Van Nistelrooy, a young promising son of Storm Cat, will not be returning to Trelawney Stud in New Zealand for the 2008 Southern Hemisphere breeding season. The 8-year-old stallion is standing for $25,000 at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky.
"We had been working very hard to secure the services of Van Nistelrooy once again for the New Zealand industry," said Brent Taylor of Trelawney. "We have always had the first option to bring the horse back to New Zealand after resting him from shuttle duties in 2007. However, the terms of the new lease agreement outlined to us has meant that economics have come into play.
"To bring Van Nistelrooy to New Zealand, we would have to stand him at a fee we believe the market would not be able to tolerate and it is with this in mind that we have had to forgo the opportunity to stand him."
Van Nistelrooy retired to stud in 2003 and stood his first season at Trelawney Stud on behalf of a partnership that included Trelawney, Chequers Stud, Curraghmore Stud, Fairdale Stud, Haunui Farm, and Pencarrow Stud. His first North American season was at Ashford in 2004.
As a North American first-crop sire of 2007, Van Nistelrooy ranked fourth by progeny earnings and first by number of winners. He was represented by 26 winners and the earners of $1.4 million.
All seven of Van Nistelrooy's stakes winners were added-money winners in 2007, with five of them enjoying success in graded or group company. Set Play, a filly, won the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (gr. I), and Elusive Lady, another filly, captured the Tempted Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct.
Bred in Kentucky by Robert and Janice McNair's Stonerside Stable, Van Nistelrooy raced for Stonerside in partnership with Michael Tabor and Susan Magnier, whose husband, John Magnier, is managing partner of Irish-based Coolmore Stud. Ashford is a Coolmore satellite.
Racing solely at 2, Van Nistelrooy was a group II winner in Ireland and group II-placed in England. In the U.S., he ran unplaced in the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I). He is one of five stakes winners from the Halo mare Halory.
