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45.
Singapore stars create Australian breeding history
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22/04/2002 |
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Australian breeding history is being made this year with the appearance for the first time at stud here next season of racehorses from Singapore. Pioneering the way are two of Singapore's stars of the past two years, the Nijinsky line sire Carry the Flag (Lyndhurst Stud,Warwick,Queensland) and the Sadler's Wells product Aristotle (Lynden Park Stud, Redhill South,Victoria).
Both were acquired from Europe for Singapore earlier with the view to becoming candidates for the rich events which were revolutionising the quality of racing in the region to the extent consideration has been given to including their $3million Singapore International Cup in the world series.
The inaugural running of the Singapore Gold Cup last year was one of the races in which Carry the Flag turned in a fine performance, finishing third behind highly respected Ouzo and Hong Kong superstar Jim and Tonic.When he made his debut inSingapore late the previous year, an appearance in the $1million Singapore Gold Cup, Carry the Flag had stirred the huge crowd at the Kranji track when he came from eight lengths back in the straight to beat Ouzo.
He had gone to Singapore with four wins in Great Britain to his credit including two under big weights on major tracks at two years. However, the two wins which suggested that he could be a very worthy candidate for the prestige Singapore races were in valuable events at four years, the Coolmore Stud Shergar Handicap at Goodwood and the Rosebery Handicap at Kempton. In addition he was runner up in the Doonside Cup at Ayr and in the Gran Premio d'Italia.
Earner all told of about $1million,Carry the Flag is by Group One winning two-year-old Tenby, like Generous a son of one of the greatest Nijinsky products Caerleon, and from a mare by the Northern Dancer champion Dance in Time
Both the first two dams have produced Group one performers, the fourth dam Fairy Flax was a champion English sprinter and she went back to one of the most famous mares in breeding history, Chelandry. One of her grandsons was seven times champion Australian sire Heroic, while a more modern descendant is the influential sire Forty Niner.
Although he is to stand in Victoria, the other horse from Singapore, Aristotle also involves a leading Queensland stud,Glenlogan Park.They are in the partnership with Singapore interests which purchased the son of Sadler's Wells from the Magniers of Coolmore,Ireland,after he had proved one of the best two-year-olds in Europe in1999.
Typically of European racing, he ran but twice at that age but won both races including the Group One Racing Post Trophy over a mile at England's Doncaster in emphatic style. Also,he was first past the post by two lengths in a Group Two classic preliminary at Longchamp - relegated to third - first up at three and then, at his only other European outing, came out of an unplaced run in the English Derby with an injury which sidelined him for some months.
Aristotle subsequently returned to racing in Singapore where he added to his reputation as a class performer with two more stakes wins, a second in the Singapore Derby - for three-year-olds and up - and a third in the million dollar Singapore Gold Cup. He also represented the region in the world's richest race, the Dubai World Cup.
Nearly a three-quarter brother to one of Europe's top three-year-old milers of 1997,Starborough, both of them being from the Northern Dancer male line and from the same mare, Group One winning two-year-old Flamenco Wave, Aristotle also has impressive breeding credentials. He is by the same sire as Scenic, Carnegie and Glenlogan Park's King's Theatre and his dam is by the Damascus Hollywood Gold Cup winner Desert Wine and from a leading Canadian two-year-old.
Almutawakel, winner in1999 of the Dubai World Cup, and White Muzzle, successful in1993 in the Italian Derby and a neck second in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, are both relations. It is an extension of the wonderful American Lea Lark family, a prolific source of racing excellence and stud achievement.
Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Service Phone (02) 6543 3051
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