Baerami Thoroughbreds principal Paul Higgins confirmed yesterday that Group 1 sire Danasinga (Danehill - Princess Tracy, by Ahonoora) is back in the Hunter Valley for the 2011 breeding season ‘due to popular demand from New South Wales-based broodmare owners.’

The Group One winning sprinter commenced stud duties in New Zealand, but was switched to Baerami Thoroughbreds in 2005 and stood for five consecutive seasons under the supervision of Higgins. Last year  Danasinga stood at Touchstone Farm in Western Australia.

“His last three crops of 3-year-olds have been his best,” suggests Higgins, with the inclusion of the New Zealand-bred Metal Bender, a triple Group 1 winner. ”Over the last three years, 10 percent of all Australian Group 1 races restricted to 3-year-olds and contested at a mile [1600m] or more have had a Danasinga finish in the first four placings.

“Furthermore, 20 percent of the Sydney Autumn 3-year-old Group 1 races in the same period have been won by a Danasinga.

“Danasinga is the best breed-to-race option in Australia.”

Danasinga is the sire of 31 stakes winners from including Group 1 winners Metal Bender, Mirjulisa Lass, Piachay and Portland Singa.

Higgins confirmed that Danasinga is to stand the coming breeding season at a fee of $8800 (inc. GST), while some cheaper deals will be available for Bluebird (USA) mares as both Group 1 winners Mirjulisa Lass and Metal Bender are the result of the very same cross.

Danasinga

Racing at Caulfield on Saturday has caused considerable animation in pre-race discussions with the predicted heavy band of rain hitting Melbourne this morning. (more…)

Followers of the Chris Waller stable in Sydney were smiling on Saturday when multiple Group 1 winner Metal Bender returned to racing with a bang when leading home a Waller trifecta in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm. (more…)

New Zealand-bred horses have won 18 international Group One races during the current season and (more…)

Touchstone Farm has announced its 2010 roster and fees, including two new stallions for the Western Australian stud, Group 1-winner and producer Danasinga and dual stakes-winning and Group 1-placed Shrewd Rhythm. (more…)

Follwers of the Chris Waller stable would have had a profitable day on Saturday, with the former New Zealander saddling up four winners, that included the Group I Doomben Cup with Metal Bender. (more…)

Touchstone Farm has announced that Danasinga (Danehill – Princess Tracy by Ahonoora) will be relocating to Western Australia for the 2010 breeding season. (more…)

The Gold Coast held the racing spotlight in Australia on Saturday and Metal Bender, a dual Group I Guineas winner last season, bounced back to his best on a soft track to lift the Group 2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m). (more…)

The Magic Millions National Sale - has wound up after two weeks of selling on the Gold Coast on Thursday. (more…)

Metal Bender is on track for the three-year-old triple crown in New South Wales after he scored his second Group One win in two weeks with a determined performance in the Rosehill Guineas on Saturday.

The Danasinga gelding was coming off an unexpected win in the Group I Randwick Guineas (1600m) at his last start and comfortably handled the step up to 2000m at Rosehill, aided by a perfect ride from Dan Nikolic.

Nikolic settled him closer to the leader The Zeebac who took the field at a nice gallop with Shiekh Mohammed’s Champion Stakes winning colt Sousa sitting on his tail. Keeping Metal Bender in touch with the leaders Nikolic kept him near the inside rail. Cornering well and just as it appeared Sousa was about to claim his second feature win Rock Kingdom issued his challenge under strong riding from Nash Rawiller.

Metal Bender railed up alongside Sousa and Rock Kingdom and they went toe to toe over the last furlong. However, it was Metal Bender who stood up to be counted at the post with a narrow but convincing win over Sousa (ex Liberty Song by Last Tycoon) and Rock Kingdom (Rock of Gibraltar - Happy Empress by St. Covet).

Nikolic spoke to TVN after the win and said, “It was a great win,”

“He’s just a winner this horse.

“He knows when to stick his head out.

“I think he’ll run the Derby distance, he’s just a no-frills horse.”

Trained at Rosehill by Jack Denham, Metal Bender will line up a super fit horse in the $1.6 million Group I AJC Australian Derby (2400m) at Royal Randwick on April 11.

Metal Bender has given his owners a massive return on investment with five wins and a second for prizemoney in excess of $740,000 from his seven starts.

Another example of quality stock that can be selected at the William Inglis Easter yearling sale, Denham found him in 2007 and paid $160,000. Metal Bender was the only son of his sire, Danasinga in the catalogue.

Metal Bender is out of the Bluebird mare, Jacqwin, previously dam of the black-type placed Zabeel filly, Southern Venture.

Jacqwin’s dam, Nuwirah, is an imported daughter of Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner, Pleasant Colony. Nuwirah enjoyed frequent trysts with Danasinga’s sire, Danehill, and these yielded the Goodwood Handicap (G1) victor Keeper; the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (G1) third Downing Street; graded placed Little Chloe; and Saint Thomas, a smart performer in Hong Kong, and now serving as a sire.

Nuwirah was out of Secretarial Queen, a daughter of the mighty Secretariat. Secretarial Queen earned black-type with a win in the Ruth Lilly Stakes at Hollywood Park, and also ran second in the Hollywood Oaks (G1). At stud, she produced the minor stakes winner At Full Feather, and she is also grandam of Castledale, a Peintre Celebre son who won the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on the dirt, and the Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1) on the turf.

Metal Bender is the third group one winner for his sire Danasinga and 27th stakes winner overall. A solid racehorse, Danasinga showed brilliance and soundness, winning stakes races from 1000m to 1600m, and these traits are well replicated in his progeny. Last season he covered 52 mares off a $16,500 (inc gst) service fee at his Baerami Thoroughbreds base in New South Wales.