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Home , Bernborough, Carbine (horse), Champagne Stakes (ATC), Choisir, Dark Star (horse), Encosta De Lago

REVERSE SHUTTLE

MODERN PIONEER: the magnificent Lohnro is the first Stallion to shuttle to North America.

paid incredible dividends for us,” 1 winners Assertive Lass and send,” he said. he said. Danelagh (dam of Vengeance Of Outside of , stablemate Phillips cited the recently Rain and Dizelle), along with Exceed And Excel (by ) deceased (sire of Farm’s Kentucky is another Darley sire that has and Americain) and Oaks winner Flute, and Sky been burning the seasons at Silver Hawk (sire of 14 G1 Song, a relative of and both ends. In his ninth year of winners) as two sons to the dam of ’s French reverse-shuttling to Dalham have a huge influence on racing Group 1 winner Laverock. Hall, Newmarket, Exceed And in North America. “As it turned out, he could Excel is a poster-boy for Ford’s On Lonhro, the US-based The have covered three or four times philosophy—that the measure Bloodhorse ran a story titled “So the mares he did,” Plumptre of a successful sire overseas is long Bowman Mill Road in Just Who is Lonhro?” It incited reflects (at US$30,000, the horse the number of Stakes winners he Kentucky’s famous bluegrass, 45 comments from around the around $80,000 cheaper can produce, and the number of Jonabell Farm is home to 17 world, including: “Be wary of than his Australian fee). Group 1 winners among them. ADarley stallions. There are the hype as this horse has all Lonhro and All American In the case of Exceed And Excel, the superstar sires you would turf form,” and, “He is a bit of a are flag-bearers in the current he ranks expect to find there—Street Cry, bulldog”. On the flip side, there industry, but they are 17th overall on the current list Bernadini and the impressive was: “He is a proven sire in a top by no means the first Australian of top Flat sires in England. Medaglia d’Oro. But there is racing jurisdiction. Thirty-five horses to ply their trade in the On Australian Stud Book figures, also a lone gunman, a southern starts, 26 wins, 11 Group 1s, and US. One must climb back to he has produced 25 international hemisphere stallion of incredible an established sire to boot.” It the 1940s to see the first stream Stakes winners for 40 Stakes repute. It is Lonhro, Australia’s seemed like the Americans just of local stallions sold to US wins. His high-profile reigning champion stallion. couldn’t make up their minds. stud interests. It began with Ballydoyle son, Excelebration, “We didn’t have any real Who was this Australian horse Beau Pere, a champion sire in has recently energised his opposition from the Americans arriving to their shores? Australian and New Zealand European presence. when it was decided to send “Lonhro had had multiple before he was exported to Ford believes the fact that Lonhro up there,” reflects Henry Group 1 winners by the time he California in 1947 where he Exceed And Excel is a son Plumptre, general manager of went up there,” says Plumptre. sired 21 Stakes winners, and of Danehill is a key to his Darley Australia. It was decided “He’d had Denman, Beaded and was quickly followed by , success in Europe. “A quarter to shuttle the son of Octagonal Benfica, and then when Pierro of all stallions at stud trace to to the US for the 2012 northern came along, he became the first Danehill,” he said. “That line will breeding season. “There was Lonhro Group 1-Stakes winner The studs survive a long time, and it seems the odd comment about the outside the Darley system, and to be important to the success of difference between turf and dirt that really put the icing on the that are doing Australian horses in Europe.” sires, and a few that he was a bit cake for Lonhro. We felt that it are really Ford’s theory is interesting, short-coupled, but we’ve been it was a good time to send the and can perhaps be exemplified bringing American stallions horse overseas, but we left the cherry-picking by the case of . down here for years. There was decision as to where he was In 2007, Coolmore elected to no reason to think it wouldn’t best placed to our northern the horses reverse-shuttle that horse to their work the other way.” hemisphere team. They thought they send. Irish operation—he filled in for In October 2011, when Darley the American market was the the loss of Mozart, who died MICHAEL FORD announced that Lonhro would best market for him.” after one season. At the time, shuttle to Jonabell, online Plumptre says there were Encosta De Lago sat second on forums came alive. He was, after specific reasons behind this. Reading, , the Australian leading-sire table all, the first champion Australian Lonhro’s sire Octagonal had and . In later years (behind only Redoute’s Choice). UNCLE stallion to reverse-shuttle to shuttled to Europe in his there were , Pago Pago, He had high fertility figures America, and the second to early sire days but had not Daryl’s Joy, Tobin and and a for upgrading even shuttle after Arrowfield’s aptly been popular. As a result, the Strawberry Road. These horses pedestrian mares, not to mention named All American (by Red Darley team predicted that the stood in Kentucky, Arkansaw, a long scroll of top winners in Ransom from the American- European response to Lonhro Florida and California. They Australia. It was surprising, bred Strawberry Road mare, might be negative. “We thought threw winners of claiming therefore, that he made little Milva) made history to stand at there was a possibility that the races to a Kentucky impact in Europe. “Encosta in less heralded market in Europe might say, winner. But, unlike Lonhro, De Lago doesn’t descend from WANTS US circumstances in 2011. ‘well, we had his father here and they were US based. The shuttle Danehill,” said Ford, “and his Whereas Lonhro offers the he was no good, so why would phenomenon was decades away. sire, , is not a strong Americans a complete outcross— his son be any good?’’’ Plumptre Michael Ford is the Keeper line. It might be simply that the sire line is non- adds that it seemed like Lonhro of the Australian Stud Book, Encosta interacts better with Lonhro and All American have been on the shuttle train existent outside Australia and would simply have more appeal and he believes that reverse- southern hemisphere mares, New Zealand—All American in America. He was right. shuttling, or sending an perhaps from lines like Sir as it “reverses” to North America, but jessica owers has was as his name suggests. Darby Before Lonhro even stepped Australian-based stallion up to Tristram that are dominant that our pioneer exported stallions from Dan’s owner John Phillips said off a plane, his book was full. He the northern hemisphere season, down here.” All American would appeal to covered 100 mares in his first is still a long way off being Coolmore will be hoping that the past have left an legacy. Americans because of his Roberto US stint (40 belonged to Sheikh a fashionable practice. “The will fare better (sire of ) sire line. “As Mohammed), and among those studs that are doing it are really with his European efforts. The a sire and sire line, Roberto has were the Australian-bred Group cherry-picking the horses they high-profile son of Danehill,

