Argonaut has his first foals on the ground at Cheveley Stud in the Cape Province. The former star South African juvenile spent nearly two years in limbo in Australia
In 2007, Argonaut won the G1 Golden Horseshoe at Greyville & G1 Premier’s Stakes at Clairwood and was sent here later that year. He encountered numerous issues and injuries while in work with Lee Freedman and returned to South Africa in August 2009 without starting in Australia.
Blue Gum Farm was instrumental in bringing him to Victoria but it wasn’t viable promoting him at stud without a local victory.
Argonaut is by Gone West sire Western Winter. He is in tremendous form and Solo Traveller provided a G1 climax to his year in the Cape Guineas last week.
His dam Aquasarto (Del Sarto) is a half-sister to South African stakes winners Finest View (Fine Edge), Marine Sands (Goldkeeper), Simply Salmon (Western Winter) and Oceana (Elliodor).
Argonaut stands alongside Badger’s Drift and Tamburlaine at Cheveley Stud. He is stamping his foals with the majority of them flashy, well made chestnuts. Among them is a half-sister to Cape Sprinter of the Year Thunder Key (Muhtafal).