Swettenham Stud

A bare inspection of Kaphero’s racing record – his only Pattern race success came at Group Three level as a five-year-old – does scant justice to one of the fastest, most precocious and most durable sprinters of his generation. As such, and as a muscular horse with a strong pedigree, he is sure to appeal to many mare-owners in his new career.
It is fitting that Kaphero should retire to Swettenham’s impressive stallion station near Nagambie, because this means that he is returning to his roots. Bred by Swettenham Stud who sold him at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale in 2005 for $340,000, Kaphero’s appeal to bidders was obvious.

He combined good looks with a strong pedigree, being by the Golden Slipper winner Danzero (whose son Dance Hero had dominated the previous season’s two-year-old racing, winning the Magic Millions and then landing the Triple Crown of Golden Slipper, AJC Sires’ Produce and Champagne Stakes) out of the Group 1-winning Centaine mare Kapchat, from the immediate family of the top-class gallopers Courtza, O’Reilly, Our Pompeii, Critic and Prince Kaapstad.
Kaphero went into training with Lee Freedman and wasted little time in proving himself one of the most precocious colts in Melbourne. He made a winning debut over 1000m at Flemington on Boxing Day before taking his record to two from two a month later by landing the Blue Diamond Preview (colts and geldings) at Sandown. He subsequently headed interstate to land the valuable Magic Millions in Adelaide by four lengths before finishing ninth of 16 in Miss Finland’s Golden Slipper.

As is often the case with horses who have enjoyed very successful campaigns at two, Kaphero proved unable to repeat the form as a three-year-old, but he bounced back to his best in fine style under the care of Leon Corstens during the second half of his four-year-old campaign.
He raced 14 times during the 2007/08 season, winning six and thrice finishing runner-up. He rounded out the season with four consecutive 1000m successes (under weights up to 61.5 kilos), the final three coming at Moonee Valley, around which circuit he excelled – as he demonstrated in the first month of the following term by landing the Ian McEwen Trophy (Gr 3) by a length and three-quarters, his fifth successive victory. He was unable to make it six in a row three weeks later when going down in a three-way photo for the Manikato Stakes (Gr 1), failing by a short head and a long neck against Typhoon Zed and Absolute Glam.
Kaphero ended his career by running unplaced in the Galaxy (Gr 1) at Randwick in April, and now heads to Swettenham Stud for the forthcoming season. He retires the winner of 10 races from 31 starts and earnings of $801,045.
The merit of his pedigree has been further emphasized during the recent round of yearling sales – his Redoute’s Choice half-brother fetched $1.2 million at this year’s Magic Million Sale and has joined David Hayes’ stable – and it would be no surprise to see speedy sons and daughter of Kaphero hitting the tracks from the start of the 2011/12 season onwards. If they are as tough as their father, they will do well.

Kaphero (Aus) Bay, 16hh, 2003

Danzero (Aus) - Kapchat (NZ), by Centaine (Aus)
Standing at:
Swettenham Stud, Nagambie, Victoria
Winning distances:
1000m – 1200m
Races won:
As a 2YO
- 2yo plate, Flemington, 1000m
- Blue Diamond Preview (L/R), Sandown, 1000m
- 2yo Classic, Morphettville, 1200m
As a 4YO
- Flying Handicap, Moonee Valley, 1000m
- Handicap, Moonee Valley, 1000m
- Open Handicap, Sandown, 1000m
- Handicap, Moonee Valley, 1000m
- Handicap, Moonee Valley, 1000m
- Open Handicap, Moonee Valley, 1000m
As a 5YO
- Ian McEwen Stakes (Gr 3), Moonee Valley, 1000m
Fee: $11,000 (inc. GST)

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