INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
APRIL 18, 2015
Ivanhoe latest Aussie import
by Michael Sharkie
As dawn broke over Flemington Friday, trainer Lee Freedman unveiled perhaps
the most anticipated European import to arrive in Australia since Hardwicke S.
(Eng-G2) winner Sea Moon (Beat Hollow) stepped onto the same track in September
2013. Sea Moon has since been returned to Ireland by owner Lloyd Williams after
a disappointing run, but Ivanhowe’s (Soldier Hollow) connections are hoping
their dual Group 1-winning German entire will enjoy a far more successful career
Down Under.
Purchased by London-based agent and ex-pat Aussie David Baker on behalf of
Australian clients in December, Ivanhowe will be prepared for the Cox Plate
(Aus-G1) and Melbourne Cup (Aus-G1) later this year before embarking on an
international campaign. Showing no signs of a brief bout of travel sickness
acquired during transit to Melbourne, the Grosser Preis von Baden (Ger-G1)
winner and conqueror of German Horse of the Year Sea the Moon looked in rude
health when breezing down the Flemington straight, cuddled through the 800-meter
heat by champion jockey Damien Oliver.
“We were thrilled to get a horse of his quality and despite a little bit of a
rocky start he’s been really well for the last 11 or 12 weeks,” Freedman said.
“I’m more than happy with his trial this morning, as was Damien and we may give
him a little look around in a mile race in Adelaide in a few weeks.”
Ivanhowe joins an ever-growing list of horses relocated from Europe to
Australia in the last five years, with import rates doubling during that time.
The Australian Stud Book shows that European imports represented 27 percent of
total imports in 2014, up from just 12 percent in 2010. That number is expected
to exceed 30 percent by the end of 2015 in a market that seemingly cannot be
sated.
And this comes as Britain’s Thoroughbred Breeder’s Association hopes to plug
the leak of its quality staying stock to Australia with the release of a study
into the future of British stayers and staying races, which found that 50
individual stakes winners bred in Europe were able to win under Australian
tutelage since 2011.
Although the TBA release roused interest among patriotic Brits, it barely
caused a stir in Australia with a number of prominent buyers unfettered by
the news when speaking on industry radio station RSN on Monday; they
concurred the demand for tried stock is too great and sales prices too lucrative
for any call to curb trade to be taken seriously in either hemisphere any
time soon.