The brilliant Trade Fair, regarded as unlucky not to be a Group 1 winner by his connections, has been retired to take up stallion duties at David Redvers' Tweenhills Farm and Stud for 2006. His fee is still being finalised.
Trade Fair won a Newbury two-year-old maiden by six lengths, with jockey Richard Hughes claiming the winning margin could easily have been 26 lengths if he had pressed his mount, and he completed his juvenile season by finishing third in the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes. Despite having only run three times as a two-year-old, he achieved a rating of 116 in the 2002 International Classifications.
His three-year-old efforts included a brilliant four-length win in Newmarket's Group 3 Criterion Stakes as well as victories in Newbury's Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup and the King Charles II Stakes at Newmarket. Raceform rated Trade Fair on 126 for the 2003 season, while both Timeform and the Racing Post gave him a mark of 124. He was that year's second top three-year-old miler in the International Classifications above the likes of Refuse To Bend, Clodovil, Indian Haven, Russian Rhythm and Six Perfections. He added a further major success last season when winning the Group 3 Minstrel Stakes over seven furlongs at the Curragh.
Those closest to Trade Fair felt he was a Group 1 winner in all but name. Trainer Roger Charlton said today: "There is little doubt that Trade Fair was unlucky not to have won a Group 1 - he had terrific speed and an electric turn of foot but never had his ground when it really mattered.
"His performance at Newmarket in the Criterion Stakes made him a worthy favourite for the Sussex Stakes but he failed to get home on the soft ground. He is a gorgeous horse out of an unbeaten stakes-winning daughter of the great Danehill and his late sire is on fire - he should prove a boon for British breeders."
Jockey Richard Hughes added: "On his day he was the best horse I have ridden over seven furlongs to a mile. He was class with a fierce turn of foot."
Bred by his owner Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms, Trade Fair is one of the best-looking sons of the much-missed Zafonic, whose final crop of juveniles have enjoyed a sensational year through the likes of the Tweenhills-bred Queen Mary Stakes heroine Flashy Wings and other stakes winners such as Guest Connections, Nota Bene, Zato and Zavone.
Zafonic's son Xaar has also made a bright start to his stud career thanks to performers such as top Australian juvenile No Questions and last year's Gimcrack Stakes hero Tony James. Trade Fair, who will be syndicated in a strict limit of 20 shares, is out of the unbeaten Danehill mare Danefair, a grand-daughter of Irish 1,000 Guineas, Champion Stakes and Coronation Stakes heroine Cairn Rouge.
David Redvers, owner of Tweenhills Farm and Stud, said today: "Zafonic has had a fantastic year and is sorely missed but Trade Fair will give breeders the opportunity to use not only his best-looking son but also one who was rated as Group 1 calibre by both his trainer and jockey.
"It is rare now for a stallion in Britain to be syndicated in the traditional manner but we are offering 20 shareholders a stake in Trade Fair, giving breeders a real chance to be a part of his success at stud."
Tweenhills Farm & Stud at Hartpury in Gloucestershire will also stand Arkadian Hero, Fraam, Ishiguru and Lucky Story in 2006.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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