13 Feb 2018
Gr.1 Levin Classic winner and Gr.1 2000 Guineas runner-up Age Of Fire will join the new Cambridge Stud stallion roster at the end of his racing career, Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis announced today.
Ellis confirmed incoming Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay had bought into the Fastnet Rock colt and would race the three-year-old with his existing ownership group.
Age Of Fire follows fellow Te Akau-raced and trained Savabeel three-year-old Embellish as a Group One-winning colt the Lindsays have bought into for future Cambridge Stud duties.
Owned by the Te Akau 2016 Sydney Breeding No.2 Syndicate, Age Of Fire was a A$400,000 purchase for Ellis at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
“I fell in love with Age of Fire the moment I first saw him in Sydney as a yearling," Ellis said.
"As an athlete, this colt is one of the very best. He is as good a moving horse as you will ever see - athletic and strong. He floats over ground with a terrific action, has a superb attitude and most importantly he possesses a real will to win.
“With his pedigree, being by Fastnet Rock out of a Galileo mare, I expect him to be a sensation at stud and I wish Brendan and Jo Lindsay all the very best with him. He has a huge future and will have the very best opportunity at Cambridge Stud.
"The New Zealand industry is just so fortunate to have people of the passion and drive of the Lindsays. It is exciting to have this joint venture with them.”
The Fastnet Rock-Galileo cross is hugely successful internationally, with top-class Group One winners already including an English Oaks winner.
Age Of Fire harks from a proven family that includes international Group winners spanning Europe and the United Kingdom – an absolute stallion’s pedigree.
The winner of three of his six starts, with stakes earnings of $286,000, Age Of Fire has never finished further back than third in his career to date.
Incoming Cambridge Stud chief executive Henry Plumptre added: “Given the competitive nature of the stallion market, we believe that securing Group One winner Age Of Fire as a future stallion is important for Cambridge Stud and the New Zealand breeding industry.
"With Age Of Fire and Embellish, breeders have the opportunity to breed to top class racehorses that both have outstanding pedigrees. Our clients and all breeders will have the opportunity to take shares in both colts when they retire to stud but, for the moment, we are hopeful that they can add to their record in Australia this autumn and train on as four-year-olds next year."
Age Of Fire will undertake the remainder of his three-year-old racing in Australia where he is expected to be competitive in races such as the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and subsequent options such as the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) or the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2400m).
He will trial at Taupo on Thursday ahead of his Australian debut in the Gr.2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday week.
“All going well it will be on to the Randwick and Rosehill Guineas,” said Jamie Richards, who trains the colt in partnership with Stephen Autridge.
“He’ll then head toward the Derby if his form warrants it. He is a very exciting colt and we’re looking forward to Sydney with him.