Stallion of the Week: Edenwold

Edenwold (CAN)

Never underestimate the Canadian influence

NZTM 4:17 PM Tuesday Jun 23, 2009

If Canada’s record at producing top rate stallions on the world stage holds true, Glyn Morris’ Selwyn Stud in Christchurch could well be sitting on a sleeping giant with their Southern Halo sire, Edenwold (CAN).

As a breeding origin, Canada lays claim to such outstanding sires as Storm Bird, The Minstrel, Nearctic, Nijinsky, Vice Regent, Northern Dancer, Deputy Minister, Sound Reason and One Pound Sterling.

Whilst yet to be proven in the breeding department (his oldest will be foals in 2009/10), Edenwold certainly holds his head high in this company with respect to his racetrack deeds.

Edenwold (CAN) was the Champion 2YO colt in Canada in 2005 – a feat made all the more impressive this year by Mine That Bird, a horse who claimed the Canadian title last year and who went on to win this year’s Kentucky Derby.

Winning four times as a juvenile, Edenwold cemented his black-type ability at two with a hat-trick of Listed wins in the Canadian Woodbine Colin Stakes (1200m), the Canadian Woodbine Vandal Stakes (1200m) and the Canadian Woodbine Simcoe Stakes (1400m).

Adding further depth to this two-year-old record, Edenwold (CAN) twice produced runner-up performances, with not the least of these coming at his second career start in the Canadian Listed Woodbine Victoria Stakes (1000m).

Of particular note here is that prior to the International Cataloguing Committee’s 1999 decision to downgrade Canada’s black-type races due to their restriction to Canadian bred horses only, all of these juvenile contests historically carried either a Canadian Gr.2 or 3 status.  

At three, Edenwold (CAN) distinguished himself as the first champion 2YO since Sound Reason in 1977 to come out and win what is the oldest thoroughbred horse race in North America and Canada’s most prestigious race, the Queen’s Plate (3YO, 2000m).

In taking this first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown  which was formerly a Canadian Gr.1, Edenwold etched his name on an enviable honours roll that includes the aforementioned sire greats Northern Dancer (1964 winner) and Sound Reason.

Remarkably, whilst many observers believed the striking chestnut would be too brilliant for this prestigious Queens Plate target, it was in fact his precocious raw ability as a two-year-old that surprised his trainer, Josie Carroll.

With the way More Than Ready is going, you would have to say that Southern Halo over Northern Dancer/Mr Prospector mares is a cross of the future

Despite being a big horse at two, his sizeable stature proved no impediment to his early co-ordination, with the effect instead being of an all too easy racing style.

Beyond offering breeders an exceptional Canadian race record netting US$942,000 (approx NZ$1.2 mil) in earnings, Edenwold boasts a strong pedigree being linebred to Raise a Native and being by the proven producer of sires, Southern Halo (USA) (Halo).

As a sire of sires’ Southern Halo, the producer of 159 stakes winners himself, has been best represented by More Than Ready, the sire of the last two Australian Golden Slipper winners Sebring and Phelan Ready and of the dual Magic Millions Classic winner, Augusta Proud.

Beyond sharing the same sire, parallels between More Than Ready and Edenwold run deeper still.

Each of their dam sires represents the Mr Prospector x Buckpasser cross. Further upon closer inspection as to the maternal make up of each sire, a commonality can also be found with the presence of Nearco.

Edenwold’s (CAN)  dam, Best of Friends (Mining) was a winner in the USA and is strongly distinguished on the pedigree page with a Gr.2 winning half sister Vice N’Friendly (Vice Regent) and with her Listed winning 2nd dam, Raise Your Sights (Raise A Native).

Importantly though, it is through Raise Your Sights that a ¾ blood connection can be found to the Gr.1 Kentucky Derby winner Majestic Prince and to the Gr.1 winning two-year-old Crowned Prince. Beyond excelling on the racetrack, both of these horses are strong additions to Edenwold’s pedigree page, given the noted sire producing record that followed them.

Not surprisingly, Edenwold’s parallels with Australia’s Champion 2YO stallion More Than Ready is the subject of much optimism at Selwyn River Stud.

“With the way More Than Ready is going, you would have to say that Southern Halo over Northern Dancer/Mr Prospector mares is a cross of the future,” Morris told NZTM.

With bloodlines such as these and an outstanding record as an early maturing sprinter, Glyn Morris is confident Edenwold offers breeders a great opportunity.

“Everyone who sees Edenwold is impressed. He’s an outstanding individual, who is big and strong and he has a lot of muscle about him,” said Morris.

“He coped very well with his early racing and his temperament is very professional.

 “Ultimately, Edenwold’s progeny are going to be early types that go on and that is what the market wants!”

Edenwold (CAN) will stand alongside Lord of Warriors (NZ$2000 plus GST) at South Island’s Selwyn River Stud for a fee of NZ$4,500 plus GST in 2009.

Written by Angelique Bridson of NZTM
Reproduced with permission of Adrian Clark
www.nztm.co.nz