Argonaut - Return of a Champion!
We have the pleasure of announcing the return of Western Winter’s Equus Champion son Argonaut to stud in South Africa . He is to stand at Vaughan Koster’s Cheveley Stud and is in export process from Australia as we speak.
Argonaut won 3 of his 4 starts as a 2yo including Gr1 Golden Horseshoe by 2.5 lengths and the Gr1 Premier’s Stakes by 5 lengths and was a neck 2nd in the Gr1 Gold Reef Medallion, and he won his maiden by 1 length. These performances prompted a report in the Australian press: “Argonaut has been devastating in just four racetrack appearances in South Africa winning three times and being narrowly defeated on the other occasion. The flashy son of Western Winter is regarded as the best galloper to emerge from South Africa since Horse Chestnut eight years ago and in some quarters is even being spoken about in the same terms as other international group performers Ipi Tombe, Irridescence, Perfect Promise, Hoeberg and London News”.
My late pal Wilfred Koster told me at the Equus Awards on the night that Argonaut was crowned the Champion 2yo Colt – “got to get this colt back to stud one day”. And now his wish has become a reality.
Argonaut has the racing record and pedigree credentials to be a stallion. He is strapping 16.1hh, very masculine horse. He was considered good enough as a sire prospect in the opinion of the man in Australia that launched the career of Encosta de Lago, Philip Campbell. This decision may have been prompted by the fact that he was nominated for consideration for the Horse of the Year title at 2 – a rare consideration by that panel.
There are many news items on Argonaut on the internet in Australia . We have extracted just a few for this report. The item attached says it all. In another Campbell said “Lee Freedman was very “aggressive” in wanting to train Argonaut. He's not just a great trainer... he does his homework and he was quite adamant that he had to train this horse”. Campbell added: “The comment that sticks in my mind the most was made when I was showing Lee the footage of Argonaut’s two year old performances last season. He looked at me and said that it was a long time since he had seen a horse with an action like that.”
Blue Gum Farm has cleared Argonaut with the vets for stud duties. Without being exposed to Australian tracks and given the state of the current world economy it has been decided to send him to SA where his credentials need no explanation.
SA horses going to Australia take at least 6 months to get there via Europe where they experience climate changes and freezing cold cargo holds over long flights. Our own experience in moving horses is that this can be terribly debilitating. "He caught a terrible lung infection in the spring," Blue Gum Farm’s Philip Campbell said. "He got over that and got himself cast in his box which caused serious damage and forced his retirement without being raced here”.
We are delighted to add Argonaut to our portfolio and have started to take advanced bookings. Consider the facts:
· Equus Champion 2yo Colt and nominee for Horse of the Year
· Won his maiden by 1 length - Dual Gr1 winner at 2, Gr1 2nd in just 4 starts (won his Gr1 races by 2.5 & 5 lengths)
· Son of Champion Sire, Western Winter – a top class connection to the Mr Prospector line
· Dam was runner up Broodmare of the Year with 10 winners – 5 stakes winners.
· He is an own brother to Simply Salmon who was rated 110 at 2yrs and trained on as dual stakes winner of 10 races
· Female line is full of speed – and they get a mile at the highest level. Half sister won the Gr1 SA Fillies Guineas.
We have no instruction on syndication, yet, and his fee will be announced when the overseas connections arrive this month.
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