Swettenham Stud

"Host is an outstanding addition for 2008 to our stallion roster. He had absolute brilliance from 1000m to a mile and he met and beat nothing but the best, " said Swettenham Stud's Adam Sangster.

Importantly the champion galloper retires to stud on a winning note after a brilliant victory in the Group 3 Canadian Turf Handicap (1700m) on turf at Gulfstream Park in his last race start on Jan 4th 2008. The win and his class were never questioned as he unleashed his trademark finish at the top of the straight to win going away.

HOST completed at the highest level in Chile, North America and Dubai, proving a most brilliant miler. He was a winner of 10 races and almost A$1.5m in prizemoney in a 27 start career. HOST recorded 2 wins at Group 1 level plus a fourth and two fifths; 2 wins and a placing at Group 2 level; 3 wins and 6 placings at Group 3 level; and two wins at Listed level.

After breaking his maiden in January as a two year old in a blistering 0:56.24 for 1000m, HOST completed a near flawless juvenile campaign that included a record setting win in the Alvaro Covarrubias (G3) in 1:08.24, and went on to be named Champion 2yo Colt of his year.

Returning at three HOST won his Group 2 lead up race before an emphatic 6 1/4 length victory in the Chilean 2000 Guineas (G1) and was subsequently named Champion 3yo Colt and Horse of the Year.

Purchased by leading North American owner Eugene Melnyk, HOST was transferred to Eclipse Award winning trainer Todd Pletcher. HOST competed at the highest level in North America and Dubai with Pletcher commenting that Host was "one of the coolest horses I have ever had to train. He is pretty much push-button...he has that explosive turn of foot."

No doubt the highlight of HOST's career in North America was his brilliant win in the Shadwell Mile (G1) where among others he defeated the Group One winners Ad Valorem, Three Valleys and Australia's own Alinghi. After his win in the Shadwell Mile his jockey, leading rider Raphael Bejarano said, "My horse broke good and went easily to the half. Even though he usually shows speed, he relaxed for me. When I asked him to run, he just exploded."

HOST also put up some outstanding performances in defeat with a close second in the Appleton Hcp (G3) 8 furlongs (mile) beaten just half a length by Mr Light in a world record of 1:32.98. His solid 4th behind David Junior in the Dubai Duty Free (G1) where he finished ahead of Bullish Luck, Perfect Promise, Fields Of Omagh, Russian Pearl, Hat Trick and Valixir was another highlight.

In 2007 HOST very nearly established a track record at Monmouth Park when he won the Elkwood Stakes (L) in a blistering 1:33.99 and returned to that track in November to finish a close 5th, beaten just 2¾ lengths behind Kip Deville in the 2007 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1).

By multiple Champion Sire of Chile Hussonet, who has started his Australian career in stellar fashion, HOST is out of the stakes winning Roy mare Colonna Traianna. Importantly for the Australian broodmare population, HOST is free of Northern Dancer and being inbred to Mr Prospector naturally lends himself to the Australian broodmare population that is saturated with Northern Dancer blood.

"The syndicate that has purchased HOST to stand in Victoria includes a partnership managed by William Inglis & Son's Byron Rogers and he kindly approached us about being involved. We had been trying to secure the horse in our own right, but Byron had secured an option on the horse so we were very happy not to have missed the horse.", Sangster added.

"The syndicate is very much committed to HOST proving a success for Victorian breeders. This is a win, win for us with a fantastic syndicate created that will support the horse with outstanding mares, and the horse we wanted for Victoria and Super VOBIS. It also encourages us that we are duplicating the same stallion blood that is proving so successful with Dash For Cash being a Mr Prospector line stallion free of Northern Dancer. HOST was a Champion at two and three, beat some great horses in his career and could run simply brilliant times so he was just what we wanted for our clients." said Sangster.

Hussonet, sire of HOST was a multiple Champion Sire of Chile and has his oldest Australian progeny in their classic year and his service fee by all reports is about to enjoy a serious lift. This and the boom on the gelded Weekend Hussler makes the obtaining of HOST a most opportune one for Swettenham Stud who now offer Hussonet's best stallion son to Victorian breeder's in 2008.

For more information please contact Swettenham Stud’s Bloodstock Sales and Marketing Manager Ian Rimington 0419 887 184 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .