Aclaim to shuttle to Aquis

All those horses were bred at the family's historic Canning Downs on the outskirts of Warwick. Now the family's distinctive pink and black colours have been acclaimed in Europe at the 2017 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe day at Chantilly, Paris, France courtesy of Aclaim winning the 1400m Group 1 Prix de la Foret.

Trained by Martyn Meade, Aclaim was a winner of his only start at two before proving himself top-class at three and four. He won the Group 1 Prix de la Foret over 1400m in France as well as the Group 2 Park Stakes and the Group 2 Challenge Stakes in England over the same distance.

Having attained Group 1 winning status, a 50 per cent share in Aclaim was bought by Dubai-based Phoenix Thoroughbreds and he began stud duties at the prestigious National Stud, Newmarket in England. Aclaim was the most popular First Season Sire in the UK in 2018 with a total of 130 'in foal' mares and his first foals are now impressing breeders with their quality, strength and substance.

Now comes the great news that Aquis Farm has attained Aclaim to stand the 2019 breeding season in Queensland at its Canungra property. "Aquis and Phoenix Thoroughbreds have developed a strong relationship in the Australian market recently and we're delighted to bring Aclaim to Australia," Aquis CEO Shane McGrath said.

"Queensland breeding is synonymous with speed sires. With Aclaim we are introducing a world-class Group 1 winning sprinter with a pedigree that resonates with breeders and he is by Acclamation - one of the most potent speed sires in the world," he said.

Aclaim is the first foal of Irish-bred winning Danroad (Aus) mare Aris who has an outstanding maternal pedigree being a stakes-placed half-sister to Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner and multiple stakes producer Again (Danehill Dancer) while the third dam is Floripedes (Top Ville) who produced the great Montjeu (Ire).

Now in foal to Kingman, Aris foaled a colt by Frankel in 2018 while her 2017 colt by Night Of Thunder sold for 260,000 guineas to Phoenix Thoroughbreds - obviously keen to acquire Aclaim's half -brother.

In fact, Aclaim stood the 2018 season at the National Stud alongside resident Aquis stallion Spill The Beans. The young Group 2 winning son of Snitzel covered almost 500 mares at his past three seasons at Canungra with his first yearling progeny selling to $170,000 at last month's Magic Millions March yearling sale at the Gold Coast.

INCOMING Group 1 winning shuttle stallion Aclaim has strong Australian links in his maternal grandsire's pedigree. His Irish-bred dam Aris is by Danroad - a horse bred and sold in Australia by John Singleton and then raced in New Zealand before undertaking stud duties in New Zealand, Ireland and China.

Now he has the distinction of being the broodmare sire of Group 1 winners in Europe and Australia. His daughter Aris produced Aclaim to win the Group 1 Prix de la Foret in France followed by New Zealand-bred Opulence foaling Verry Elleegant who won the 2000m Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes for 3YO fillies at Rosehill, Sydney last Saturday. Indeed, Opulence also has strong Australian links as her dam Mulan Magic was bred at Glenlogan Park, Innisplain close-by to Canungra before crossing the Tasman Sea to New Zealand where she produced five winners including Opulence.

By internationally renown sire Danehill from the winning Strawberry Road mare Strawberry Girl (USA), Danroad was a $400,000 yearling at Magic Millions Gold Coast before winning at Group 2 level in New Zealand. He was one of nine winners from his dam who in turn was one of 10 winners from her dam. Best of his New Zealand progeny was Group 1 TJ Smith Classic winner Rockdale in Brisbane and Group 1 New Zealand Derby runner-up Down The Road.

Among his Irish-bred progeny was winner and stakes-placed Aris - a filly bought by John Barnes and partner Joy Mackay, along with long-time bloodstock advisor Dermot Farrington, for 75,000 guineas at the 2009 Tattersalls October Yearling sale.

While John Barnes admits they bought Aris 'cheap' because she was by little-known Australian-bred and New Zealand based shuttle sire Danroad, he is delighted that another Danroad daughter has produced an Australian Group 1 winner. "It's a rare achievement to be a Group 1 winning broodmare sire both in Europe (Aclaim) and Australia (Verry Elleegant)," he said.

AUSTRALIAN-bred shuttle sires Helmet and Lonhro gained bragging rights at the world's richest racing program when Thunder Snow and Gronkowski ran the quinella in the $US12 million Dubai World Cup held at Meydan racecourse on Saturday.

Group 1 wins by Charlie Appleby-trained duo Blue Point (Al Quoz Sprint) and Old Persian (Sheema Classic) plus stablemate and last year's Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter (Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup) added to a superb night for Sheikh Mohammed's global Godolphin racing stable.

They shared the spotlight with Japanese superstar filly Almond Eye who validated her challenge to Winx as the world's best on turf by remaining unbeaten with her victory in the Group 1 Dubai Turf.

