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38.
South Vigorous Sweeps To New Course Record
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12/06/2002 |
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While Arrowfield Stud stallions Flying Spur, Snippets, Danzero and Redoute’s Choice were hogging the headlines at the dispersal of Rob and Jenny Ferguson’s Torryburn Stud at the Gold Coast yesterday, Arrowfield’s record setting stallion End Sweep was enjoying stakes success at Japan’s Sapporo racetrack.
END SWEEP
Six-year old South Vigorous (End Sweep-Darkest Star by Star de Naskra) scorched over the Sapporo dirt in a course record setting 56.08 for the 1000m, defeating Divine Silver (Silver Deputy) by 2-lengths with another 2-lengths to Toyolincolin (Boundary) in the A$424,000 Hokkaido Sprint Cup (G3). Following victories this year alone in the Negishi S. (G3) (1400m), Kakitsubata Kinen (G3) (1400m), Kurofune Sho (G3) (1400m), and Hokkaido Sprint Cup (G3) (1000m), South Vigorous, a bargain US$17,000 weanling purchase at the 1996 OBS October Sale, has firmly stamped his claim as the nations premier short course performer.
Arrowfield will not be the only Australian Stud celebrating the success of South Vigorous. The third dam of the flying son of End Sweep is the War Admiral mare English Harbor, a half-sister to the champion broodmare Strait Lane (Chieftain). In a long and productive career spanning two decades Strait Lane produced three superior runners by the Roberto stallion Silver Hawk.
The undoubted star of the trio was triple Grade 1 winner Hawkster the winner of 6 races from 23 starts for earnings of over US$1.4 million. An outstanding performer on dirt, Hawkster was a champion on the turf in the U.S. In 7 starts on the turf Hawkster won 4 races was second twice and third once. His Grade One victories came in the Norfolk Stakes at two and the Oak Tree Invitational and Secretariat Stakes at three. He placed in a further 5 Grade One races.
Hawkster’s full brother Silver Kite began his career in France where he won the Prix Yacowlef Stakes (G3) and ran third in the Prix de la Salamandre (G1) at two. At three he won the Prix Saint Patrick (LR) and was third in the Prix Greffulhe (G2).
Full sister Silver Lane didn’t let the side down. The winner of three races and 4-times second in 12 starts, Silver Lane claimed the Prix de la Grotte (G3) and finished third in the Group One Irish Oaks. At stud Silver Lane produced Japan’s world-class sprinter/miler Black Hawk, a newcomer to Victoria’s progressive Eliza Park Stud this season. A $200,000 Keeneland July yearling Black Hawk, a son of the magnificent Nureyev, started 28 times over five seasons of racing at the highest level. His wins included the Group 1 Nakayama Sprinters Stakes, running a sizzling 1:08.20 for the 1200m, and the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen, running 1:33.00 for the 1600m. Behind him that day were modern day Japanese heroes Agnes Digital and Eishin Preston as well as Australia’s champion sprinter Testa Rossa, and Hong Kong idol Fairy King Prawn.
Black Hawk shuttles from the world-renowned Japanese breeding colossus Shadai Farm to Eliza Park where he will stand the coming season for $13,750 LFG.
By: Mark Smith
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