Giant's Causeway Not Shuttling to Australia

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Coolmore's Giant's Causeway  , racing's latest sensation sire with three group I winners this year, will not shuttle as planned to Coolmore's Australian stallion station in New South Wales. The 8-year-old son of Storm Cat will remain at Coolmore's North American satellite Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky.

According to a Coolmore representative, Giant's Causeway deserves a rest after experiencing a full season at stud this year. He stood the final part of the season for $200,000. His Australian fee was set earlier at $77,000 in Australian funds.

Giant's Causeway's line-up of group I winners from his first crop consists of 3-year-olds Shamardal, Maids Causeway, and Footstepsinthesand. The 2004 English champion 2-year-old, Shamardal won this year's Prix du Jockey-Club (Fr-I) and Gainsborough Poule d'Essai des Poulains (Fr-I), plus the St. James's Palace Stakes (Eng-I) at the Royal Ascot meeting.

Maids Causeway also was a Royal Ascot winner, taking the Coronation Stakes (Eng-I). She earlier ran second in the Ultimatepoker.com One Thousand Guineas (Eng-I). Unbeaten Footstepsinthesand captured the Ultimatepoker.com Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) in his sole start this year.

Coolmore announced that Footstepsinthesand has been retired and will enter stud at Coolmore Australia. A niggling problem with the foot he bruised on the very fast ground at Newmarket during the Guineas forced his premature retirement. Although nothing major, the injury requires rest, which would rule him out of the summer's major mile events.

Footstepsinthesand, who was produced from the Rainbow Quest mare Glatisant, exits racing with earnings of $427,826. He was a group winner in Ireland last year.

Giant's Causeway, whose dam, grade II winner Mariah's Storm, is by Rahy, was a champion in England and Ireland. In his career finale, he ran a close second to Tiznow   in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I). His first crop consists of five stakes winners as well as five stakes-placed runners.

Joining Footstepsinthesand in Australia will be Antonius Pius. An Irish group II winner in 2003, Antonius Pius (Danzig-- Catchascatchcan, by Pursuit of Love) ran second in the 2004 NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) and was twice group I-placed in Europe.

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