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Thank Goodness for High Chaparral

Mark Smith - Friday October 19

As the sire of Australia's two main hopes in the Caulfield Cup, Ace High and Youngstar, and the sire of the sire of the kiwi-bred Night's Watch, High Chaparral (IRE) has left a vacuum that will be hard to replace.

There is a common thread in the three Caulfield Cup hopes.

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Group 1 Victoria Derby and Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes hero Ace High is out of a daughter of Danehill's masterpiece, Redoute's Choice, Group 1 Queensland Oaks winner Youngstar is out of an imported Danehill mare and Group III Naturalism Stakes winner Night's Watch, who is by High Chaparral's imported son Redwood (GB), is out of a mare by Danehill's speed influence Exceed And Excel.



Other Group 1 winners out of Danehill line mares include Cornerstone Stud's Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Free Eagle (IRE), Waikato Stud's stunning Tivaci, and the Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes winner Charmont.

Not surprisingly High Chaparral's peerless So You Think is clicking with Danehill line mares.

Rosehill Guineas winner D'Argento is out of a Redoute's Choice mare as is the Randwick Guineas winner Inference.

Aidan O'Brien's strongly supported The Cliffsofmoher (IRL) is bred on the killer Galileo - Danehill cross and Ed Dunlop's Lemon Drop Kid 6yo entire Red Verdon (USA) is out of a mare by Danehill's grandson Choisir.

Of High Chaparral's 22 Group 1 winners, 13 were born south of the equator.

His nine winners born in the north included last year's Group 1 Melbourne Cup hero Rekindling (IRE), while Contributer (IRE) earned his two Group 1's in the ATC Chipping Norton Stakes and Ranvet Stakes.

Westbury Stud's Redwood (GB), the sire of Night's Watch, earned his win at the highest level in the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at Woodbine.

Youngstar and Ace High come from the penultimate crop of High Chaparral (IRE) in Australia, but the son of Sadler's Wells has another rising star in the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Thinkin' Big who is one of 117 foals from his final crop.

The Group III Gloaming Stakes winner did not have the rub of the green when third in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick at his most recent start.

He looks well-placed in Saturday's Group III Caulfield Classic, which also features another talented son of High Chaparral (IRE), the Ciaron Maher and David Eustice-trained Visao.

High Chaparral (IRE) died in December 2014 shortly after arriving back in Ireland from Australia.

He is sadly missed although he has left a wonderful legacy with at least seven high-class sons covering mares in Australia this spring with another five in New Zealand.

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