NOT content with having just one group winning son of Dark Angel as a stallion, Tara Stud has now acquired the double Group 2 star Estidhkaar to start his stud career alongside Alhebayeb this spring. At the same fee of €5,000, he seems sure to be just as popular, especially as he is a half-brother to the Group 1 star Toormore.
Estidhkaar was a very high-class two-year-old and he was trained by Richard Hannon for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, who paid £200,000 for him as a yearling at Doncaster. Second at Goodwood first time out, Estidhkaar opened his winning account three weeks later atNewbury, beating Mustadeem by half a length with all the other runners another six lengths and more away.
At the Newmarket July meeting he easily added the Group 2 Superlative Stakes over seven furlongs, galloping home four and a half lengths clear of Aktabantay who won the Group 3 Solario Stakes next time out.
Estidhkaar completed his hat-trick in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster by over a length from the Irish colt War Envoy, with that season’s champion juvenile colt Belardo only fourth. The latter took his revenge in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, in which Estidhkaar was fourth. Belardo was named as champion juvenile on 119, with Estidhkaar very close on 115.
Reappearing in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes at Newbury in April 2015, Estidhkaar was a very close second to multiple Group 1 star Muhaarar, beaten only a neck in record time, before tackling Group 1 company on his only other starts that year.
Timeform’s Racehorses of 2015 recognised his ability by giving him the high rating of 121. An injury kept Estidhkaar off the track for 14 months, then on his return he was a close second at Salisbury, before ending his racing career with a victory over Kool Kompany in the Listed Ben Marshall Stakes over a mile at Newmarket in October 2016.
Estidhkaar is a half-brother by Dark Angel to Toormore, the champion 2-year-old in Europe in 2013, who has retired to stand at Dalham Hall Stud this year.
A son of Arakan, Toormore won seven races and £1,069,144 in prize money, including the Group 1 National Stakes at The Curragh, the Group 2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood, the Group 2 Bet365 Mile at Sandown Park, the Group 3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket and a Group 2 event in Turkey.
He was also placed six times in Group 1 company. Their dam Danetime Out was a half-sister to seven winners and their third dam Peace Girl was the joint champion 2-year-old filly in Ireland in 1987.
Won four races, £153,689, from 6½ furlongs to 1 mile, at 2 and 4 years including, 666bet Superlative Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.2, At the Races Champagne Stakes, Doncaster, Gr.2, Steve Brown Ben Marshall Stakes, Newmarket, L, also placed second in AON Greenham Stakes, Newbury, Gr.3.
Retires to stud in 2017.
Stands at: Tara Stud, Navan, Co. Meath, Ireland.
Contact: Derek Iceton or John Walsh Bloodstock
Telephone: +353 (0) 46 9025203
Email: derekiceton@tarastud.com or walshbloodstock@eircom.net
Web: www.tarastud.com
Fee: €5,000