraway Son and Liloy.

LUCIFER SAM

LUCIFER SAM (Bay 2005 by Storm Cat-Rafina, by Mr. Prospector) is closely related to Admiralofthefleet and was an inmate of the same yard as his sibling, that of Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle in County Tipperary, Ireland. He has been imported to India by the progressive Sans Craintes Stud Farm Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Described by Timeform as a “strong, angular colt”, when rated 104, Lucifer Sam ran second in a Curragh maiden to none other than New Approach, before scoring next time out at Galway. A trip across the Irish Sea saw him finding Fast Company too good in the Gr.3 Tattersalls Million Acomb Stakes at York. At 3, he set the pace in the Gr.3 Prix de Fontainebleau at Longchamp, weakening slightly to finish a little over three lengths behind Tamayuz, who later the same season won a pair of Gr.1’s in the Prix Jean Prat and the Prix Jacques Le Marois. Little needs to be added about Storm Cat, who worked his way up from a small initial fee to become the highestpriced stallion in North America prior to his recent retirement. Although only placed, Rafina carries about the most desirable bloodlines in a broodmare anywhere in the world – she is a daughter of Mr. Prospector and Coup De Folie, which makes her an own-sister to Machiavellian, Coup De Genie (dam of Denebola and Loving Kindness and grandam of Bago) and Ocean Of Wisdom, and half-sister to Exit To Nowhere. The taproot is Natalma (dam of Northern Dancer).

MULTIDIMENSIONAL

MULTIDIMENSIONAL (Bay 2004 by Danehill-Sacred Song, by Diesis) is an exciting new addition to the ranks of stallions at the Greentree Stud, near Gurgaon in Haryana. Although some may feel that a farm with the likes of Razeen and Steinbeck occupying its stallion quarters does not need any addition, the fact is that these stalwarts are getting on in years.
What’s more, the only other stallion resident at the farm, China Visit, despite having done well by any objective criterion, has not quite matched the high standards expected of him. A Danehill horse was on the agenda and Multidimensional fit the bill perfectly. Trained for the Niarchos Family by Henry Cecil, Multidimensional started off his career with 4 wins from his first 5 starts, his third win coming in the Gr.2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano over 2000 m. at Deauville in France. Things did not go quite his way at his next four starts, but at Royal Ascot in 2008 he ran a real cracker in the 12 fur. Gr.2 Hardwicke Stakes, going under by a mere neck to Macarthur after a fierce battle. A good win came in the 10-1/2 fur. Gr.3 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock Park and the home-bred concluded his career with a tally of 5 wins and £195,388 and a Timeform Rating of 122.
It’s hardly necessary to recount the achievements of Danehill. Sacred Song was a multiple Group winner herself and a half-sister to Canadian millionaire Strut The Stage. The next dam was a half-sister to $3, 219,017 earner Chief Bearheart and Gr.1 winner Explosive Red.

OPPORTUNIST (Dark Bay/Brown 1999 by Machiavellian-Fatefully, by Private Account) accompanied Curule on his journey to India. He broke his maiden from 2 starts at 2 in North America and thereafter raced virtually exclusively at Nad Al Sheba, making only one of his 33 UAE starts at another track (Jebel Ali). All his starts came on dirt. The product of Gainsborough Stud was foaled in Ireland and when only a few weeks old accompanied his dam on a trip to England when she was visiting Selkirk. The result of that mating turned out to be highly successful as it resulted in Gr.1 Nassau Stakes winner Favourable Terms.
Making his initial Dubai appearance in an 1800 m. conditions race, Opportunist was preferred by Frankie Dettori over stablemate Moon Ballad, but had to give best to that runner. As the latter went on to win the Gr.1 Dubai World Cup the following year, the merit of Opportunist’s effort in finishing runner-up can be appreciated.
He continued to be a consistent runner and earned black type when finishing third in the Gr.3 Derrinstown Stud Burj Nahaar over the metric mile.
Machiavellian was a superbly-bred champion two-year-old and even before Opportunist’s arrival already had a couple of sire sons in India in Don Micheletto (Nakul Stud) and Mathematician (Sans Craintes Stud). Fatefully was a multiple Listed winner and descends from a stakes-winning ownsister to Hagley, a noted sire of speedy customers, and the hard-knocking Dr. Riddick. This is a family known for its toughness and soundness.

