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43.
Half Brother To Desert Prince Wins In Ireland
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14/07/2002 |
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When Wakefield Stud principal Brian Agnew imported the mare Flying Fairy to Australia in 1997 the immaculately bred daughter of Bustino boasted a race record of no wins from 4 starts. She had begun her stud career just as poorly with her first two foals by Sharpo and Rousillon finishing their race careers as maidens while her third foal by Danehill won one race in France and was strakes-placed in Belgium.
Flying Fairy’s fourth foal by Thatching also failed to win a race in 5 starts. At the time it seemed no great loss to the Irish breeding industry when Flying Fairy was sold to Australia even though she had produced a promising two year old by Green Desert which had won a maiden race at Doncaster and finished second in the Group 3 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. Flying Fairy had also foaled a yearling and weanling by former shuttle stallion. Blubird.
The Green Desert two-year old was Desert Prince, which was to become Europe’s Champion Miler at three with wins in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas, Prix Du Moulin (G1) and Queen Elizabeth 11 Stakes (G1). Desert Prince is now one of the high-class line-up of stallions at Woodlands Stud, Jerry’s Plains N.S.W.
Naturally enough, Flying Fairy had become a highly commercial broodmare and it was no surprise to see her sold back to continue her career in the northern hemisphere. The only foal produced by Flying Fairy in Australia is the Hurricane Sky filly Fairy Story a placegetter at Gosford from 3 starts.
The first mate chosen for Flying Fairy after her antipodean adventure was the world’s most commercial stallion Storm Cat. The resultant chestnut colt from the union, named Ontario, won his second race from 4 starts when successful in the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday. The odds on favourite had little difficulty in beating his stablemate Spartacus (Danehill) by 1 ˝-lengths with Benicio (Spectrum) 2-lengths back in third. Ontario appeared to appreciate a return to the soft track conditions after struggling at his previous start on a fast surface when fourth in the Windsor Castle Stakes on June 21.
"Ontario has now won a Group Three and we will step him up in grade. He has plenty of options in the next few weeks including the Phoenix Stakes here next month," trainer Aidan O'Brien told P.A. Sport.
By: Mark Smith
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