With more than 40 new stallions standing in Europe for the 2017 breeding season, another new name has been added to the list with the news that Shadwell's Estidhkaar (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is to join the ranks at Tara Stud in Ireland.
A £200,000 yearling at Goffs UK's Premier Sale in a year which also featured fellow Group winners Baitha Alga (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) and Markaz (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) among the top lots, Estidhkaar was bought by Peter and Ross Doyle and trained by Richard Hannon for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.
Having won his juvenile maiden at Newbury in June, he notched back-to-back wins in the G2 Superlative S. at Newmarket and G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster before finishing fourth to Belardo (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in the G1 Dewhurst S.
Estidhkaar was just a quarter of a length behind subsequent top-class sprinter Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) when providing his owner with a one-two in the G3 Greenham S. on his seasonal debut at three for his best run of that year. He signed off in 2016 with just two starts, his swansong being victory in the Listed Ben Marshall S.
Estidhkaar, who was bred by Jimmy Murphy of Redpender Stud under the name of BEC Bloodstock, provides his dam Danetime Out (Ire) (Danetime {Ire}) with a notable new-year double as she is also the dam of Group 1 winner Toormore (Ire) (Arakan), who is set to stand his first season for Darley at Dalham Hall Stud.
Derek Iceton, who stands another young son of Dark Angel, Alhebayeb (Ire), at his Tara Stud, said, “I'm delighted to have him. Sheikh Hamdan still owns 50% and I syndicated the other 50% within hours. There's a strong syndicate of proper breeders behind him. I'm a commercial breeder myself and I know what the market is like so I think his €5,000 fee is a fair price.”
He added, “I'm very grateful to Shadwell for sticking with me. It's hard to find these horses and it's great to be able to stand Estidhkaar here alongside Alhebayeb.”
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