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Four Stakes Performers in 7 Days! 8 Oct 2007
Another week and another influx of winners for Van Nistelrooy (USA) (Storm Cat). The young stallion has been consistently producing winners in both hemispheres since the beginning of the new season and in the middle of September, sired seven winners in fourteen days from his first southern hemisphere crop. With a Grade One winner in the USA, Group Two winner in England and Group Three winner in Singapore already to his credit, Van Nistelrooy has made a solid start to his stallion career and the last seven days have seen a further three stakes performers added to his growing list.

LEFT: Onceuponatime (outside)

Boundless (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy) became her sire’s second stakes performer in New Zealand on the 29th of September, running on late for third in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) behind the smart fillies Lovetrista (NZ) (Rock Of Gibraltar) and Keepa Cruisin (NZ) (Keeper). Whilst the result was another feather in the cap of Van Nistelrooy who stood at Trelawney Stud in his four seasons in New Zealand, the result was even sweeter with Trelawney Stud’s Brent and Cherry Taylor the breeders of the filly whilst Cherry still owns a share in her.

Another stand out performer of Van Nistelrooy’s first Southern Hemisphere crop has been the Peter Moody-trained Pit Lane (NZ). The winner of three in-a-row as a two-year-old, the chestnut colt finished second in his first start this preparation and lined up at Flemington on Saturday in the Listed VRC Concept Sports Stakes (1400m). Settling in mid-field, Pit Lane was momentarily boxed-in in the run home but once in the clear, finished the race out strongly to claim third and become the first stakes performer for his sire in Australia. “I was very pleased with his run on Saturday and he’ll go forward to the Caulfield Guineas with the blinkers back on,” says Peter Moody.

In the Northern Hemisphere, Group Two-winner Strike The Deal (USA) (Van Nistelrooy) franked his form by finishing second in the Group One Middlepark Stakes (1200m) at Newmarket on Friday whilst two-year-old filly Raymi Coya (CAN) (Van Nistelrooy) added to her stakes placing in the Listed Dick Poole Fillies Stakes (1200m) with victory in the Group Three Oh So Sharp Stakes (1400m) at Newmarket the following day to become Van Nistelrooy’s fourth stakes winner from his first Northern Hemisphere crop.

Last season’s Champion Juvenile of Singapore Onceuponatime (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy) became his sire’s first stakes winner in the Southern Hemisphere toward the end of last season when he took out the SIN-G3 Magic Millions Juvenile Championship (1200m). Friday saw him make a winning return to the track at Kranji after a short spell. Racing over 1200m against the older horses, Onceuponatime impressed his trainer David Hill enough for him to state after the race, “before tonight I thought he was a fair horse, now I think he’s a very, very good horse.” Onceuponatime has faced the starter on five occasions with three wins and two thirds to his credit.

“Each week Van Nistelrooy is producing more winners and it was certainly pleasing to see Pit Lane run so well on Saturday,” said Brent Taylor of Trelawney Stud. “People are really starting to take note of Van Nistelrooy’s results and we have been fielding a number of enquiries for his progeny,” he said. “I know I’ve said it before but there are still so many of his progeny we haven’t even seen yet so there could be some exciting times ahead,” says Brent.