Despite a standout season for The Oaks Stud’s flagbearer Darci Brahma, the Cambridge stud farm has elected to keep the service fees unchanged heading into the 2020 breeding season.
In a standout three-year-old crop, Darci Brahma was well represented by Group Three winner Kali, Group One performer Harlech, and Group One winner Catalyst.
Catalyst remained undefeated in New Zealand as a three-year-old, winning all five starts, including a dominant win in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November, with Harlech giving his sire the quinella.
The Clayton Chipperfield-trained gelding was also victorious in the Listed El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m), Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), and Gr.2 Hawkes Bay Guineas (1400m).
Owned by The Oaks Stud principal Dick Karreman, Catalyst also tested the waters in Australia, finishing runner-up behind Alligator Blood in the Gr.3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) before scans revealed he had sustained bruised fetlocks after is unplaced run in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m).
In August last year, Darci Brahma showed his versatility by siring six winners in a day, headlined by Catalyst’s win in the El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy at Hastings.
A sire of 10 Group One winners to date, Darci Brahma’s progeny have performed at the elite level in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong and he has been the Champion Sire in Singapore on six occasions.
Darci Brahma stands at The Oaks Stud in 2020 at the unchanged fee of $15,000 + GST.
Standing alongside Darci Brahma next season will be his regular barn mates, Niagara and Roc de Cambes, both for an unchanged fee of $5,000 + GST each.
From limited race day runners, Niagara has made an impressive start to his stud career. He is the sire of Group One performer Beyond The Fort and Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) winner Xbox, who was later sold to Hong Kong.
Niagara has had 21 raceday starters in Australia for 15 winners of 30 races, and has sired a total of 56 winners worldwide from 107 runners.
Roc de Cambes, the sire of Group One winners He’s Our Rokkii (Toorak Handicap, 1600m) and Vin de Dance (New Zealand Derby, 2400m), completes The Oaks Stud stallion roster for 2020.
Roc de Cambes has been well represented by several promising horses this season including Listed winner Seven Seas (Oaks Prelude, 1800m) and Rock In the Park who will both resume in the Spring. – NZ Racing Desk
