Prince Conti Retired to Stud
14 July 2011
The Pencarrow bred blue-blood entire Prince Conti has been secured to stand at Henk and Nienke Smit's Paxton Park in Cambridge for 2011.
From one of Australasia’s most respected and successful thoroughbred families, Prince Conti is out of the Group 1 Australasian Oaks winning Zabeel mare Grand Echezeaux and is by one of Australia’s leading sires in Redoute’s Choice.
"On type and pedigree he pretty much ticks all the boxes and will offer breeders a unique opportunity," said Henk Smit.
"He will stand his first season with us at $2,500 + GST which will give people access to a rich pedigree at a very affordable fee.
"As a two-year-old he cracked a canon bone and went out for a year. He came back and had a couple of trials but the leg kept playing up and forced his retirement.
"He’s an impressive-looking horse at 17 hands and he’s got a fantastic pedigree so we were quick to take the opportunity to stand him."
Prince Conti’s dam Grand Echezeaux is a daughter of the Group 3 winning mare Richebourg (Vice Regal) and is a three-quarter-sister to the Group 3 winner Romanee Conti (Sir Tristram), the dam of the Group 1 Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup winner Ethereal (Rhythm) and Group 1 placed Velvet and Satin (Pins).
Grand Echezeaux’s progeny have proven difficult to get hold of in the sale ring with four of her colts being sold though New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka sales ring for an average of over $1.2 million.
Her first foal, the $1.1 million colt by Danehill, later named Darci Brahma, was New Zealand’s Champion 2YO and 3YO and won five Group 1 titles on New Zealand and Australian tracks, and secured New Zealand’s Champion Sprinter title as a four-year-old.
Prince Conti is a three-quarter-brother to Darci Brahma who has made a good start to his stud career with his son Darci Be Good winning the Listed Fernhill Handicap at Randwick, while Chateauneuf Dupape has been placed at Group 1 level, and Super Easy and Rescue Mission have both placed at Group level. Darci Brahma’s oldest progeny will be three in the 2011/12 season.