Quest For Fame (GB), the English Derby-Gr.1/Hollywood Turf Handicap-Gr.1 winner is still available to breeders this season at Darley’s Twin Hills property at Cootamundra on a fee of $6600 (inc gst) and is quietly making his name as a broodmare sire, the latest star on the horizon being Gosford Guineas winner Aichi (by Strategic).
    Strategic (Zeditave-Sudden Impulse by Luskin Star), also a former Woodlands sire, will be available to Victorian breeders again this season at Darley’s Northwood Park property on a fee of $16,500, and this multiple Gr.1 winner has had 71 winners of $3.25m this season including three year-old stakes winners Aichi and Desuetude (dam by Unbridled’s Song) and four year-old stakes winner Illuminates (dam by Danzero), while juvenile Pluralism (dam by Canny Lad) looks to have a promising future.

   Quest For Fame’s daughters have produced 67 winners of $2.715m this season including juvenile stakes winner Hollows (by Thorn Park) and Aichi and stakes placed Serenissima (Lonhro), Lord Tavistock (Montjeu (IRE)), Jimmy Fortunes (Choisir), Stickpin (Pins) (winner of eight races and $410,000) and Psychosis (Dangerous), the last two both are six year-olds. Overall his daughters have produced 227 winners (16SW) of $14.25m and including Gr.1 winner African Rose (GB) (by Observatory (USA)), Gr. 2 winner  Deferential (Royal Academy (USA)), Group 3 winners Coup Bloomsbury (NZ) (Centaine), Famous Name (GB) (Dansili), Maram (USA) (Sahm), Sara Bell (BRZ) (Choctaw Ridge), and the black type winners, Sharkbite (Redoute’s Choice), Dantrelle Light (USA) (Colony Light),  Silver Point (FR) (Commands), Fixated (Canny Lad), Famous Dane (Danewin) and Smart Club (BRZ) (Choctaw Ridge).
   Quest For Fame’s sire Rainbow Quest (Blushing Groom-I Will Follow by Hergager) was rated the Champion Older Horse in Europe and won the Arc de Triomphe and Coronation Cup before a long and distinguished stud career for Khalid Abdullah at Juddmonte Farm in Newmarket where he sired more than 500 winners (103SW or 10.5%) including another Arc winner in Suamarez. A leading broodmare sire in Europe, his daughters produced the English Derby winners North Light and Kris Kin and also multiple Gr.1 winner Rakti (GB) (Polish Precedent), a Chatswood Stud shuttler who had his first winner in the UK recently.
    Quest For Fame’s dam Aryenne (Green Dancer-Americaine by Cabremont) won the French 1000 Guineas-Gr.1 at three, was also runner-up (beaten a short head by Mrs Penny) in the French Oaks and won the Criterium des Pouliches at two (when she was unbeaten) and her five winners also include Gr.2 winner Yenda (Dancing Brave). Her second dam is a half-sister to French 2000 Guineas winner Adamastor (FR) (Norseman), who stood in Australia and whose daughter Hello Love (ex Princess by Star Kingdom (IRE)) produced the Sydney Cup hero Double Century and brilliant juvenile Century Love (both by Century) and their sister Love Bird, dam of the Gr.3 winner and sire Armidale (Rory’s Jester). Armidale stood at Riverdene Stud, Wagga and his daughters could provide an intriguing match with Quest For Fame.
    Breeders looking to get themselves a nice filly with residual value could do worse than consider Quest For Fame. Remember he is the sire of 497 winners (65% of runners) of $40.8m including 42 stakes winners (5.5% of starters) and a further 34 stakes placed runners (4.5%), eight of his stakes winners are Gr.1 winners, Viscount, Dracula, Sarrera, Famous Digger, Unworldly, Masked, Tributes and De Beers.
    Breeders in SA have the opportunity to use De Beers (ex Chimeara by Danehill), the Rosehill Guineas winner who retired to Lindsay Park in 2008. His second dam is dual Gr.1 winner Tristalove (a sister to Antwerp) and third dam is Gr.1 winner Diamond Lover, a daughter of Eight Carat. De Beers, a three-quarter brother to Viscount, is on $5500 in 2009 ($6600 last year when he covered 63 mares), value indeed for such a fine racehorse.

   David Bay is the Editor of Bluebloods and runs a bloodstock consulting business.

Permalink| Jul 15, 2009

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