The Reverse Shuttle Phenomenon
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REVERSE SHUTTLE MODERN PIONEER: the magnificent Lohnro is the first Australian Champion 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 Lonhro, stablemate Phillips cited the recently Rain and Dizelle), along with Exceed And Excel (by Danehill) deceased Dynaformer (sire of Juddmonte Farm’s Kentucky is another Darley sire that has Barbaro and Americain) and Oaks winner Flute, and Sky been burning the seasons at Silver Hawk (sire of 14 G1 Song, a relative of Pierro and both ends. In his ninth year of winners) as two Roberto sons to the dam of Octagonal’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 was 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 Australia 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 Ajax, 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 Encosta De Lago. 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, Bernborough, Shannon the Australian leading-sire table all, the first champion Australian Lonhro’s sire Octagonal had and Royal Gem. In later years (behind only Redoute’s Choice). UNCLE SAM stallion to reverse-shuttle to shuttled to Europe in his there were Noholme, Pago Pago, He had high fertility figures America, and the second to early sire days but had not Daryl’s Joy, Tobin Bronze and and a talent 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 Derby impact in Europe. “Encosta Darby Dan Farm 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, Fairy King, 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 Sir Ivor 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 found 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 imposing legacy. Americans because of his Roberto US stint (40 belonged to Sheikh a fashionable practice. “The Fastnet Rock will fare better (sire of Red Ransom) 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 Plucky Liege and Catnip. Catnip was the granddam of Nearco; Plucky Liege produced Sir Gallahad, MY CHAMPION Bois Roussel and Admiral Drake. The Duke of Portland wrote of Carbine’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 Melbourne Cup 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 thoroughbreds 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 Spendthrift Farm, Kentucky, in November 1948, second only to Citation 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 Alibhai, he produced GO TO the 1957 Withers Stakes winner Clem, who defeated Round Table Perth Yearling Sale www.magicmillions.com.au in the Washington Park Handicap. 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.