Off the back of RIBCHESTER (IRE) (Iffraaj) finishing April with his first southern hemisphere stakes performer as well as being Europe’s Leading Second Season Sire by winners, and BELARDO (IRE) (Lope De Vega) siring his first stakes winner in Australia, Haunui Farm is pleased to announce the return of both exciting young sires to New Zealand in 2022.
BELARDO finished the 2020/2021 season as New Zealand’s Champion 2YO and First Season Sire. AVONALLO lead the way as a stakes winner and Karaka Million 2YO placegetter whilst Fonsalette and Yeaboi were also stakes performers in his first crop. His second crop has produced another Karaka Million 2YO placegetter in Fellini and his progeny have continued to fetch six figures in Australasian sale rings. 3YO filly VERONA became BELARDO’s first stakes winner in Australia earlier this month with an impressive performance in the G3 Frank Packer Plate over 2000m and heads toward the Queensland Oaks as a leading contender for the Maher/Eustace stable.
BELARDO’s fee will remain at $10,000 + GST for 2022.
4-time G1 winner and two-time Champion Miler RIBCHESTER has made an exciting start to the new flat racing season in Europe with 15 winners to date – 12 of those coming in the month of April. With a stakes winner in the USA and stakes performer in Europe, RIBCHESTER rose to the top of Europe’s Second Season Sires and holds the number 1 mantle for the month of April by winners.
IFFRAAJ’s best son, RIBCHESTER’s first crop has made a promising start in Australia with Plymstock an impressive city winner on debut in January. She backed that up this weekend to become her sires first stakes performer in the Southern Hemisphere when a gallant third in the Listed Dalrello Stakes (1000m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday, just one-and-a-half lengths from the winner.
IFFRAAJ’s first G1 winner, WOTTON BASSETT continues to pave his way among the elite sires in Europe commanding a €150,000 service fee in 2022 and is a prime example of the legacy IFFRAAJ is creating in both hemispheres.
RIBCHESTER will stand at the unchanged fee of $15,000 + GST in 2022.
Haunui Farm’s Managing Director, Mark Chitty says, “We have two very exciting young sires in BELARDO and RIBCHESTER and as always, we are indebted to His Highness Sheik Mohammed and the entire Darley team for entrusting us with them.
“BELARDO has the numbers on the ground in Australasia to make his mark and knowing what we know about his four crops so far in that on type, they have been better and better each season, we are looking forward to the new season where he will have three crops of racing age and will have every opportunity to make his mark as a sire.
“RIBCHESTER has made a great start to the new season in Europe and with flat racing just getting underway up there, it’s exciting to think where things could end up for him come season’s end. With limited numbers in his first two crops in Australia, it was exciting to see Plymstock, his first winner in Australia, become his first stakes performer over the weekend. He’s had a number of trials performers in Australia of late so it would be nice to think he can get some more late Autumn points on the board which would set him up nicely for the new racing season.”
