CHRISTOPHE Clement was in the news at the weekend, sending out his 2,000th winner when the Declaration Of War (War Front) three-year-old colt Gufo won at Gulfstream Park, his second win in three starts. The following day the trainer sent another son of the sire, Decorated Invader, to win a stakes race at the same track,

Decorated Invader was running for the first time since last year’s Breeders’ Cup where he was only a length and a half off the winner when fourth in the Grade 1 Juvenile Turf. Prior to that he had won two of his three starts, notably a Grade 1 success on turf at Woodbine, Canada, in the Summer Stakes.

Declaration Of War retired to stud at Coolmore in 2014 at a fee of €40,000, shuttled to Australia and transferred the next season to Ashford Stud where he stood until his move in October 2018 to Japan, from where he also shuttles to Australia. He stands at the JBBA’s Shizunai Stallion Station and his fee this year is set at the equivalent of just over €19,000.

Winner of seven of his 13 lifetime starts, Declaration Of War was at his best at four, winning the Group 1 Juddmonte International at York and the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, while he was runner-up in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes and third in both the Group 1 Sussex Stakes and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic. In the latter he was only beaten a nose and a head by Mucho Mucho Man and Will Take Charge.

His first crop included the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains – French 2000 Guineas winner Olmedo, and the initial books of mares he covered in the USA, number wise, would have pointed to a big career as a stallion. However, while his first book at Ashford was heading towards 200 mares, his fourth had fallen to nearly half that, with his fee heading in the same direction.

His first two seasons in Australia contrasted too in terms of his popularity and he was not asked back – until latterly that is. What has changed? Well, those two crops down under included the winners in 2019 of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup, Vow And Declare, the Group 1 Queenland Oaks heroine Winning Ways, and the Group 1 Victoria Derby winner Warning.

With these top-level wins, Decorated Invader bringing his total of such winners to five, and a couple of others just missing out on joining them, including Uncle Benny who failed by just half a length to land the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, it looks likely that Declaration Of War will add to this total in the coming years. Ireland’s and America’s loss would seem to be Japan’s and Australia’s gain.

Given the nature of Decorated Invader’s win at the weekend, he could well go on to add an American Grade 1 to his Canadian accomplishment. He is one of four winners, three stakes performers and two stakes winners for his dam Gamely Girl (Arch), a winner of her only start at three in Canada.

Decorated Invader cost West Point Thoroughbreds, whose colours he carries, $200,000 at the Keeneland September Sale and he is a half-brother to Jubliant Girl (Henrythenavigator), a stakes winner at Santa Anita and dam of the 2018 French stakes-winning three-year-old Native American (Intello). Gamely Girl is a half-sister to a couple of stakes winners, while Decorated Invader’s third dam Hail Atlantis (Seattle Slew) won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and bred a pair of US stakes winners.