Breeding & Racing Magazine

Van Nistelrooy Not Shuttling In 2007

As the Australasian breeding season approaches, Trelawney Stud announced freshman sire & 2006 US shuttler Van Nistelrooy (Storm Cat-Halory, by Halo) will not return to New Zealand for the 2007 breeding season. Van Nistelrooy shuttled from Coolmore's Ashford Stud in the US for 4 southern hemisphere seasons & Trelawney's Brent Taylor explained: "We still have enormous faith in the horse. However we & our partners thought that, for this season, we will take the opportunity to sit back & see how his progeny perform over the next 12 months. We have obviously been in consultation with Coolmore & they were happy to support this decision & we have every opportunity to bring Van Nistelrooy back to NZ in the future." Van Nistelrooy was brought to NZ by a partnership including Chequers Stud, Curraghmore Stud, Fairdale Stud, Haunui Farm, Pencarrow Stud & Trelawney; as a result, he covered some of the best mares in the NZ studbook including: Gr1 Melbourne Cup & Gr1 Caulfield Cup winner Ethereal; La Suffragette (dam of Gr1 Caulfield Cup winner Railings; Coogee Walk (dam of Activation); multiple Gr1-winner Fayreform; Gr2-winner Gordon's; Jazzmatazz (dam of Jazzella); & Midnight Babe (dam of Perlin). And Taylor noted: "His 1st crop yearlings sold very well at the sales last year & as a result have ended up in some of the best stables in NZ & Australia." From this crop, Van Nistelrooy has already produced a winner & 3 place-getters in NZ (from 8 starters), plus place-getters in Australia & Singapore. Taylor summed up: "He has had a total of 14 starters from his 1st crop in NZ, Australia, Japan & Singapore & he has had a good number of trials-performers of late. The feedback from trainers has been very positive all along. They are strong, athletic horses, that move well, have great temperaments & I'm sure we will see them doing the job over the next 12 months; & with that being the case, we expect to be bringing him back next season."