Raheen Stud’s Basil Nolan is looking forward to another busy season with Captain Sonador in 2012.  The G1 AJC Epsom Handicap winner covered 119 mares in his first season last year.

“He’s let down into a magnificent stallion,” Nolan said.  “His fertility is excellent with 110 of those mares ready to foal.”

Captain Sonador is assured of another quality book at an $11,000 (inc gst) service fee.  “He’s the highest ranked Group 1 miler to retire to stud in Queensland since Show A Heart,” Nolan said.  “And he’s by Shamardal who keeps going from strength to strength at stud.”

Shamardal sired Captain Sonador in his first season shuttling to Darley Australia but a withers injury ended his days as a dual hemisphere stallion.  “I looked up Shamardal’s statistics the other day after Sagawara won a Group 1 at Longchamp and they’re amazing,” Nolan explained.  “His strike-rate is better than 68% and that’s as good as it gets.”

Sagawara is a homebred for the Aga Khan and the G1 Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp helped increase Shamardal’s record to 36 stakes winners of 72 stakes races.

Captain Sonador was bred and sold by Mill Park.  The South Australian based nursery also bred Shamardal’s G3 winning colt Shamoline Warrior.  He was pre-post favourite for the G1 Victorian Derby in 2009 but was scratched on the morning of the classic.

Mill Park sold Captain Sonador’s younger half-sister by Choisir for $350,000 at the Gold Coast Magic Millions earlier this year.

Captain Sonador’s first book in 2011 included numerous black-type winners and producers including: Beyonce’s Star (LR Just Now Stakes), Days Of Innocence (Sister to G1 Lovely Jubly), Distant Symphony (Half-sister to G1 Rostova), Silken Whisper (Dam of G2 Churchill Downs), English Summer (Dam of $400K earner Rocket To Glory), Hell For Leather (Dam of SW Adebisi), Hepburn Rose (Dam of SP Noisy Ocean), Domitilla (Half-sister to G2 Free Wheeling), Tarmons (Sister to G3 Hard To Catch & 2nd G1 Stradbroke Hcp, $1 million earner), Mercara (Half-sister to G1 Neroli) and Serenely (Dam of SW Deuxiene & Promoted).

Raheen will also stand Publishing for a $4,400 (inc gst) service fee this year. The stakes winning son of Testa Rossa will have his first two year-olds ready to race later this year.

Captain Sonador