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91.
Volksraad Takes NZ Sires Title
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29/07/2002 |
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Volksraad has ended the reign of Zabeel as New Zealand’s champion sire.
After finishing runner-up on last year’s NZ sires’ premiership, Volksraad has toppled Zabeel from the top of the domestic list for the first time in five seasons.
Volksraad, who has been standing at New Zealand’s Windsor Park Stud since 1993, was previously champion New Zealand sire of two-year-olds four times in 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-2001.
He has taken the NZ title with progeny earnings of almost $NZ760,000, while Zabeel has slipped to 12th on the domestic list.
Zabeel’s star is still shining as bright as ever as he has finished second to his perennial rival Danehill on the combined Australia-NZ list with earnings of almost $A6 million. Volksraad does not make the top 50 on the combined Australia-NZ list.
However Volksraad has enjoyed a big season in NZ as has taken his tally of individual stakeswinners to 20 including six Group
One winners. His list of stakes performers in 2001-02 included Vinaka, Blackrock College, Voltaire, Volkaire, Leeu, Clifton King, Appeal Process and Modena Bay.
His progeny also won the equal highest number of stakes races in NZ during the season, the highest total of races and he also produced the most individual winners of any sire in New Zealand.
Other notable achievements for the son of Green Desert include having sired winners in nine different countries including a multiple G1 winner in South Africa.
Volksraad was bred by the famous Darley Stud and was unbeaten in his only start as a two-year-old at Newmarket.
He had only two starts as a three-year-old, winning his first assignment at Royal Ascot and then finished third in the G2 Newmarket Challenge Stakes before a training accident during the winter resulted in an arthritic problem in his knee.
This restricted his movement in his off fore-leg and led to his premature retirement.
The support from New Zealand breeders for Volksraad has seen his books rise from 55 mares in his first season to a current limit of 120.
From his first crop came the G1 winner Dantelah and NZ Magic Millions winner Thriller. Amazingly from 44 live foals; he produced nine individual stakes winners.
His other Group and Listed winners from previous seasons include One Under, Zola, Star Satire, Bahnhof Zoo, Caribou and Torlesse.
In South Africa, Volksraad’s progeny have also been hugely successful with Clifton King winning twice at Group One level.
Clifton King was the first-ever imported horse in South Africa to surpass the $1 million rand in stake-earning and only horse to defeat South African champion Horse Chestnut.
The highest price to date for a Volksraad yearling is $NZ500,000 paid for Dantelah’s brother from Frosting at the Karaka sales.
Volksraad also produced the highest price at the Select Colts Sales at Karaka this year and recorded the second highest average of the Select Fillies Sale.
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