Almanzor – Shanya 2yo Colt

Anyone that’s excited by the prospect of owning a stayer in Australia would have to look at the progeny of Almanzor. And who wouldn’t want to own a stayer in Australia?

It’s estimated that 70% of the prizemoney on offer in Australia is for staying races, and the way we breed them here (typically speed on speed) means that 70% of the horses we breed can’t stay, and that bodes very well if you get one that can run a trip!

Almanzor is dual hemisphere stallion who shuttles for the two breeding seasons between France and New Zealand. A Champion European 3yo, Almanzor won three times at the elite level, and also won a Group 2, a Group 3 and a Listed race too. All up he won 8 races, 6 of them at Black Type level to 2100m including the Champion Stakes at Newmarket, The Irish Champion Stakes and The Prix du Jockey Club in France.

As a stallion at stud in the Southern Hemisphere, he’s produced a constant stream of winners, and not only stayers, but also 2 year old feature race winners too! He’s produced 24 stakes performers from his SH crops including the Group 1 VRC Derby winner Manzoice, and in fact he’s produced 9 Group 1 performers all up to date including not only Manzoice, but also placegetters in the Australian Derby, The New Zealand Derby, Oaks and 1000 Guineas, and the Sistema Stakes (NZ).

This colt by Almanzor is out of Shanya, a broodmare who hails from a stout European family with considerable staying success. At stud she’s had three to race for three winners. A late maturing type of medium size, he was purchased through the New Zealand Bloodstock National Online Yearling Sale for a tick over $6,000 and whilst it’s cost much more than that to see him landed in Perth, he’s still an Almanzor from a staying bred family, and one that if he’s shown the patience that he needs, could develop into a nice type that’s capable of running a journey.

He’ll be trained in Perth by Grant & Alana Williams who know a thing or two about training stayers!