PHOENIX TOWER

PHOENIX TOWER (Bay 2004 by Chester House-Bionic, by Zafonic) is easily the highest-rated new prospect to join the country’s stallion ranks in 2009, having been accorded a mark of 125 by Timeform. He will join Arabian Gulf, Major Impact and Senure at the Manjri Horse Breeders Farm at Pune, Maharashtra.
His record consists of 4 consecutive victories and 4 consecutive seconds – all in Gr.1 races – from 8 lifetime starts, in a career plagued by injury. Judging by his ratings at his last four efforts – 119, 121, 122 and 126 respectively – the consistent Juddmonte-bred was still improving when a small tendon tear necessitated his retirement. Unbeaten at 2 and 3 from just three starts in minor events, he improved significantly at 4 to annex the Gr.3 Earl Of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket on his seasonal debut. Four runner-up efforts followed – to Creachadoir in the Gr.1 Lockinge Stakes (8 fur.), to Duke Of Marmalade in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, to Mount Nelson – by a short-head – in the Eclipse Stakes, and to Duke Of Marmalade again in the Juddmonte International Stakes, the last three being Gr.1 events over 10 fur. Chester House is an under-appreciated son of Mr. Prospector who died at the early age of 8. He has done rather well – in 2008 he had two winners at the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita. Bionic won her only start and is a half-sister to Gr.3 winners Day Flight and Sense Of Joy. Their dam, Bonash, numbered 3 group wins in her 4 victories, and was a half-sister to Media Nox, dam of French Oaks victress, Nebraska Tornado.

PRINCELY HEIR (Bay 1995 by Fairy King-Meis El Reem, by Auction Ring) could hardly have imagined that his life would change so dramatically in 2009, with his status altering from a scarcely-used member of the roster at Abbeyleix Stud in Ireland to a frontline member of the team at the Dashmesh Stud Farm in Punjab.
A precocious type and the winner of three of his four starts at 2, when trained by Mark Johnston for the late Sheikh Maktoum Al Maktoum, Princely Heir could not manage another success from his 11 subsequent starts. His final victory would prove to be the Gr.1 Heinz 57 Phoenix Stakes at Leopardstown in August 1997, over 6 fur., a trip one furlong longer than his other two triumphs.
At stud, Princely Heir scarcely received any worthwhile patronage. Still, he managed to sire a pair of stakes winners in Romancero, who improved significantly when sent to Hong Kong (and renamed Stay Young), where he won the Sha Tin
Trophy and placed in the Gr.1 Sha Tin Mile, and Max One Two Three, successful over 6 fur. at Listed level in England. His sire, an own-brother to Sadler’s Wells, has done well with his sire sons in India, with Burden Of Proof and Royal Kingdom both having thrown classic winners. Interestingly, his dam, the Gr.3 winner and Gr.1 1000 Guineas runnerup Meis El Reem had come to India in early 1996 but died before making any impact on the Indian turf.

SEDGEFIELD (Chestnut 2004, by Smart Strike-Belva, by Theatrical) is a fascinating new representative of the Mr. Prospector line in North India, an area where this stirp is under-represented. He replaces the late Case Law at the Jai Govind Stud and Agricultural Farm in Jaipur, Rajasthan. A good-looking own-brother to English Channel, Sedgefield was bred by Keene Ridge Farm and topped sales for sons of Smart Strike, both as a weanling and as a twoyear- old in training. Silverton Hill LLC acquired him at the latter sale and entrusted him to Darrin Miller. The trainer sent him out at 2 to break his maiden in December 2006, before switching him to turf and upping him in class – Sedgefield ran a grand second in the Gr.3 Tropical Park Derby at Calder Race Course in Florida.
Remaining in the “Hurricane State”, he won next time out, then ran second in the Hallandale Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Tried out on the Polytrack at Turfway Park, he produced a fine effort when runner-up to Hard Spun in the Gr.2 Lane’s End Stakes. He was allowed to take his chance in the Gr.1 Kentucky Derby and ran a splendid race when fifth, beating the likes of Circular Quay, Tiago, Any Given Saturday, Nobiz like Showbiz, Scat Daddy, etc.
Smart Strike has gained fame of late as the sire of Curlin, one of the best American-breds of recent times, while Belva achieved instant success as a broodmare with her very first offspring, English Channel, who earned over $5,000,000! This figure was achieved from 13 wins, six of those being at Gr.1 level. The next dam Committed was a top sprinter in Europe in the ‘eighties.

STARDAN (Bay 1998 by Danehill- Star A Million, by Star Appeal [by Appiani]) is yet another of the hundreds of sons of his illustrious sire worldwide. He becomes the firstever stallion import for the Rolli Stud Farm, near Gurgaon, in Haryana.
A 16.0 hands, bay, Stardan is typical of his sire’s get in appearance, a rich bay with black points and a couple of white ankles. Trained by Pascal Bary in France, he broke his maiden at 3 over 2000 m. in Chantilly and then stepped up in class to annex the Listed Prix Pelleas over 1950 m. at Longchamp. At his final start in France, he ran second in the Gr.2 Prix Eugene Adam over 2000 m. at Deauville. A dozen starts in North America bore no fruit and he was returned to the country of his birth for stud duties. From his base at Coolagown Stud in Ireland, he was promoted as a National Hunt stallion, with a comparison being drawn between him and Tiger Hill (also by Danehill out of a mare descending from Appiani). The brochure describes the latter as the sire of noted jumpers Tiger King, Auenschutze, and Maucaillou. In his three seasons at stud in Ireland, Stardan covered around 40 mares each year. The record of Danehill is too well known to bear repetition. Stardan’s dam was an own-sister to Lina Cavalieri, a Gr.3 winner in both Italy and the USA (and herself dam of North American Gr.3 winner Princess Kali). Their dam was a half-sister to Rose Of York Handicap winner Silver S teel. R