Windsor Park sire Thorn Park will claim his first NZ sires’ premiership this season and WA based Sovereign Stud will be home to his first sire-son this spring.
Thorn Dancer (4c Thorn Park – Katie O’Neill by Zabeel) has been retired to stand at Sovereign Stud in Busselton. The NZ bred colt was trained by Frank Maynard to 3 wins in 8 starts and he was also G2 placed in the WA Guineas.
A debut winner at Pinjarra as a March 2yo, Thorn Dancer went on to further victories at Belmont and Ascot before coming from the clouds to finish within a head of Clueless Angel in the WA Guineas.
Thorn Park (Spinning World) was a G1 winner of the 2004 Stradbroke Handicap and he catapulted to the top of the 2010-11 NZ sires’ premiership after Jimmy Choux scored G1 victories in the New Zealand Derby and Rosehill Guineas.
Thorn Dancer is a half-brother to 6 winners including G2 VRC Edward Manifold Stakes winner She Will Be Loved (Strategic).
Their dam Katie O’Neill is an unraced half-sister to Ellerslie G2 winner Soleil Rouge (Red Tempo). Her daughters have produced G1 Hong Kong Sprint winner All Thrills Too (St Covet) and Champion NZ 2YO Filly Crossyourheart (Show a Heart).
Sovereign Stud proprietor Tracy Knotts will stand Thorn Dancer for a $3,300 (inc gst) fee this season.