Haradasun Purchased by Coolmore
3rd July 2007
Coolmore have secured a 50% share in glamour colt Haradasun in a deal that makes him the most valuable stallion prospect ever purchased in the Southern Hemisphere.
“I can confirm that Coolmore has acquired a 50% interest in Haradasun, who since Easter has been the subject of some very substantial offers from another leading international stud outfit”, announced part owner Frank Tagg today. “We are delighted to be able to race Haradasun with Coolmore and then have him stand at what we believe is the best stud in the Southern Hemisphere.”
Coolmore Australia’s general manager Michael Kirwan, too, has confirmed the deal. “Coolmore is delighted to have secured Haradasun in a racing and breeding partnership with his current owners”, said Kirwan. “As a dual Group One-winning miler by Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus out of AJC Oaks winner Circles of Gold, dam of champion Elvstroem, he is obviously already one of the best-bred and most exciting stallion prospects in Australasia.
“The horse has matured a lot since the autumn and looks absolutely magnificent. He is a wonderfully athletic animal, with loads of quality and a great temperament. He is a beautifully bred horse with freakish ability and we really couldn’t imagine a more desirable racing and stallion prospect.”
Tagg has confirmed the Cox Plate as Haradasun’s major spring mission, with a trip to Dubai early next year also on the horse’s program. “After that we’ll look at racing him in Europe and possibly also at the Breeders’ Cup meeting in America” said Tagg. “Obviously, the aim is to maximise his profile as a dual-hemisphere ‘shuttle’ stallion.”
Haradasun, a half-brother to international superstar Elvstroem, burst onto the racing scene with an awesome 10-length maiden win over 1300m at Swan Hill, before amazing onlookers with a sensational burst of acceleration to win the Listed Vain Stakes over 1100m at Caulfield, clocking almost unbelievable sectional times. He was then considered hugely unlucky not to beat Miss Finland in the Group Three McNeil Stakes after a nightmare passage in running that saw his momentum badly checked twice.
Resuming from a spell the son of Fusaichi Pegasus reeled off two impressive Listed stakes wins in the 1200m Zeditave Stakes and 1400m Wellington Race Club Stakes, before finishing fourth in the Group One Cadbury Guineas.
Freshened for three weeks, Haradasun shipped to Sydney and, with new rider Glen Boss in the saddle, took the Autumn carnival by storm with awesome back-to-back victories in the Group One George Ryder and Group One Doncaster Handicap, both over the famed Randwick mile, before finishing second to iron horse Desert War in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 2000m.
