By Garrick Knight
Former two-year-old trotter of the year, One Over Da Moon, has been retired and is headed to stud.
The blueblood square-gaiter, who has already dabbled in stud duties part-time, will stand at Wai Eyre Farm in North Canterbury.
One Over Da Moon has already sired 16 horses, two of racing age, and his only starter, One Apollo, is a stakes winner.
“We’ve officially retired him and he will stand at Wai Eyre permanently,” said the stallion’s co-breeder and owner, Lex Williams.
“We’re very excited for what the future holds for him; there are 13 very nice yearlings around the country and reports are that they are all shaping up well.
“There’s one there with Brent White, a filly, that we have a share in that we have high hopes for.”
Lex and his wife, Heather, first served a couple of their own mares with One Over Da Moon when he was racing as an early-four-year-old.
One Apollo was one of the resultant two foals and he went on to win the Yearling Sales Series Final (Listed) at Addington as a juvenile and ran third in the corresponding race this season.
The other three-year-old, Da Moons Mission, is yet to be sighted in public but is in work with master trainer Paul Nairn.
“Paul says he’ll take a bit of time but could be his next Ronald J. Here’s hoping.”
Nairn trained was the first of numerous trainers on both sides of the Tasman to handle One Over Da Moon in his 96-start career, and produced the best results, including a 2013 Jewels Ruby at Ashburton.
“Winning the Jewels was a real highlight, as was the Holmfield in Australia at three.
“To win the same stakes race with mother and son gave us a big thrill.”
Mum is of course One Over Kenny, Australasia’s richest ever trotting mare and the only one to earn over a million dollars on the track.
One Over Da Moon had five stints in Aussie, the most recent this past season with Brent Lilley, and was never phased by regular relocation.
“He’s never been any trouble at all; he’s such a placid guy,” said Williams.
“Great to handle, travels anywhere and it never affects him.”
But the surety and familiarity of a forever home at Wai Eyre Farm is well earned and the stud’s Farm Manager, Darryl Brown, can’t wait to meet the horse.
“We are delighted to be standing him at stud this season in partnership with Lex and Heather, and are looking forward to his arrival tomorrow (Tuesday).
“Having already sired a winner from just one to race, coupled with his outstanding pedigree and racing performance, we believe he offers breeders a superbly-priced, fresh semen trotting stallion.”
Wai Eyre has assembled a trio of New Zealand-bred and owned stallions to go with its resident American-bred stallion, Master Glide.
“He joins a nice line-up of stallions standing at Wai Eyre Farm this season, all super well priced for breeders looking for value for money stallions.
“I am particularly proud to have four stallions at Wai Eyre that are all Australasian owned and by people who are all heavily invested in Harness Racing in New Zealand, both breeding and racing.
“Sky Major is standing his second year and we are eagerly awaiting his first foals and Buy Kiwi Made is a great pay-on-live-foal option for breeders wishing to go to a stallion from a superb family who left a Group 2 winner with his only foal of racing age (Sociable).
One Over Da Moon will stand for $2,500 plus GST, though discounts will be afforded for multiple bookings, and to race-winning mares, according to Williams.
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