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Racing & Breeding News

Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Service

Phone (02) 654 3051, Fax (02) 6541 1022, July 8, 02

Plans for the coming season's breeding programs suffered major upsets in July with the cancellation of the thirteenth consecutive visit to the Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley of one of the world's leading sires, Danehill, and the death in Japan of End Sweep.

A prolific young winner getter by the Mr Prospector sire Forty Niner, End Sweep was owned by a partnership of Japanese interests and another leading Hunter Valley operation, the John Messara headed Arrowfield Stud near Scone, and was assured of another big book of mares here this year.

He stood his first season at Arrowfield in 1999, a year after he had caused a stir by setting a new world record for the most number of individual two-year-old winners in one year, providing 33 in his first American crop. It is a record which was matched in 2001 by Danehill with 33 of his 1999 Ireland foaled youngsters winning races, succeeding in England, Ireland, France, Germany, Turkey ,Italy, Sweden and Japan.

End Sweep added to his reputation as a sire of precocious performers in 2001, his final American bred crop of foals including 31 two-year-olds, 28 in America, one in England and two in Japan. His American bred progeny have also raced on with maturity, winning races up to Group One level and during 2001, a year the oldest were five-year-olds, providing 118 winners of US$7.2million.

The decision to abandon Danehill's visit this year and the suggestion that he may not do two seasons a year in future, staying instead in his yard at Coolmore in Ireland at the completion of his northern hemisphere duties, robs Australia of its best sire since Star Kingdom.

However, despite his absence and that of End Sweep, there will still be tremendous depth of overseas thoroughbred excellence available here in the coming season. Over sixty overseas sires are to fly into Australia in the next six weeks and will include winners of the English, Irish, French and Kentucky Derbys, the Guineas classics, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the American Breeders' Cup races.

Racing & Breeding News

Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Service

Phone (02) 654 3051, Fax (02) 6541 1022, July 8, 02

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