2 Apr 2019Hard on the heels of announcing the acquisition of top rated 3YO, ALMANZOR, to stand in 2018 – Cambridge Stud is delighted to announce the acquisition of the southern hemisphere breeding rights to World Champion 3YO ROARING LION.
In a stellar 2018, ROARING LION won four Group 1 races from a mile to 2000 metres, displaying great courage and tenacity to beat the best in Europe. The four Group 1 races were the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, the Juddmonte International at York, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Champion’s Day – all weight for age races against older horses, an elite achievement that earned him a Timeform rating of 130.
Sheikh Fahad Al-Thani, Chairman of Qatar Racing: “My brothers and I have enjoyed our greatest days on the racecourse courtesy of Roaring Lion. To own a horse like him is truly incredible and we believe he will prove a magnificent influence as a sire in both hemispheres. We are delighted by the support breeders have shown in Europe and, feel confident he will be as popular in the Southern Hemisphere and look forward to seeing Roaring Lion’s first progeny both here and around the world.
Cambridge Stud appealed to us due to the combination of heritage and Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s amazing commitment to the New Zealand thoroughbred industry. Their determination to secure our world champion was beyond admirable and we are committed to assist them realise his potential worldwide.”
David Redvers, Qatar Racing manager and owner of Tweenhills: “Roaring Lion is a horse of a lifetime. He is a remarkable horse; tough and durable beyond equal, but his turn of foot and will to win set him apart and we believe he will prove a genuine breed shaper. We look forward to working with Brendan, Jo, Henry Plumptre and the Cambridge Stud team and watching Roaring Lion and this incredible farm flourish together.”
John Gosden, trainer, Newmarket: “What really impressed me about Roaring Lion was the tougher the races, the more he would answer the call. I’ve never trained a horse that had the constitution he has – he has just got bigger and stronger. He was a trainer’s dream, I never had a moment’s worry with him.”
Oisin Murphy, Qatar Racing’s retained jockey: “Roaring Lion has been a wonderful horse to be involved with and I feel incredibly honoured to have ridden him on some of the biggest stages this year. He gave me an amazing day at Sandown when winning my first British Group 1 and we’ve had some extraordinary days since. He’s an incredible horse who I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Henry Plumptre, CEO Cambridge Stud: “To be able to secure two European Champions in two years is extraordinary and very exciting for Cambridge and Australasian breeders. Roaring Lion is hugely sort after in the UK in his first season at stud, standing at GBP40,000. European breeders have recognised his brilliance and he is over subscribed. His sire, Kitten’s Joy, is the reigning champion sire in the USA and has been Champion Turf Sire for the past six years. By El Prado, he has a similar profile to the Champion Medaglia D’Oro, also by El Prado, who sired Vancouver, Astern and the recent NZ Derby winner Crown Prosecutor.”
Roaring Lion was awarded Cartier Horse of the Year and Longine’s World Champion 3YO for his exploits in 2018. But he was an exceptional two-year-old as well, sealing a hattrick of wins with a brilliant victory in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot. His only defeat was by a neck in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy in which he ran second.
The arrival of Roaring Lion in New Zealand sees the beginning of a new relationship between Sheikh Fahad, Tweenhills and Cambridge Stud. Additionally, David Redvers has committed up to 20 mares on behalf of Sheikh Fahad to Roaring Lion in the southern hemisphere each year.
Brendan and Jo Lindsay were present at Ascot to see Roaring Lion win his last Group 1 in the UK and knew, when they saw his ability first hand, that he had to come to Cambridge.
Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Owners of Cambridge Stud: “Jo and I would like to sincerely thank David Redvers and Sheikh Fahad for giving us the opportunity to bring a horse of his calibre to Cambridge Stud. We were there on Champion’s Day and his ability to drop back to a mile and still beat the best in Europe left us in no doubt that we had to secure him for New Zealand.”
A top rated European two-year-old (Timeform 120p), Champion three-year-old and Cartier Horse of the Year, a four-time Group 1 winner at weight for age, from the sire line of the Champion Stallion Medaglia D’Oro – Roaring Lion has it all and is ready to take his place at the renowned Cambridge Stud in 2019.