INSIDE BREEDING 37 REVERSE SHUTTLE MY hORSE AT STUD: this historic advertisement for Australia’s star export, Shannon, appeared in America’s The Blood-horse magazine. MY SALE outstanding mares and Catnip. Catnip was the granddam of ; Plucky Liege produced , MY chAMpION and Admiral Drake. The Duke of Portland wrote of ’s time at Welbeck Abbey: “He was not a great 2013 success as far as my own stud was concerned, but I think he justified himself in this country.” In Australia, the horse’s legacy was more noticeable. In the next 71 runnings of the after his death in 1914, Carbine appeared in the pedigrees of no fewer than 51 winners. Shannon (1941, Midstream (GB)-Idle Words, by Magpie (GB)) Shannon was one of the earliest Australian to be sold to and race in America before beginning his stud duties. With six Stakes wins at the highest level of U.S. racing, he retired to MAGIC MILLIONS , Kentucky, in November 1948, second only to in earnings. The exposure he had received in racing 2013 MAJOR YEARLING SALES certainly helped him. Shannon commanded his first season at US$2500 a cover. By comparison Gold Coast Yearling Sale Bernborough, who had not raced 9-15 January – Gold Coast, Queensland outside Australia and who was FOr MOre also standing at Spendthrift, was getting US$1500. INFOrMAtION Shannon was afforded good Tasmanian Yearling Sale opportunity as an American 14 February – Launceston, Tasmania sire. Though second string to the imported , he produced GO TO the 1957 Withers Stakes winner Clem, who defeated Perth Yearling Sale www.magicmillions.com.au in the . 19-21 February – Perth, Western Australia Shannon was also the sire of Sea O’Erin, who won the Citation Or COnTaCT who was Australia’s champion horses to reverse-shuttle to immediately successful, Carbine Handicap and a score of other races. Adelaide Yearling Sale three-year-old in 2004-05, overseas markets. Their successes, appeared among the leading All up, Shannon sired the winners MAGIC MILLIONS began reverse-shuttling to and failures, prompt a look back 20 sires by earnings on five of more than $4 million during a 12-13 March – Adelaide, South Australia HeAd OFFICe Tipperary in 2010. In that year, at some of the Australian horses occasions in England short career in Kentucky (he died in 1955). Without any significant sire PO Box 5246, GCMC, he covered 79 mares in Ireland, who hit international shores for against invidious competition— Queensland 9726 which escalated to 150 last breeding duties. among his rivals at stud were sons, however, Shannon’s legacy fell QTIS Yearling Sale T: + 61 7 5504 1200 year, and this year he has been St Simon, , by the wayside. Carbine (NZ) (1885, 17-18 March – Gold Coast, Queensland F: + 61 7 5531 7082 supported in similar figures. and . Royal Gem (1942, Dhoti In a handful of years, Darley will (GB)-Mersey (GB), In 1906, his son E: [email protected] (GB)-French Gem, by know if Lonhro will have muscled by Knowsley (GB)) won the Derby and the into the more difficult American Grand Prix de , cementing Beau Fils (GB)) Entries close Friday, 3 August Although New Zealand-bred, market, and if he’ll have done it Carbine as a sire of note in The son of an outstanding in whirlwind fashion, as he has in Carbine is remembered as one of England. In Australia, his son Australia’s greatest early exports. broodmare, Royal Gem was a Australia, or slowly, methodically, Wallace had already won a tally leading Australian racehorse as has Exceed And Excel in Europe. Sold in March 1895 to the English- of top races and became the magic millions insurance – only the best rates based Duke of Portland (after four before he was sold to America in leading stallion. However, it was 1949. The winner of the Caulfield t: +61 7 55041200 www.insurance.magicmillions.com.au onhro, Exceed And Excel, seasons in Australia), he began Carbine’s descendants in later Encosta De Lago and Fastnet northern hemisphere duties in Cup, Futurity Stakes, Linlithgow L years that made him legendary. Stakes and 10 other principal Rock are the most recent, and 1896 at Welbeck Abbey Stud for Through Spearmint came the most famous, Australian-based a fee of 200 guineas. Though not races, he was shipped to

