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Wandjina to stand at Newgate Farm after Royal Ascot appearance

20th Apr 2015

Sydney Morning Herald - Chris Roots - Monday, 20 April 2015

The reputation of Newgate Farm among the Australian breeding ranks continues to rise after it secured the rights to stand Royal Ascot-bound Wandjina at stud.

Henry Field, Newgate managing director, beamed after the All Aged Stakes when Dissident, who will also stand at Newgate this season, edged Wandjina in a photo to deliver on a promise made by Peter Moody. He is just as confident Wandjina, the Australian Guineas winner and son of Snitzel, can do a similar job on the other side of the world.

"Peter told me he would make Dissident horse of the year and I think he has done that," Field said. "Gai Waterhouse said to us, 'You can't retire this horse [Wandjina] - he only has to travel well to win the Golden Jubilee'. She is as confident about it as Peter was with Dissident, so you have to back her judgement. We will have three of the most exciting stallions to go to stud this season and, hopefully, a Royal Ascot winner."

Wandjina will have a two-race campaign in Europe, with the July Cup also on the agenda before retiring to stand next to Dissident and fellow first-season stallion Deep Field. Newgate is likely to announce fees for Dissident and Deep Field this week.

The Australian attack on Royal Ascot will be the biggest for many years - Wandjina joins fellow group 1 winning sprinters Brazen Beau and Shamal Wind, while Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Criterion could also make the trip after running in Sunday's Queen Elizabeth Cup in Hong Kong.

Arrowfield is considering its options with Scissor Kick, which was fourth in Saturday's All Aged Stakes, with a decision to come on an international campaign this week.

Wandjina was the first $1 million son of Snitzel and will stand for the partnership of owner Doctor Edmund Bateman and Newgate.

Bateman's bloodstock agent James Harron also bought Shamal Wind before she won the Oakleigh Plate for the Love family and she is likely to visit a European stallion after running at Royal Ascot.

"It is a great opportunity for both horses," Harron said. "We are going to take Wandjina over there and showcase a son of the one of the best stallions in Australia if not the world. It will give him a chance to make himself a stallion on both sides of the world and we will believe the tough six [furlongs] uphill will suit him."

Wandjina was a stand-out yearling and started favourite for Breeders' Plate but it has taken until this preparation for him to fully mature and returned on potential.

He gave a glimpse of what he had to offer in the spring, finishing third in the Caulfield Guineas at his first attempt at group 1 level. His autumn preparation has been outstanding.

He was too strong as an all-the-way victor in the Australian Guineas, in which Doncaster winner Kermadec ran fourth. He was freshened up for the All Aged Stakes, in which he led and held off all but Dissident.

His strength, power and endurance will be perfectly suited to English sprint courses, which are more testing then those in Australia.