Hold That Tiger will remain in France this year after Swettenham Stud sold a controlling interest in the Group 1 winning son of Storm Cat.
Hold That Tiger has reverse shuttled from Swettenham to Haras de la Haie Neuve since 2008. Studmaster Alain Regnier instigated the sale on the promise shown by his initial crop of French bred two year-olds.
Hold That Tiger was trained by Aidan O’Brien and earned a Cartier Award as Europe’s Champion 2YO in 2002. He was a Group 1 winner of the Grand Criterium at Longchamp and was also third home in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile won by Vindication.
Bred in Kentucky by Ten Broeck Farm, Hold That Tiger is a half brother to 1996 G1 Belmont Stakes winner Editor’s Note.
The change of ownership comes just days after his son Smiling Tiger won the G3 Count Fleet Handicap at Oaklawn Park. The California based sprinter is top of the tree among Hold That Tiger’s 28 stakes performers. He has sired 264 individual winners worldwide at a 60% strike-rate.
Hold That Tiger has this season had 22 individual winners in Australia. Tigress Joy, a three year-old filly raced by Adam Sangster and partners, was a close third at Morphettville last Saturday and looks another coming city winner.