NEWS
Medaaly, Second Empire to stand in South Africa
Posted: Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Blandford Bloodstock has purchased French sire Medaaly and Irish sire Second Empire (Ire) and will stand the pair of Group 1 winners at Oaklands Stud near Cape Town in South Africa. The stud fee for each horse will be $6,881 (45,000 rands). Medaaly had been standing at Haras du Logis near Normandy, France, as the property of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Darley.
Winner of the 1996 Racing Post Trophy Stakes (Eng-G1) at Doncaster, the ten-year-old son of Highest Honor (Fr) has sired 50 winners, including stakes winners French stakes winners Aaly Star and Mardouk, from 139 starters in three crops of racing age.
A half brother to European highweight and English Group 2 winner Charnwood Forest (Ire), Medaaly is out of the unraced Sadler's Wells mare Dance of Leaves, a half sister to champion and classic winner Timber County, Group 1 winner and leading South African sire Fort Wood, and to multiple group winner Colorado Dancer, dam of 2000 Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) winner and sire Dubai Millennium.
Second Empire had been standing at Coolmore Stud near Fethard in County Tipperary, Ireland. The eight-year-old son of Fairy King won the 1997 Grand Criterium (Fr-G1) at Longchamp and was highweighted on Ireland's Free Handicap as a two- and three-year-old.
Second Empire has 12 winners, including Italian stakes winners Clasem Di San Jore and German stakes winner Freedom, from 63 starters in two crops of racing age.
Out of the stakes-placed winning Ela-Mana-Mou mare Wesh Love, a half sister to multiple group winner and producer Flame of Tara (Ire) and Group 1 winner and sire Marju, Second Empriree is a half brother to four stakes winners, including Group 3 winner Balestrini.
"Both are Group 1-winning juveniles and both have made a very good start with their three-year-olds this year," Tom Goff of Blandford Bloodstock told Racing Post. "We are hoping that Medaaly particularly will attract quality mares as he is closely related to champion South African sire Fort Wood."
