Leading Queensland thoroughbred nursery Raheen Stud has won the race to secure Shamardal’s Group 1 winning sprinter-miler Captain Sonador for stud duties.

His career highlight to date has been victory in the G1 AJC Epsom Handicap at Randwick during the spring and will continue to campaign prior to the 2011 breeding season.

His main aim will be to complete the famous Randwick mile double when he contests the Doncaster Mile in April during the Sydney autumn carnival.

A winner at two, three and four from 1110m – 1600m, Captain Sonador has tremendous appeal being a son of champion racehorse and leading young sire Shamardal, whose stakes winners to runners strike-rate is around the rare 10% mark.  Captain Sonador is Shamardal’s best performed son in Australia.

“The opportunity to acquire stallion prospects of this quality in Queensland doesn’t come along often and we are delighted to announce that Captain Sonador will join our roster,” Raheen Stud’s Basil Nolan Jnr said.

“General Nediym and Show A Heart have been great examples in recent years of successful stallions who started their racing and breeding careers in Queensland.

“Like them, Captain Sonador is a tough racehorse who has raced on through his four-year-old season and been able to mix it with the best in Group 1 company down south.

“He has added appeal being by one of the best young sires in the world and was bred by Mill Park, one of the country’s most successful breeding operations.  He has a strong masculine physique and is very correct, so he has all of the key attributes to be a success at stud.

A service fee will be set upon his retirement and some shares will be available to breeders.