News should have filtered through to most of our clients that Riverdene Stud is to venture in to the shuttle stallion business for the 2007 breeding season. The horse and exercise excites us greatly and we have considerable pleasure in confirming this development through our May newsletter…

Following considerable negotiations conducted with Bearstone Stud, England, since the beginning of the year, we are pleased to announce the impending arrival of Indesatchel (Ire) for the 2007 southern hemisphere breeding season. An English Classic-placed dual Group winner by Danehill Dancer (Ire), we are confident that you will feel that this appealing young stud prospect offers local breeders outstanding value at a fee of $6,600 (inc. 10% GST), especially after all of his impressive credentials are revealed.

Trained out of Ireland by David Wachman, the son-in-law of Coolmore Stud principal John Magnier, Indesatchel proved himself to be a high-class racehorse as a 2- and 3-year-old. Indeed, this quality import has formlines which should be fairly familiar to domestic breeders as the company he kept includes prominent names on the Darley, Coolmore and Woodlands stallion rosters.

A Curragh maiden winner at his second race start, Indesatchel proceeded to place twice at stakes level in his juvenile season. The first of these was a minor placing in the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes behind Oratorio (Ire), before a second placing behind Ad Valorem (USA) in the Listed Blenheim Stakes.

The fact that Oratorio and Ad Valorem are also to serve the 2007 season provides local broodmare owners with the opportunity to make some direct comparisons, and particularly in regards to service fee. However, we will come to that later.

In summing up Indesatchel’s ability as a 2-year-old we can safely say that he came early and only improved through the season, establishing himself among the finest youngsters trained in Ireland in 2004.

As with all the stallions we have secured for stud duties at Riverdene Stud, Indesatchel’s 2-year-old record was very, very respectable, but even better was to come at three.

A Listed winner on his seasonal reappearance in 2005, Indesatchel then established himself as a genuine Classic hope by winning major 2000 Guineas trials in both England and Ireland in effortless fashion despite their Group 3 status.

Pitted against some of the leading Classic contenders of his generation, Indesatchel initially landed the Greenham Stakes (G3) at Newbury ridden out hands and heels to win, before adding the Tetrarch Stakes (G3) at The Curragh to his record in an awesome six lengths winning romp.

The manner of these two wins stamped the colt as one of the leaders of his generation and he was subsequently rewarded with a tilt at the French 2000 Guineas at Longchamp at his fourth outing of the campaign.

In arguably the most outstanding performance of his career, Indesatchel came from near last in the short Longchamp straight to get within a half-head of champion 3-year-old colt Shamardal (USA), with the latter stretched to the absolute limit to hold on and win.

Indesatchel’s mighty effort in the French 2000 Guineas earned him rave notices and ultimately established him in elite company. In fact, on strength of his narrow defeat by Shamardal, Indesatchel was rated by Timeform as the equal of English 2000 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand (USA).

Indesatchel won on four occasions and placed another five times in 17 career starts. Moreover, he raced in the very best of company, winning two Group 3s and one Listed event, in addition to finishing runner-up at Group 1 level in one of the most celebrated 3-year-old events on the planet.

If the value Indesatchel offers breeders is still not obvious, then consider this: Shamardal, the horse Indesatchel almost defeated at Longchamp, will stand at Darley this season at a fee of $55,000 (inc. 10% GST), while the aforementioned Ad Valorem (USA) heads to Woodlands at a fee of $22,000 (inc. 10% GST) and Oratorio will return to Coolmore at a fee of $27,500 (inc. 10% GST).

When it is also brought to light the fact that Indesatchel’s own sire Danehill Dancer (Ire) will stand the 2007 season at Coolmore Australia at a fee of $110,000 (inc. 10% GST), the question needs to be asked: Is there a better priced first season sire than the new name on our roster? We believe that the answer is a very definite No!

For a fee of $6,600 (inc. 10% GST), we are confident that our first venture in to standing a dual hemisphere stallion will yield a positive result for all parties concerned.

The news of Indesatchel’s impending visit has taken some gloss off local developments, but the recent results of ZARIZ should not go without mention in this edition of The Riverdene Review.

Following closely on the heels of his success with second crop 2-year-old Richaz in the Wellington Boot has come the Listed VRC St Leger victory of 3-year-old Lazer Sharp at Moonee Valley on ANZAC Day.

Such versatility with just two crops to race is an exceptionally encouraging sign and, clearly, ZARIZ is a stallion with much to offer if recent results are anything to go by.
Needless to say, enquiry into ZARIZ has increased appreciably as a consequence of is notable successes in the 2- and 3-year-old ranks and the handsome grandson of Storm Bird can look forward to a very healthy book in 2007.