HUNGERFORD STAKES HERO SLEEPING INDIAN TO JOIN TWEENHILLS STALLION ROSTER
Last season's Hungerford Stakes winner Sleeping Indian - who is set to contest tomorrow's Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury en route to a tilt at the Group 1 Prix de la Foret - is to retire at the end of this year to take up stallion duties at Tweenhills Farm and Stud in Gloucestershire.
The son of Indian Ridge will be leased back to his owner-breeder George Strawbridge for the remainder of his racing career.
Trained by John Gosden, Sleeping Indian won a Windsor maiden by six lengths on his debut and went on to Listed successes in the Ben Marshall Stakes at Newmarket and the John Of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock, where those beaten included Quito and Welsh Emperor.
After finishing a good fifth in last season's Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, he impressively won the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury, which was upgraded to Group 2 status this year after Sleeping Indian's victory when he beat a high-class field including Majors Cast, multiple Group-1 winner Attraction and Nayyir.
He narrowly went down in a photo to Iffraaj in the Group 2 Park Stakes at Doncaster, when three lengths clear of subsequent Group 1 winner Court Masterpiece, and - after fifth place in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes - rounded last year off with an excellent second in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket. At the end of the 2005 season, he was rated 122 by Timeform, who described him as a "strong, good-topped colt and a very smart performer."
Sleeping Indian's sire Indian Ridge has some exciting sons at stud, including Namid, Compton Place and Domedriver while his Group 1-placed dam Las Flores has produced four stakes winners.
Sleeping Indian is being targeted at the Group 1 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp on September 30 and trainer John Gosden said today: "From the moment Sleeping Indian arrived in the yard he looked top-class. He is a correct, powerful horse with a fabulous temperament and his target is the Group 1 Prix de la Foret before an exciting stud career beckons."
David Redvers, owner of Tweenhills Farm and Stud, added: "We are thrilled to have acquired Sleeping Indian. He's the complete package - stunning to look at, he boasts a superb pedigree and has consistently shown an outstanding level of form."
A maximum of 20 shares will be sold in Sleeping Indian and a fee has yet to be set. He will join a Tweenhills stallion roster in 2007 that also includes Ishiguru, Trade Fair, Lucky Story and Fraam.
ATR TO BRING TOGETHER CHAMPIONS
Unique project in aid of The Sir Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust
At The Races, the UK and Ireland's most watched dedicated horseracing channel, has announced a unique plan to produce four very special photographs featuring all living Champion Flat and Jump Trainers and Champion Flat and Jump Jockeys and to sell them on a limited edition print basis as collectors items. It is expected that demand for each photograph will run to several thousand.
It is hoped that all four groups of Champions can be brought together across just one or two days for the photographic shoots. The photographs are to be taken at Ascot racecourse on dates to be confirmed in 2007. A list of Champions included within each photograph is attached.
These one-off pieces of racing memorabilia will then be sold, with all profits going to the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust. The Sir Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust was set up to raise much needed funds for the six welfare concerns to which it is dedicated: The Blue Cross, The Brooke, Compassion in World Farming, The International League for the Protection of Horses, Racing Welfare and The Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre. Since its inception, nine years ago, the Trust has distributed well over £1 million.
The four special edition photographs, once completed, will be exhibited at Ascot racecourse in 2007.
Matthew Imi, Chief Executive, ATR said: "The prospect of uniting all of the Champion Jockeys and Trainers is enormously exciting and will result in a special piece of racing memorabilia hugely desirable for all racing enthusiasts. In addition, the photographic shoots themselves will each be an incredibly memorable gathering of personalities who have done so much for our sport over the years. We greatly look forward to seeing everyone at Ascot next year and, most importantly, we hope to raise a large amount of money for those charities which receive proceeds from Sir Peter's Trust."
Sir Peter O'Sullevan said: "On behalf of the Trust and our beneficiaries I would like to thank Matthew Imi and At The Races for creating this wonderful concept and Ascot for supporting this initiative. The work our charities perform is magnificent and new funds are absolutely vital. The Champions project will make an outstanding contribution to these works."
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