Vancouver, last season’s Australian Two-Year-Old of the Year, is being prepared for his much anticipated retirement to stud having run out of time to showcase his significant abilities at Britain’s Royal Ascot later this month.
Australia’s leading breeders have swamped Coolmore with mare appointments for the young tyro and the China Horse Club continues to source elite broodmares at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for Vancouver and a brace of outstanding young stallion prospects it holds an interest in.
“Vancouver’s unsatisfactory blood picture precluded us from running him in the Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh last Saturday week,” said champion trainer Aidan O’Brien from Ireland.
“His bloods failed to improve as quickly as we might have hoped so he missed more work last week and this week. Unfortunately, we’ve now run out of time to get him ready for the G1 Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot and the G1 July Cup. It’s very disappointing as he looked very special on what we’d seen of him at home and we were looking forward to running him.”
Coolmore Australia’s Principal, Tom Magnier, was equally disappointed that Vancouver will not be able to showcase the ability which saw him scorch through his juvenile season undefeated and be rated by some as the most exciting young stallion prospect in several years.
“It’s a major disappointment that Vancouver won’t be running at Royal Ascot but he is proving very popular with breeders so we’re keen to get him here as soon as possible,” Magnier said.
“He’ll enter quarantine in Newmarket next week and will be on the farm here in Coolmore Australia by mid-July.”
A further three broodmares were sourced at the Magic Millions yesterday to add to the eight acquired during the opening day of training. The latest buys are:
- Spellbinder: A stakes winning mare in foal to first season sire Shooting To Win
- Total Response: A stakes placed mare in foal to first season sire Wandjina
- Why Be Discrete: A blue-blood mare in foal to champion sire Snitzel
The news of Vancouver’s retirement comes only hours after Rainbow Nation posted his second successive win when leading from start to finish in the Tab.com.au Handicap (1200m) in Australia. The strapping bay shouldered 59.5kg and showed great courage to fend off the late assault of rivals. In doing so he brought up the 25th win for the year for the China Horse Club.
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