Americain transfers to Ireland

Americain (USA) will transfer from Kentucky to Ireland for his next northern book in 2015.

The Melbourne Cup winner retired after the 2012 spring carnival and has shuttled from Calumet Farm to Swettenham Stud for the last two years.

The relocation to Ireland won’t affect his residency in Victoria.

“It’s a positive decision for Americain,” Swettenham owner Adam Sangster said this week.  “Calumet’s general manager Eddie Kane told me the first Americain foals are just like their sire and he’s looking forward to racing them.”

Calumet stallion director Ken Wilkins added;  “We are eager to have Americain available to Irish breeders in an effort to give the horse the best possible opportunity to become an important sire.”

Founded in 1924, Calumet is a Kentucky icon with Triple Crown champions Whirlaway and Citation among 11 homebreds elected to the USA Hall of Fame.  It fell victim to mismanagement in the 1990s but, with new ownership, it has signalled a return to a proven Calumet formula from the past by building a powerful stable of homebreds with the aim of creating a stallion roster that’s a 100% product of Calumet breeding and racing.

The Calumet blueprint recently added another classic success when Oxbow won last year’s Group 1 Preakness Stakes and he will fill the vacancy left by Americain.

“It’s purely a change of direction and not a reflection on Americain,” Sangster declared.  “There’s been a groundswell of support for him at Calumet and Swettenham – we’ve had to turn mares away after filling his first two books here.”