By Peter Wharton
Stonebridge Regal (1:48.2), the first son of former champion pacer Artsplace to become available to breeders in Tasmania, will stand the coming season at Elderslie Horse Care and Spelling, conducted by Sue Streit, Elderslie, near Brighton for a fee of $1,750.
The Elderslie property has been developed into one of the most up-to-date breeding nurseries on the Island, and Stonebridge Regal looks certain to play a real part in placing it on the Standardbred breeding map.
Stonebridge Regal, a striking bay horse, foaled in 2002 has his oldest stock racing as four-year-olds and from his first two crops he has to date sired 36 individual winners.
This season he has been represented by 30 winners of 79 races – including 10 three-year-olds – headed up by the Menangle winners Hez A Dude (1:54.6) and Del Piero (1:56.1), the Breeders Crown finalist Regal Ambition (1:58.1), the Vicbred heat winner Whenmechief 1:59.5 (8 wins) and the Bathurst Gold Tiara winner Regal Ashes (1:58.7).
Despite having only previously stood on the mainland, Stonebridge Regal has achieved a tremendous strike rate of winners-to-foals from only a handful of mares bred in Tasmania.
Karalta Dazzler, the winner of eight races and $56,936 in stakes, Tania Maree (9 wins and $44,370), Jane Grant (5 wins), Regal Idea (6 wins) and the Bandbox heat winner Ark Breeze (2 wins) have been Tasmanian winners by Stonebridge Regal from his first crops.
Stonebridge Regal, who was first at the stud in Canada, has total progeny earnings of more than $8-million in four countries – USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
In America his stock have earned $7-million with one in 1:50, 44 in 1:55 and 21 $100,000 winners including the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold champions Gallant Seelster 1:50.4 ($244,419) and Right On Molly 1:53.4 ($179,025).
While his NZ crops have produced the recent winners Shes Got Issues 1:58.3, whose eight successes include the NSW Golden Easter Egg, Wee Jimmy 1:58.5 (Albion Park), Our Braxton (1:59.9), Black Regal Princess (1:59.5), Diamond King (unbeaten in 2 starts) and Moon Angel (3 wins).
Stonebridge Regal was a top racehorse himself, winning in excess of $1-million, and he recorded five sub 1:50 race-winning miles. His most important successes were the Diplomat Series, the North America Cup elimination (2nd in Final) and the Meadowlands Pace elimination, in which he defeated Rocknroll Hanover in 1:49.6.
On the score of blood Stonerbridge Regal lacks nothing. His sire Artsplace (1:49.4) was a champion with stake earnings of $3,085,083 and has been one of America’s top sires for some time.
Lady Joanna (1:53.6), the dam of Stonebridge Regal, is one of only a few mares to leave two sub 1:50 performers in Stonebridge Regal (1:48.2) and Lease On Life (1:48.2). In all, Lady Joanna is the dam of 12 foals, 11 starters and eight individual winners.
The first three dams of Stonebridge Regal left 24 winners between them.
Transported semen for Stonebridge Regal is available throughout Australia. For further information contact Sue Streit on (03) 6268 5213 or 0409 104 718.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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