3 minute read
Son of Iffraaj heads roster at a fee of NZ$15,000.
Darley Stud sire Belardo (Lope De Vega) will stand the 2021 season at Haunui Farm for an unchanged fee of NZ$10,000 (plus GST), while fellow Darley shuttler Ribchester (Iffraaj) will be offered to breeders at a fee of NZ$15,000 (plus GST), the same fee he stood at last season.
Belardo has sired two winners from his first southern hemisphere crop, headed by Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) winner Avonallo, while it also includes Group 2-placed Fonsalette.
"Belardo has received outstanding support from New Zealand breeders in his four seasons at stud to date and has served in excess of 430 mares," said Haunui Farm's managing director Mark Chitty. "Each crop gets better and better on type and that's something you often see with stallions as we start to work out the style of mare that best suits.
"To have a stakes winner and multiple stakes performer from his first Southern Hemisphere crop is very pleasing."
Ribchester - who has already sired a winner from his first northern hemisphere crop - was relocated to Haunui Farm last season having stood his first two seasons in the southern hemisphere at Darley's Kelvinside base.
The son of Iffraaj's (Zafonic) first crop of yearlings were well received at the sales with 12 selling for an aggregate $973,198 at an average $81,099.
"Ribchester has some big shoes to fill in taking Iffraaj's place on the Haunui stallion roster but we couldn't be happier to have him," said Chitty. "The word on his progeny in the North is very encouraging – to have his own trainer, Richard Fahey, singing their praises, along with the likes of Richard Hannon and some of the leading breakers and breeze-up consigners bodes well for the future.
"We were lucky enough to have a Ribchester colt in our draft at Karaka. He sold for NZ$230,000 to Go Racing and as soon as the hammer fell, Chris Waller was on the phone to Albert Bosma to ask to train him. That's testament to the style of horse Ribchester can leave.
"As always, we are very grateful to Godolphin to have Belardo and Ribchester returning in 2021 and, for their support and understanding in setting our service fees. When you consider that Iffraaj's highest fee in New Zealand was $25,000, I think it shows the consideration we always try to give when setting our fees at what we believe presents value for the New Zealand breeder."