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2013MajorYearlingSale_InsideBreeding_297X210.indd 1 8/6/12 3:47:52 PM REVERSE SHUTTLE

HISTORIC: the captivating Royal Gem, pictured after winning at Caulfield, went on to sire winner Dark Star.

Hermitage Farm, Kentucky, for a Bourg states that Noholme Strawberry Road (1979, (1999, reported US$100,000. Within a was Australia’s ‘greatest single Whiskey Road (USA)- (IRE) few short years he had produced stallion export since Carbine’. Giftisa (NZ), by Rich -Great Selection, by the 1953 Kentucky Derby winner A full brother to super sprinter Dark Star. , Noholme was exported Gift (GB)) (GB)) Falling into the mould of a to America in 1960 with a solid Strawberry Road, a champion The muscly, chestnut Choisir successful sire very quickly, Royal race record—across 1959 he had winner of the Cox Plate and is best remembered as the first Gem also sired 1961 Canadian won six stakes races in Australia, AJC Derby, left Australia to Australian racehorse to conquer Horse of the Year Hidden Treasure, including the Champagne Stakes, campaign in Europe in 1984, Royal Ascot, winning the 2003 and Royal Bay Gem, a winner and Cox Plate. where he won the G1 Grosser King’s Stand Stakes and Golden of 13 races. With a female line Incredibly, his sale price to the US Preis von Baden in Germany Jubilee Stakes before running that had produced Popinjay and was only US$18,000. before finishing fifth in the G1 to a close second a tally of other Stakes winners in Noholme subsequently sired Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He in the . Two days later, Australia, Royal Gem was arguably more than 350 individual also campaigned successfully breeding giants Coolmore secured the best-bred Australian horse winners of over 2000 in France and North America the son of Danehill Dancer for stud to be exported in the 1940s, and races across the Northern (second in the Breeders’ Cup duties, and he shuttled between certainly the only Australian sire Hemisphere, earning more than Turf) before being bought for ’s Plains and Tipperary until to produce a Kentucky Derby US$16 million in prizemoney. stud duties by Allen Paulson, 2010 when it was announced he winner. But he was also a sire of Beginning his stud career in who stood him privately at his would remain in Australia. sires. Dark Star went on to produce an obscure corner of Arkansas, Brookside Farm, Versailles, Choisir’s most famous the winners of more than US$4 he was moved to Ocala, Kentucky. Strawberry progeny is the Australian-sired million in prizemoney, including Florida, in 1968, where he Road prove something of a , who the outstanding , and later stood for US$7500. Between phenomenon; from 368 foals, recently went back into training broodmare, Gazala. Royal Gem’s 1964 and his death in 1983, he sired 233 winners, including for Coolmore after he proved half-brother Beau Gem (by Helios), Noholme produced 20 foal three Breeders’ Cup winners— subfertile. From his northern a winner, also crops in America of which 68 (BC Turf), duties, Choisir got some pedigrees videos photos statistics runners progeny for sale sales results daily updates stood in the US. per cent were winners, with (BC Distaff) and (BC good performers, including 55 individual stakes winners. Distaff)—and G1 Santa Anita Stimulation, winner of the G2 Noholme (1956, Star His most notable progeny Derby winner Dinard. He also Challenge Stakes, and Lady Kingdom (IRE)-Oceana was who, de Bourg is the sire of the dam Springbank, who won the (IRE), by (GB)) states, ‘vigorously extended and of champion 2YO colt G3 C.L. Weld Stakes at the ramified the - , 2002 US 2YO of Curragh. However, Choisir In The Australian and New Zealand Noholme male-line dynasty in the Year and Breeders’ Cup has not fired in Europe the , author Ross de North America’. Juvenile winner. way he has in Australia.

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