Eye infection rules out Darley champion Pinatubo from shuttle tour
Son of Shamardal sidelined from southern hemisphere stint days out from flight to Australia
Champion European two-year-old Pinatubo (Shamardal), an unbeaten juvenile of six races who returned at three to win a third Group 1, will not shuttle to Australia this year after contracting a viral eye infection.
Godolphin Australia yesterday made the shock announcement that Pinatubo, one of four high-profile first season stallions to stand at Darley in NSW and Victoria this year, would not be on the flight carrying Sheikh Mohammed’s shuttlers bound for Australia.
The decision was made based on veterinary advice, which ruled that the eye infection would not be cleared up in time for the equine flight. The plane is scheduled to depart Europe on Sunday.
Godolphin Australia managing director Vin Cox revealed a capped book of 120 mares had been assigned to Pinatubo in his maiden season Down Under before the unfortunate timing of the condition struck the brilliant racehorse turn stallion.
“I feel for our clients. We had unbelievable support for the horse and that was for obvious reasons, he’s such a high-calibre horse,” Cox told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“It’s just unfortunate that we can’t put him on the plane … as the veterinary advice was, across the board, that he shouldn’t travel. The horse comes first and foremost, so the decision was made not to travel him.
“But there is absolutely no reason to suggest why he won’t be here next season and we look forward to getting him out here.”
Noted for his acceleration, a trait highly valued in a stallion, Pinatubo won the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) and the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) by nine lengths at the Curragh at two before winning the Prix Jean Prat (Gr 1, 7f) at Deauville at three.
He retired as the winner of seven races from ten starts with a Timeform rating of 134.
“He’s an extremely high-class horse. He’s from a sire line that works very well in this part of the world,” Cox said.
“He had a great racing profile and, again, he’d really captured the attention of high-profile breeders and a quality mare band that was headed towards the horse.
“He was everything that you want in a stallion.”
Pinatubo, who was to join Bivouac (Exceed And Excel), Ghaiyyath (Dubawi) and Earthlight (Shamardal) as a new sire on the Darley Australia roster in 2021, had his southern hemisphere fee of $44,000 (inc GST) this year having just completed his first northern hemisphere season at Dalham Hall Stud at a fee of £35,000 (A$55,835).
Darley also has another son of Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) on the roster in second season shuttler Blue Point, who covered 128 mares at Northwood Park last year, while Earthlight is another by the sire of sires.
Shamardal shuttled to Australia from 2005 to 2009 where he sired Hong Kong champion Able Friend and dual Group 1-winning middle-distance three-year-old Faint Perfume. Overall, he has 154 stakes winners to his name with highly successful sire son Lope De Vega among them.
Both Blue Point and Earthlight could be in line for a boost in the number of mares they cover this year due to Pinatubo’s sudden absence as is Astern (Medaglia d’Oro) who has made a late season rush up the Australian first season sires’ table with a string of two-year-old winners.
“Hasn’t he jumped up?” Cox said of Astern.
“It’s fantastic to see and, again, it’s been noticed by the breeders. He’s got some very exciting horses. One of ours in Brigantine and the one of Gai and Adrian’s, Sealion, were very impressive winners during the week on top of the two stakes winners he’s had already.
“He is one who may be a beneficiary of some mares that may have been going to Pinatubo.”