Aussie Rules ‘back home’ and assured of strong support

AUSSIE RULES’S purchase by Lanwades Stud and Faisal Salman’s Denford Stud is one of the most eyecatching stallion transfers in Britain and Ireland this year, writes Martin Stevens.

The son of Danehill has spent five seasons at Coolmore and with his first crop just turned four he is the sire of 13 stakes performers, including speedy Dinkum Diamond, last season’s Norfolk Stakes runner-up Boomerang Bob and Preis der Diana second Djumama.

Lanwades and Denford know Poule d’essai des Poulians hero Aussie Rules well; Denford bred him out of Sun Chariot and Nassau Stakes winner Last Second, who in turn was bred by Lanwades owner Kirsten Rausing with Sonia Rogers out of their blue-chip broodmare Alruccaba. Denford has also bred the high-class trio Approach, Gooseberry Fool and Intrigued out of Last Second, while Lanwades has bred Alruccaba’s Group 1-winning descendants Albanova, Alborada and Allegretto. The two studs are bound to support Aussie Rules with some of their illustrious broodmares.

Misu Bond joins his fellow Reg Bond-owned son of Danehill Dancer, Monsieur Bond, at Norton Grove Stud. He made a pleasing impression with his first small crop of juveniles last year, which included multiple winners Bop It and Pint Size.

Monsieur Bond was a bit of a slow burner who endured some small crops before hitting the big time with top-class sprinters Gilt Edge Girl and Hoof It, and receiving 107 mares last year. Bond’s support of Monsieur Bond has played a big part in propelling him to fame and it would be no surprise to see a similar story play out with Misu Bond, a brother to Group 3 winner Air Chief Marshal.

Haafhd becomes one of the highest-class horses currently standing in the north of Britain with his move from Nunnery Stud in Norfolk to Beechwood Grange Stud in Yorkshire. Guineas and Champion Stakes winner Haafhd has produced a host of winners, some of them high-class, including Show Rainbow and Silver Grecian, and Beechwood Grange has succeeded standing other Shadwell horses such as Elmaamul and Muhtarram.

Last year jumps fans were dealt the double blow of the deaths of two great Sadler’s Wells stallion sons in King’s Theatre and Old Vic. There is better news one year on with the studs who stood the pair replenished with young, promising sons of Sadler’s Wells. Ballylinch, former home of King’s Theatre, has bought Beat Hollow, a son of Irish Oaks heroine Wemyss Bight who has sired Proportional and Sea Moon on the Flat and exciting hurdlers Cinders And Ashes and Hollow Tree over jumps. Sunnyhill Stud, which built Old Vic into a champion jumps sire, has King George winner Doyen to take his place. Doyen, a brother to Oaks winner Moonshell, has Keys and Kumbeshwar among his early jumps progeny.

Whytemount Stud, home of Europe’s busiest stallion of 2011, Stowaway, and Mr Dinos, whose book size it considerably increased last year, has also acquired a son of Sadler’s Wells in Aristotle, a Racing Post Trophy winner closely related to Breeders’ Cup Turf hero St Nicholas Abbey.

Batsford Stud has a new representative of the Sadler’s Wells line with In The Wings’s son Kutub, the sire of classy young chaser Notus De La Tour. Batsford is also the new home of 1994 Derby winner Erhaab.

New to the British stallion ranks are Malinas, a son of Lomitas who is sire of promising hurdlers Black Thunder and Medinas – he joins Yorton Farm – and Prince Flori, a Group 1-winning son of Lando who moves to Dairy House Stud.

Flying Legend, an Alleged brother to top jumps sire Montelimar, moves from Ballintry to Shade Oak Stud after his purchase by owner-breeder Paul Murphy, who noted the sire’s excellent winners-to-runners strike-rate. Phoenix Reach, sire of multiple hurdle winners Arctic Reach and Xenophon, moves from the National Stud to Mickley to become a dual-purpose stallion. Beat All, meanwhile, leaves Mickley for Pastures Barn Stud.

Irish 2,000 Guineas hero and former Irish National Stud resident Indian Haven, sire of Group 3 winners Ashram and Aspen Darlin, joins newly retired Eastern Anthem at Withyslade Stud. Arriving from much further afield is St Leger winner Rule Of Law, new to Kedrah House Stud from Darley Japan. Rule Of Law’s sire Kingmambo is grandsire of this month’s Tolworth Hurdle winner Captain Conan.