On the big time board, Nunnery stallion Green Desert, whose eight stakes winners of 2003 include U.S. grade I turf winner Heat Haze and dual English group I winner Oasis Dream, will have a stud fee of £85,000 (approximately $144,000) in 2004.
Sheikh Maktoum's homebred Storming Home, whose chance for victory in the Oct. 25 John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) was compromised because of an injury to his right hind foot suffered during a bumping incident rounding the first turn, has been retired for stallion duty at Sheikh Hamdan's Nunnery Stud in England. His fee is £10,000 (approximately $17,000).Five-year-old Storming Home (Machiavellian--Try to Catch Me, by Shareef Dancer) was a two-time grade I grass winner in the U.S. this year for trainer Neil Drysdale and a group I winner in England in 2002. He also finished first in this year's Arlington Million (gr. IT), but was disqualified for interference and placed fourth. Unplaced in the Turf, he retires with eight wins from 24 starts and earnings of $1,536,704.Nunnery, a division of Shadwell Estate Company, also announced a fee of £15,000 (approximately $25,400) for incoming stallion Nayef. Five-year-old Nayef, who closed out his career in an unplaced effort in the Oct. 18 Emirates Airline Champion Stakes (Eng-I), was a champion in England and Dubai for Sheikh Hamdan. The son of Gulch out of the Bustino mare Height of Fashion won nine of 20 starts and earned $3,594,157.
