Breeders looking for a fast outcross to Danehill have a brilliant option in Aquis Stallions’ Officiating. A Gr3 winner at three over 1400m, Officiating added Gr3 wins at four over 1200m and, to show his versatility, over 1800m as well. A sound horse who raced for three seasons, placing at two, he won five of his 20 starts with a further eight placings. Officiating is one of 50 stakes winners for triple Gr1 winner Blame, whose Gr1 progeny include Nadal who is hitting his straps as a young sire in Japan. Blame’s six Gr1 winners are all sprinter-milers which looks suitable for the Australian market and even more so for the Queensland market. Juvenile star Switzerland (Snitzel) is out of a Blame mare, showcasing the potential for Danehill-line mares for Officiating.
“We got our man!” Aquis Stallions Director of Sales, Jonathan Davies said when Officiating was announced. “In a deal we spent most of 2023 putting together in the USA, Officiating is perfect for our local broodmare population, that’s why he’s here and we’ve already seen a glimpse of that through this season’s Gr2 Todman Stakes winner Switzerland being by Snitzel out of a Blame mare. “For us, launching stallions and developing value for our stallion shareholders is what it’s about and like Brave Smash and Royal Meeting, Officiating is that tough, sound, outcross stallion that will work and we have no doubt in four to five years’ time he will be sought by all the big studs in the Hunter Valley and Victoria.”
It is Officiating’s maternal pedigree that truly brings the speed, with his dam being a 2YO winner who has left three stakes winners, led by Champion 2YO Filly in USA and Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Caledonia Road (Quality Road), as well as Officiating and Listed winner One Of A Kind (Lemon Drop Kid), while Gr2 winner Lord Miles (Curlin) is out of Officiating’s unraced half-sister Lady Esme (Majestic Warrior). With no Danehill in his pedigree, Officiating offers a speedy outcross to many of the broodmares in the Australian population. Aquis Stallions are also offering a $500,000 bonus to the breeder of Officiating’s first 2YO stakes winner, an alluring carrot.