It’s here: season 2008, with the Riverdene Stud stallions already at work for what is shaping up as another eventful period in the outfit’s history. Our line-up has attracted plenty of initial support from broodmare owners and we begin the new covering phase with as much optimism as ever before…

Without proving too hasty, the response to our new stallion ENEMY OF AVERAGE has been incredibly positive and he has begun to cover what promises to be a very sizeable book.

Of course, the fact that ENEMY OF AVERAGE is a half-brother to Exceed And Excel, one of the most exciting young stallions in the world, has been very much in our corner.

The rise and rise of Exceed And Excel has provided breeders with plenty of confidence to use ENEMY OF AVERAGE and the enquiry rate has surpassed anything previously experienced on the farm.

That said, ENEMY OF AVERAGE’s book is still open and we will be happy to accommodate as many ‘late’ bookings as it is feasibly possible.

For the record, Exceed And Excel took the Leading First Season Sire title of 2007/08 in this neck of the woods and recently had his 16th first-crop juvenile winner in GB-Ire. In addition, Sugar Babe recently became his first 3-year-old stakes winner for her sire when winning at Caulfield.

The progeny of HALF HENNESSY is beginning to hit its straps with the second season sire enjoying a couple of 3-year-old winners in the first month of 2008/09. Hangover Henry posted his first, long overdue success, a couple of weeks before Sundance Kid became winner No. 3 for his sire.

These are by no means isolated cases.

HALF HENNESSY’s talented daughter Lavished is shaping up as one of the leading 3-year-old fillies of the spring racing period having turned in a ripper of a run on resuming.

Assigned the Group 3 AJC Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) first-up, the Bede Murray-trained galloper finished as well as anything in the race and could be spotted on the heels of the placegetters when the judges called a halt to proceedings.

The performance could hardly have been more encouraging and a stakes victory over the coming weeks is not out of the question for this very talented filly.

Congratulations to the connections of Sports City. The 6-year-old son of SPORTS WORKS not only landed the Forbes Cup during August but also the Narromine Gold Cup as well.

PEDIGREE OF THE MONTH

Hangover Henry has proven to be one of HALF HENNESSY’s most prominent runners to date, performing in city class events when 2-year-old racing first got underway in Sydney earlier this year and training on to win in his first month of competition as a 3-year-old.

Significantly, Hangover Henry’s initial race success came in the same month as the maiden victory of Sundance Kid, another son of HALF HENNESSY bred from a daughter of a Mr Prospector-line stallion. Not surprisingly, many of Hennessy’s best progeny bred in the northern hemisphere carry Mr Prospector, including World Champion 2YO Johannesburg (USA), and even some of Johannesburg’s best progeny to date carry another infusion of ‘Mr P’.

The other major aspect of Hangover Henry’s pedigree is the notable presence of Luskin Star-Kaoru Star. Lavished, HALF HENNESSY’s best filly to date, also carries Kaoru Star in her pedigree. While HALF HENNESSY already carries one line of Star Kingdom (Ire) through Blazing Saddles-Todman, it is worth noting that this young stallion’s best two runners to date carry a double dose of Star Kingdom. In addition, Hennessy’s Australian champion Grand Armee carried Biscay through Marauding (NZ) and Group 2 winner Speedy Kid carried Biscay through Bletchingly.