Hi World and Spiritjim first recruits for WA
Group winning stallions Hi World and Spiritjim (Fr) are the latest additions to Western Australia’s sire ranks this year.
Kelstar Park will stand Hi World (High Chaparral) in York and Spiritjim (Galileo) will join the Roselee Park roster in Serpentine.
Hi World won the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) and Group 3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick for a Slade Bloodstock syndicate that had purchased him for $120,000 from Coolmore Stud at the Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
“When Hi World came on the market I had to have him,” Kelstar Park’s Kelly Davis said. “He’s a beautiful stallion and I love his pedigree and performance record.”
Hi World (High Chaparral – Beauty World by Danehill Dancer) impressed trainer Peter Moody with his Group 3 front-running double.
“He’s a quality colt and an exciting proposition,” Moody said after the Packer Plate. “He relaxed nicely for Kerrin (McEvoy) and probably floated a bit in the straight but was still good enough to get the job done again.”
High Chaparral (Ire) has sired 131 stakes winners worldwide and his sire sons So You Think (NZ), Dundeel (NZ) and Toronado (Ire) have all been represented by Group 1 winners in their early years at stud. They’re also making an impact in Perth.
Misty Valley Thoroughbreds owner Tony Patrizi opened So Your Think’s black-type account over here in 2019 with Beautiful Mind in the Listed Jungle Dawn Classic. Dundeel sired this season’s ill-fated Group 1 Kingston Town Classic winner Truly Great for Peters Investments and Toronado filly Solaia was last seen leading all the way in the Listed Natasha Stakes at Ascot.
Spiritjim (Fr) has been purchased by Lightning Bloodstock and will cover his first book at Roselee Park alongside Jimmy Choux (NZ) and Vital Equine (Ire).
A son of Galileo (Ire) and a half-brother to Group 1 racehorse and sire Silver Frost (Verglas), he won four stakes races to Group 2 level in Paris after being purchased for €310,000 at the Arqana Yearling Sale.
He was raced by the late Jean-Michel Hegesippe whose pink and white silks were carried by many black-type winners with the majority having names that ended in ‘jim’.
Spiritjim was described by trainer Pascal Bary as having a “formidable ability to accelerate” following an outstanding victory over defending champion Now We Can (GB) in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly.
Racing Post reported Spiritjim made all at Chantilly.
“Pushed along by Christophe Soumillon when challenged 400 metres from home. Quickened and stayed on well in the final furlong when strongly pressed but was always doing enough to win a shade cosily.”
It was one of his four black-type wins over 2400 metres that also included the Group 3 Prix d’Hedouville and Listed Prix Lord Seymour at Longchamp and the Listed Prix Vulcan at Deauville.
Subsequently sold for €570,000 (approx. AU$898,235) at the Arqana Arc de Triomphe Sale, he was exported to Australia to be prepared by Chris Waller. Rated an “imposing horse” by Waller, he raced just four times for the champion trainer and, in the last of them, was runner-up in the Group 2 Craven Plate (2000m) at Randwick.
“Spiritjim oozes quality and has a real presence about him,” Lightning Bloodstock’s Chris Rosier said. “He’s a classic European type that will cross very nicely to the popular WA bloodlines.”
Leading WA stud Darling View Thoroughbreds has released its fees for 2021 with Playing God (Blackfriars) topping the roster at a $16,500 (inc GST) service fee. His book will be reduced this year following colic surgery in November.
Group 1 Kingston Town Classic winner Kay Cee arrived in his second-crop and the latest is headed by WA Champion 2YO-elect Ex Sport Man who completed the WA Magic Millions Classic – Group 2 Karrakatta Plate double.