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained Thunder Snow - by Australian sire Helmet - became the first dual victor of the G1 Dubai World Cup and a winner at the Meydan feature meeting for the third straight year. With Christophe Soumillon aboard, Thunder Snow dug deep late to beat the gallant Gronkowski, also by an Australian sire Lonhro, in a photo finish for the fourth Group 1 win of his career that have been achieved in Dubai and France.

Helmet and Lonhro are both members of the Godolphin/Darley international sire battery. Triple Group 1 winner Helmet (Exceed And Excel) began a six year shuttle career to England in 2013 but moved to Germany after completing the 2018 Northern Hemisphere breeding season. Associate sire and 11 times Group 1 winner Lonhro (Octagonal) shuttled to the USA for three seasons from 2012 to 2014 where his most notable progeny has been Gronkowski with four wins in England and two notable second places in major Group 1 races. The first was in last year's 2400m Belmont Stakes - the third leg of Justify's 3YO Triple Crown victories - and the other was last Saturday's Dubai World Cup.

Saeed bin Suroor has now won the Dubai World Cup nine times in 23 runnings for Sheikh Mohammed. "I think this is my 191st Group 1 winner but it ranks very highly - probably with Dubai Millennium in 2000 when he won this race," bin Suroor said.

The win elevated Thunder Snow's earnings in UK pounds to £12,275,245 and puts him within striking distance of Arrogate's world record of £13,671,322 - a figure that can also be overtaken by Winx (£13,219,716) if she wins the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 13.

ROCKHAMPTON'S Capricornia Yearling Sale is fast approaching on Sunday, April 14 when some 104 yearlings will go under the hammer in the Robert Schwarten Pavilion at the Rockhampton showgrounds.

Neville Stewart's Oaklands Stud, Umbiram, will carve out its own niche this year in two-fold fashion.

Firstly, Oaklands with 22 yearlings in its draft will create a record for the biggest individual draft ever presented to the Rockhampton sale since its inception in 1988. That year under the selling banner of Elders Pastoral some 81 yearlings were catalogued which led to the foundation of racing for two-year-old's in Rockhampton.

At the 2019 CYS, Stewart's Oaklands Stud will also become the longest serving vendor as it first entered yearlings in the arena there in 1992. The 1992 draft comprised of a lone brown filly by the Seattle Slew stallion Seattle Siesta (USA) from the Mezzanine mare Little Mezzalena which fetched $6500.

In recent years the Oaklands draft has become the backbone of the CYS producing a dynasty of winners in not only Central Queensland but throughout the State. There is no better example than this year's running of the $125,000 Capricornia Yearling Sale 2YO Classic (1200m) at Callaghan Park on the day preceding the yearling sale, Saturday, April 13. That race is only for yearlings sold from the CYS and Oaklands could have as many as four runners derived from the 2018 draft of yearlings.

Incidentally, an astounding tally of 11 individual winners has already come from the 2018 CYS and all are planned to run in the 2YO Classic.

THE Oaklands quartet for the Capricornia 2YO Classic comprise the last start Rockhampton winners Flying Crackerjak (Wicked Style/Perpugilliam) and Pound For Pound (Sidereus/Massage), Mackay winner Woohoo Girl (Sidereus/Harley Ma) and multiple placegetter, The Stockbroker (Sidereus/Special Deposit). All four Oaklands bred Classic contenders are prepared by Rockhampton trainer and Rockhampton Jockey Club committee member Tom Button.

Oaklands Stud has produced the winners of the last two CYS 2YO Classics through Stylish Criminal (Wicked Style/No More Crime) and Wicked Ways (Wicked Style/Camphor). The latter sold for $10,000 at the 2017 CYS and not long after his feature Rockhampton win was sold for a hefty six figure sum to Hong Kong interests.

As well as producing the 2017 and 2018 CYS Classic winners, Oaklands has also supplied the runners-up in 2015 and 2016 in Wicked Crime and The Bank Manager.

The 2019 Oaklands catalogue comprises 16 of the progeny of the General Nediym horse Sidereus as well as five Wicked Style yearlings and a colt by Denman.

One entrant expected to attract considerable attention is a striking Sidereus filly - the last foal of Special Deposit. A winning daughter of Group 1 winner Special Dane, Special Deposit has had eight foals to race for seven winners while her son The Stockbroker should soon give her a perfect winner to race producer record.

The filly is a full sister to the top Rockhampton male of his year in The Bank Manager, a dual Callaghan Park winner and Eagle Farm placegetter behind record breaking Instinction filly Paradis Imperial. The filly is also a half-sister to the Roy Chillemi dual Wicked Style winner Bank Teller while Special Deposit's other Sidereus offspring Molonge Magic won five races.