With demand for the progeny of No Nay Never, the highest-placed third-season sire in the world at #42 on TRC Global Rankings, continuing to rise, news comes today that is best son to date, the 2019 European champion 3-year-old sprinter Ten Sovereigns, will be shuttling not to Coolmore Australia but to New Zealand for the coming breeding season.
The dual G1 winner will travel to the Valachi Downs farm in Waikato district on New Zealand’s North Island from Coolmore Ireland with fellow July Cup winner U.S. Navy Flag in a development that sends out a strong message of support to the NZ breeding industry.
Ten Sovereigns hails from a long line of G1-winning two-year-olds and leading sires and will stand at an introductory fee of NZ$20,000+GST.
Unbeaten in three starts at two, he made an auspicious start to his career with a seven-length maiden triumph before landing the G3 Round Tower Stakes by just under four lengths. The quality colt confirmed himself as one of Europe’s best juveniles with victory in the G1 Middle Park Stakes for Aidan O’Brien. Returning as a 3-year-old, Ten Sovereigns stamped his class when winning the G1 July Cup
Ten Sovereigns retired to Coolmore and was one of the most popular young sires on the Irish farm’s roster this season.
“Our goal is to pull together a stallion line-up of high-quality individuals that are genetically and physically suited to the New Zealand market, with a mix of local and international bloodlines,” said Valachi Downs General Manager Gareth Downey.
“While the industry is in a challenging place at the moment, New Zealand breeders are a resilient bunch and we want to support them in the best possible way with an elite and diverse roster.
“We are delighted to further develop the partnership with Coolmore and stand the fast and precocious juvenile colt Ten Sovereigns this season. “Like U.S. Navy Flag, he has a speed profile and can physically be described as a beautifully scopey individual. We believe this exceptionally fast duo of elite sprinters will complement each other on the Valachi roster.”
U.S. Navy Flag, a son of War Front, was warmly received by breeders in his debut New Zealand season, covering a full book of 150 mares. As well as the July Cup, he took the G1 Dewhurst Stakes at the end of an outstanding juvenile season.
“We have slightly reduced U S Navy Flag’s fee this season to support breeders in the challenging economic climate,” Downey said.
“This is no reflection on our opinion of him, which has only grown after seeing the incredible physical types he has thrown in his first crop of Irish foals. New Zealand breeders should be very excited to see his first locally-bred foals arrive, as I know we are.”
Also heading to Valachi is Vespa, who was bred at the farm and has returned there for the 2020 breeding season after a promising start as a sire when based at Wellfield Lodge.
A G1-winning champion 2-year-old, Vespa’s first crop of juveniles have provided the sire with impressive results and his yearlings have fetched up to $75,000 in the sale ring. Despite a small crop of 54 foals in his debut stud season, Vespa has had two Group-placed juveniles from his first eight runners, indicating his ability to pass traits of precocity onto his progeny.
“The team at Wellfield Lodge have done an exceptional job with Vespa’s early stud career,” Downey said. “We would like to thank them and the shareholders in the horse for their support of the decision by Valachi and Wellfield to move Vespa to the Waikato [property], where he will have access to a larger broodmare pool.”
Full Valachi Downs 2020 roster
Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA} x Seeking Solace {GB}) – $20,000+GST
U S Navy Flag (Ire) (War Front {USA} x Misty For Me {Ire}) – $17,500+GST
Zacinto (GB) (Dansili {GB} x Ithaca {USA}) – $8,000+GST
Vespa (Exlusive City {USA} x Miss Avalon {Ire}) – $5,000+GST
Savile Row (Makfi {GB} x Fleece {GB}) – $2,500+GST