Breeders Cup Winner for Victoria

Victorian breeders have embraced the idea of quality stayers as potential stallions in recent years with Melbourne Cup winners Americain (USA) and Fiorente (IRE) both afforded a very warm welcome at stud, so Group II Breeders Cup Marathon winner London Bridge (USA) has landed in the right location.

Joining the roster at Ridgeview Park at Muskerry East, London Bridge is an intriguing prospect as a lightly raced talented stayer from the famed Roberto sireline that has also produced Americain and past Cup winning sire At Talaq (USA).

Starting his career in the UK, London Bridge raced just once at two before reeling off four wins from eight starts as a three year-old highlighted by a career defining length victory in the Breeders Cup Marathon (1 ¾ miles) carrying the colours of Australian owner/breeder Paul Fudge's Waratah Thoroughbreds.

London Bridge completed a hat-trick as a summer three year-old at Brighton, Sandown and Ripon in the UK to book a place in the Breeders' Cup Championships.

"He was never really sure on the dirt," winning jockey Mike Smith said at Santa Anita. "It would have been a much better victory on grass.

"I had to keep riding him, taking a hold, riding him, trying to get him confident. If I kept chasing them, he would lose confidence so I did a little of both and it worked."

London Bridge is the first son of successful US sire Arch to stand at stud in Australia.

A grand-son of influential Epsom Derby winner Roberto, Arch stands at a fee of $40,000 in Kentucky and is the sire of over 50 stakes-winners headed by nine Group I winners.

A versatile sire, Arch has left an eclectic collection of Group I winners ranging from UK based sprint king Les Arc to Canadian Horse of the Year Arravale to Champion South African Female Sprinter Overarching to Blame, the horse that ended the Zenyatta dream to win the Group I US Breeders Cup Classic in 2010.

On the female front, London Bridge comes from a quality family being the best offspring to date from Indian Ridge mare Kindness, a half-sister to US Group I winner Magical Fantasy from the family of brilliant French Group I winning sprinter Keen Hunter.

While race performance has London Bridge clearly pegged as a stayer, his pedigree does have speed and international class, so the astute breeder may be pleasantly surprised by his offspring!

London Bridge remains in the ownership of Waratah Thoroughbreds and stands in association with Ridgeview Park's Phil and Fiona Sloane.

London Bridge will stand for an introductory fee of $4,950 (inc gst) this year. For further details, broodmare owners can call Ridgeview Park (03) 5433 6306 or 0488 525 063.