THE OAKS STUD

The Oaks Stud have acquired U S Navy Flag ( War Front) in a move that is set to benefit New Zealand breeders and take advantage of the recently announced prizemoney increases.

Rick Williams said, “U S Navy Flag is profiling up well. He looks like he’ll be the Champion First Season Sire and he’s second on the General 2YO Sires list against all stallions. His stock are finding the line late and look like they’ll be better at three. Hopefully there will be a few in the big races in the spring. The Chosen One moves here for the season. He’s a beautifully bred son of Savabeel and I’ve always wanted to stand one. He was Champion Stayer, but won his Gr1 at a mile, and raced against the best in Australia. To race for so long shows mental and physical soundness. U S Navy Flag showed the same longevity in his racing career and that’s the type of racehorse owners want to have. Unfortunately Darci Brahma continues to suffer infertility, so we have retired him.”

U S Navy Flag

U S Navy Flag’s first New Zealand crop have flown with Listed winner Chantilly Lace and Gr1 placed To Catch A Thief and Aprilia. With

by Renée Geelen

such a grand start to his stud career locally, he also has two stakes winners from his first crop in the Northern Hemisphere; Ocean Vision in France and Love Reigns in the USA. A precocious two year-old, U S Navy Flag won both the Gr1 Newmarket Middle Park Stakes and the Gr1 Dewhurst Stakes in a season where he won four of his eleven starts. At three, he ran second in the Gr1 Irish Two Thousand Guineas, and won the Gr1 July Cup against the older sprinters. All up, he earned several Champion Racehorse accolades, including Champion 2YO Colt in Europe and Champion 3YO Sprinter in Europe. In gaining these titles, he emulated his dam, Misty For Me, who was the Champion 2YO Filly in France and Ireland, as well as Champion 3YO Filly with four Gr1 wins, and she is the dam of triple Gr1 winner Roly Poly, a full sister to U S Navy Flag, as well as group winner Cover Song (Fastnet Rock). Misty For Me’s full sister, Ballydoyle, was also crowned Champion 2YO Filly in France.

War Front is well known as the sire of Declaration of War (48 stakes winners including Melbourne Cup winner Vow and Declare, VRC Derby winner Warning, and Queensland Oaks winner Winning Ways), and The Factor (37 stakes winners).

The Chosen One’s toughness is apparent when looking at his female family – his dam is a stakes placed winner of eight races, his second dam is Champion 3YO and dual Gr1 winner of eleven races The Jewel, while his third dam is a Listed winner of four races. Lots of horses can lay claim to being from one of the best families in the Stud Book, but in this case it’s true and accurate. The Chosen One is from the famous “THE” family of superstars such as Cox Plate winner The Phantom Chance and his Mackinnon S winning brother The Phantom plus The Twinkle, The Jewel and NZ 1000 Gns winner La Diosa. To be able to access a Gr1 winning stallion prospect from this family is a unique opportunity for breeders.

Roc De Cambes

Roc de Cambes is a proven sire with five stakes win ners including two Gr1 winners from small crops; Toorak Handicap winner He’s Our Rokkii and NZ Derby winner Vin De Dance. Proven on the tough Japanese racing circuit, Roc de Cambes was a Listed winner at two and three. By Red Ransom, he is a half-brother to dual group winner Keyora and Gr1 placed winner Roman Chariot.

The Oaks Stud 2023 Roster

Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill – Grand Echezeaux, by Zabeel). Retired.

US Navy Flag (USA) (War Front – Misty For Me, by Galileo), NZ$15,000.

The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel-The Glitzy One, by Flying Spur), NZ$4,000.

Roc de Cambes (NZ) (Red Ransom – Fairy Lights, by Fairy King), NZ$3,000.