Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Silvano a possible shuttle

David Thiselton
John Slade, the stud manager of Maine Chance Farms, said that shareholders of the increasingly successful sire, Silvano, have entertained the idea of sending him to Germany for a season.
Silvano was originally sent to South Africa as an intended shuttle stallion between the two stud farms of Dr. Andreas Jacobs, Gestut Farhoff in Germany and Main Chance Farms in South Africa, but, owing to an untimely outbreak of African Horse Sickness, he was unable to return to Germany after his first visit and has remained here ever since.
He has since been bought out by South African shareholders.
Silvano enjoyed a fine season in South Africa last season achieving a notable double when his progeny won both the SA Derby and the SA Oaks.
His son Kings Gambit was named joint Equus Champion Stayer and Highveld Horse Of The Year after winning both the Grade I SA Classic and the Grade I SA Derby.
Happy Spirit won the Grade II SA Oaks.
His other stakes winner here was the Listed-winning sprinter Animated.
Silvano ended the 2007/2008 season as the leading Sire of three-year-olds in South Africa and for this and his Derby/Oaks double he was nominated for the EQUUS Stallion Breeding Achievement Award, an award won by Camden Park for siring Jay Peg and Consensual.
Silvano was the Horse Of The Year in Germany in 2001 and a globetrotting Grade I winner of over $3,5 million and has enjoyed fine success as a sire from the two seasons he stood in Germany.
From his first crop he produced Fair Breeze, who won a Grade II in France over 2500m, Proudinsky, who won a Grade II and a Grade III and finished a neck second to Big Brown when receiving just one pound, all over 1800m on turf in the USA.
From his second German crop he produced Mi Emma who won the German 1000 Guineas and also another Grade II race over a mile.
He received mediocre mares in those two seasons in Germany and yet he tops the list of Leading Active European Sires in 2008 in order of Percentage Winners to Runners, having sent out 48 runners for 28 winners (58,33%), and also tops that list for the period 2005-2008 having sent out 79 runners for 57 winners (72%).
He lies eighth in the 2008 List of Active European Sires for Percentage of Stakes Winners to Runners, having produced three stakes winners from 48 runners (6,25%).
Silvano, has not surprisingly, caught the attention of breeders and if he does go to Germany he should get a higher class of mare.
He will be the first ever stallion from South Africa to do a reverse shuttle.
Slade said that the response from the shareholders had been positive but added that there were many hurdles to overcome before the move became reality.

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