News

March Horse of the Month

6th Apr 2006

  <p align="center">William Inglis &amp; Son&nbsp;is immensely proud of its graduates who every month promote our name in&nbsp;winners circles&nbsp;around the globe.</p>

This month we are delighted to recognise the achievements of

TAKEOVER TARGET

Breeding: 6yo gelding by Celtic Swing (GB) ex Shady Stream, by Archregent (CAN)
Vendor: Meringo Stud Farm
Owner: J & B Janiak
Trainer: J A Janiak

A tough and ultra-consistent campaigner, Takeover Target has become hard to ignore and now heads to Royal Ascot in June to represent his country against some of the world’s best sprinters.

The $1,250 bargain completed a clean sweep of Flemington's three biggest sprint contests on March 11 adding the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap to his Salinger and Lightning wins and taking his earnings over the $1.8million mark.

The tale of the horse’s rise to fame bears all the hallmarks of a Hollywood movie.

When owner-trainer Joe Janiak picked out the son of Celtic Swing at the 2003 Winter Thoroughbred Sale he was living in a caravan plying his trade as a taxi-driver, while Takeover Target was an unraced three-year-old with a history of knee problems.

When he makes his next start in the Group 2 King’s Stand at the Royal meeting he will attempt to emulate the achievements of fellow Aussie and Inglis star graduate Choisir who won the event in 2003.

Inglis Director Jonathan D’Arcy said: “Takeover Target represents a true rags to riches story that we are delighted to be a part of. We are confident he can add another chapter at Ascot in June and would like to wish Joe and the horse all the very best of luck in England.”

Takeover Target is from the penultimate Australian crop of the French Derby winner Celtic Swing who shuttled to the Southern Hemisphere from Europe three times. His dam is Fred Peisah’s Australian bred Archregent mare Shady Stream, an unraced daughter of the AJC Widden Stakes heroine Merry Shade.