Swettenham Stud

Two reasons were the fact that long head runner up Stoneblack is another performer who was bred and marketed for a client by Swettenham and that one of Danzero's fleetest sons, Kaphero, was retired last week to the stud's sire complex.

Swelling the Swettenham ranks to eight sires, this close relation of the prominent New Zealand sire O'Reilly was coming off two autumn runs at Randwick, a fourth in the Group 2 AJC Challenge Stakes and then a 3.6 lengths eighth of 15 in the Group1 The Galaxy, a race in which he carried second top weight of 56.0 kgs and which was won by Nicconi (51.0 kgs), a son of the Swettenham Danzig sire Bianconi.

A Sydney sprint campaign had been chosen for the 5-year-old Kaphero following some good performances in the spring, including a dashing all the way win in the $181,000 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley and then a half length third after setting the pace in the $353,000 Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m). He was favourite in both sprints and his McEwen victory was his fifth, all at1000m, in Melbourne, in succession. Five of these were at Moonee Valley and saw him respected as ‘the king of Moonee Valley' and the other was on the Sandown hillside track, one on which he was clocked at a fast 0:55.84.

Like many good Australian bred sires, including Danzero, a sprinter, Kaphero contested 31 races and in earning $801,045 was in the first three on16 occasions, including ten wins spread over four years. He kicked off his career in fine style at two, a year his five starts resulted in wins at Flemington (debut) and Sandown (the Blue Diamond Preview as a $2.60 favourite), a fourth at Caulfield (Blue Diamond Prelude), an eye-catching four lengths victory in the Adelaide Magic Millions 2YO Classic and then finally a ninth in the Golden Slipper.

Kaphero is one of four Danzero Group race winners among his 33 stakes winners to have double figure scores, sharing this distinction with Niconero, Dance Hero and Fairway.They are among 371 winners of over 1150 races that Danzero has had from his use at the Arrowfield Stud in the Hunter Valley.

A key to their toughness and durability appears to be the appearance of Kaoru Star, one of the best Star Kingdom sires, as the maternal grandsire of Danzero.

A three-quarter brother to three Danehill stakes sprint performers, all bred by Swettenham stud, Kaphero also has the benefit of being from Kapchat, a winner of six sprints, including the STC Winfield Classic, and a Caulfield Thousand Guineas second. She is a daughter of the underrated marvelous sire Centaine, one bred on a pattern of three top Australian racehorses and sires, being by Century and from a mare bred on a cross of Golden Slipper winners Vain and Todman.

Centaine has been represented by 586 winners of 1939 races and $49million and his daughters to date have produced over a mammoth 800 winners of 2,600 races and $82million. Latest star from a Centaine mare is the Carnegie gelding Vision and Power, winner in this year's Sydney autumn racing of the George Ryder at Rosehill Gardens and the Doncaster at Randwick.

Daffodill, the winner of the Oaks on the same program as the Doncaster, is from a mare by Kaphero's relation O'Reilly, a Last Tycoon New Zealand Group 1 winner. Sire of a long list of good performers from use in New Zealand, including Caulfield Cup winner Master O'Reilly, O'Reilly could be just as valuable as Centaine as a broodmare sire.

O'Reilly is from the Pompeii Court mare Courtza, a rare winner of the Blue Diamond - Golden Slipper double. She was a sister to Our Pompeii, winner or the South Australian Derby and two Adelaide Cups, and from Hunza, an Australasian leading juvenile filly and New Zealand Broodmare of the Year who is a half-sister to Kapelle Lady, the grandam of Kaphero.

Swettenham Stud owner Adam Sangster has placed an official initial fee of $11,000 including GST on Kaphero, but bookers before May 31 can get in for $8,250. This is in the stud's Early Bird program, one which applies to all their sires.

A stud that has made a practice of standing their sires on fees within range of the bulk of breeders, they also have available Bianconi (Danzig - Fall Aspen, by Pretense), 2009 advertised fee $8.800 (down from $11,000), early bird access $6,380; Court of Jewels (Danehill - Nine Carat, by Sir Tristram) $4,400 (2008 $5,500) or $2,640; Dash for Cash (Secret Savings - Gulistan, by Rubiton), $17,600 ($22,000) or $13,200; Hold That Tiger (USA) (Storm Cat - Beware of the Cat, by Caveat) $9,900 ($13,200) or $7,425; Host (CHI) (Hussonet (USA) - Colonna Traiana, by Roy) $15,950 ($19,250) or $11,825; Keep the Faith (Sunday Silence - Duelling Girl, by Dayjur) $8,800 ($9,900) or $6.600; and Soldier's Tale (USA) (Stravinsky - Myrtle, by Batshoof) $15,950 ($13,750) or $11,880.

All fees include GST and live foal guarantee and addition there are concessions for breeders who used the stud's sires in 2008. Details are available from Ian Rimington on 0419 887 184 at Swettenham or on (03) 5794 2044, fax (03) 5794 2112, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or web www.swettenham.com.au.