(from Racing and Sports)
Australian breeders are likely to get their first chance to breed to shuttle stallion Stravinsky in 2007, with the horse expected to be announced as an addition to the Coolmore Stud roster. Stravinsky, who is in quarantine at Eastern Creek facility, would stay and cover mares in Australia rather than continue on to New Zealand.
Cambridge Stud's Patrick Hogan, who has the lifetime Southern Hemisphere breeding rights for Stravinsky, said a final decision is yet to be made, but discussions are ongoing about the horse standing at Coolmore in Australia when he is released from quarantine.
Stravinsky has previously done all his Southern Hemisphere duties at Cambridge Stud in New Zealand and was set to return in 2007 before the recent equine influenza outbreak.
Following that news, Hogan announced Stravinsky would not stand in New Zealand this year. "I made that decision quite early because there was no way I wanted to put our industry in New Zealand in any risk at all," he told the Australian Associated Press.
"(Stravinsky) will certainly be back at Cambridge Stud next year and it's a shame we had to miss this year, but it was in our best interests to make that call. I think it's important that if he is not standing in New Zealand that there should be an opportunity for Australian breeders to use the horse.
"It's something that certainly interests me because it would mean no Southern Hemisphere crop will be missed."
No stud fee was announced, by the Australian Associated Press said Stravinsky might stand for $44,000. He would join 11 other stallions in 2007: Antonius Pius, Aussie Rules, Choisir, Dehere, Encosta de Lago, Fastnet Rock, Fusaichi Pegasus , Oratorio, Rock of Gibraltar, Royal Academy, and Spinning World.
Johannesburg, Tale of the Cat , and Lion Heart were sent back to America last week. It is expected that Ivan Denisovich and Holy Roman Emperor will not stand in Australia at all this year.
