The stocks of Riverdene Stud resident stallion ZARIZ seem to increase by the week, with the former brilliant Group winning sprinter making headlines with each of his first two crops to race. Following on the heels of Lazer Sharp’s Group One winning performance in May has been an effort by a fellow first crop member that, from all reports, needed to be seen to be believed…

When Zarvista lined-up for a Canterbury Park event staged in mid-July over 1100m, few people could have predicted what would follow. After blundering the start and appearing to blow any chance of winning, the son of ZARIZ did the impossible by landing first prize.

One report on the sequence of that memorable performance commented: ‘Riverdene Stud’s 9YO sire Zariz (Mukaddamah-Divine Dash, by Tolomeo) continued his successful season when 3YO gelding Zarvista produced an extraordinary performance to recover after hopelessly missing the start (by at least 6-lengths) and thunder home to snatch victory over 1100m at Canterbury Park in Sydney for trainer Peter Clancy, taking his record to five wins from eight starts.

Chief steward, Ray Murrihy, declared he hadn’t witnessed such a performance since star galloper Belle Du Jour famously recovered from a similar starting-gate catastrophe to flash home and win the 2000 Gr1 Golden Slipper, noting: “It doesn’t happen too often. A horse just can’t give that start away in a sprint race and still win.”

Within a few days of the wonder effort, Zarvista was all the talk in domestic newspapers, with the galloper’s owner David Boots considering countless offers yet ‘resisted the temptation to sell’.

From all reports, Zarvista ‘was the target of a lucrative interstate offer as well as Hong Kong interest’ after his extraordinary victory at Canterbury Park. Boots confirmed he had “fielded offers from interstate buyers” (and rejected one for $240,000). He added: “Since the win I’ve had offers from Perth and Queensland. I’ve knocked them back, but if the really big money comes it would be food for thought, don’t worry about that! However, I don’t really want to sell the horse. I’m not young anymore. Then again I’m not old, but if I was younger I would most probably sell. Still, after his win the other day I feel 21.

At this stage, we believe ZARIZ’s latest top prospect is staying put. In yet another media item released more recently concerning Zarvista, trainer Peter Clancy confirmed: “David has decided he will keep him. It happens all the time: you lose the good ones. It’s one of the problems of training in the bush. So to say I’m a bit relieved that David will continue racing him is an understatement.”

The end of July brought down the curtain on a wonderful second season of representation for ZARIZ. The stallion’s name figured prominently in the 2nd-crop sire analysis and sat proudly ahead of some very high-profile stallions standing at some very high-profile studs.

Come the end of the 2006/07 season, ZARIZ was accredited with 21 individual winners and $855,999 in progeny earnings. These statistics placed him in sixth place in the category headed by Show of Heart.

More to the point, found immediately behind ZARIZ on the 2nd-crop table for the season just closed were the likes of Coolmore’s Giant’s Causeway (7th) and Darley’s Fantastic Light (8th), as well as King Cugat (Widden), Brahms (Vinery), Black Hawk (Eliza), King Charlemange (Blue Gum) and others.

ZARIZ achieved his feat with just 41 runners in season 2006/07. As the stallion‘s numbers were impeded by injury in his first season at stud, we feel justified in suggesting that his record can only get better!

The ultra-consistent MARWINA was responsible for another prolific season with the son of Marscay proving to be among Australia’s leading sires by number of winners.

For the record, MARWINA finished the year with 65 individual winners and progeny earnings of $1,337,655. Of course, most notable among these was the brilliant VRC Winter Championship (LR) winner Hillston Exchange who proved to be the star of the winter racing period in Melbourne.

Those still deliberating over making a booking to INDESATCHEL (Ire) this season should note that Choisir took leading first season sire honours in 2006/07. The progeny of the former world champion sprinter earned just short of $1 million in their debut year, effectively putting Danehill Dancer (Ire) on the map as a successful sire-of-sires.