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posted on 28 March, 2019

Novara Park announce acquisition of highest stake earner to stud in New Zealand.

Novara Park announce acquisition of highest stake earner to stud in New Zealand.

New Zealand farm Novara Park Stud have added Staphanos, a Group 1-performing son of global sire-sensation Deep impact (Sunday Silence), to their stallion roster for the 2019 southern hemisphere breeding season. 

A winner as a juvenile, Staphanos went on to record a trio of victories as a three-year old, defeating subsequent Japanese horse of the year and stallion Maurice (Screen Hero) at Kyoto before rounding off his campaign with a first Group success in the Tokyo Fuji Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m). 
His four-year-old season saw him take to the international stage, finishing a gallant runner-up in Hong Kong’s Queen Elizabeth ii Cup (Gr 1, 2000m), with multiple Australian 
Group 1 winner Criterion (Sebring) back in third. Staphanos returned to Japan to finish second in the 2015 Tenno Sho (Gr 1, 2000m) at Tokyo. 
His five- and six-year-old seasons yielded a further three placings at Group 1 level, including when third to Maurice and Secret Weapon (Choisir) in the 2016 Hong Kong Cup (Gr 1, 2000m). The acquisition of Staphanos follows on from the loss of promising young sire Jakkalberry (Storming Home), who was the foundation stallion for Luigi Muollo's Novara park Stud in Waikato. The seven-year-old will stand for a service fee of NZ$7,000 (+GST). 
“We were on the lookout for a highly-ranked Group 1 racehorse to replace Jakkalberry who died last year,” Novara park manager Ray Knight said. “We looked at a large number of stallion prospects for 2018, but none ticked all the boxes, so we decided to wait for the right one. “Staphanos fits all the criteria we set when selecting a stallion - performance, pedigree, physique and commercial appeal. 
“His ranking in Japan as one of the best three, four, five and six-year-olds is unmatched. He was a multiple Group 1 performer in Japan and represented his country as a multiple Group 1 performer in Hong Kong. “Staphanos is an outstanding and correct physical type and full of quality.” 
Having raced 31 times - 25 of those outings at Group level - for four wins and ten placings, Stapanos retired in 2018 with a prize-money haul of JpY469,659,753. (NZ$6,200,000).
The colt’s three-time winning dam Kokoshnik is by successful Japanese stallion Kurofune (French Deputy), who hails from the immediate family of New Zealand-raced mare and Great Northern Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Catania (Pride of Kildare). Staphanos is a sibling to four winners, including the stakes-placed Finift (Deep impact), while his multiple Listed-winning granddam Gold Tiara (Seeking The Gold) is a half-sister to the late Darley shuttler poet’s voice (Dubawi), whose progeny includes Mackinnon Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) hero Trap For Fools. Further back, this is also the family of Group 1 winner Mozu Katchan (Harbinger) and the Godolphin-raced Blair House (pivotal), who finished a narrow second to Benbatl (Dubawi) in the Caulfield Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) last year. 
“He is by the world’s hottest sire Deep impact who has the highest advertised service fee at NZ$540,000 and is greatly sought after by all our main international markets,” Knight added. “This is a fantastic opportunity for the New Zealand breeding industry to access a top-class racehorse with a globally pedigree.

 

 

 


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