Blue Gum Farm have announced that brilliant European
juvenile galloper King Charlemagne will be standing at their Victorian property for the
2002 season.
A son of the champion sire Nureyev, King Charlemagne was
destined to be a star from the very day he was born.
It was no surprise when his breeders, Coolmore Stud's John
Magnier and Victoria's own Bob Scarborough, offered the colt for sale at Keeneland as a
foal he was sold for US$1.5 million.
King Charlemagne is out of the G1 Santa Maria Handicap
winner Race the Wild Wind, a top class Sunny's Halo mare who is from the family of Group
One winners Generous, Imagine, Triptych, Trillion, Sabona, Treble, Life's Hope and
Juvenia.
Not surprisingly Blue Gum Farm were delighted at being able
to secure the services of the Coolmore Stud owned stallion.
"King Charlemagne is an exciting stud prospect,"
Blue Gum Farm's Principal Philip Campbell said.
"He showed his class by winning four Group races
including a Group One, but the thing that really excites me is his breeding."
"Nureyev is one of the best stallions and exciting
sire of sires in the world and King Charlemagne looks just like his dad," Campbell
said.
"He (King Charlemagne) really does something for
me," Campbell beamed. "He's a real Northern Dancer type."
The stunning looker only faced the
starter on six occasions
and won five of them.
His best win came in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at
Deauville, scoring a fighting win over the excellent youngster Three Points.
The Group One triumph at Deauville was his fifth win in as
many starts. Prior to Deauville he had downed Mull of Kintyre in the G2 Minstrel Stakes at
the Curragh.
Two of his other wins came at Group Two level at
Leopardstown and Newmarket.
After he dominated on the racetrack it was no surprise to
see his full brother Meshaheer recently take the Group 3 July Stakes.
"Meshaheer is now one of the leading chances in the
2000 Guineas in May," Campbell reported.
King Charlemagne will stand the 2002 season at a service
fee of $12,500 (inc GST) alongside Encosta de Lago, Rubiton, Last Tycoon and Umatilla at
Blue Gum Farm. |
