Outstanding King George VI and Queen Elizabeth 11 Stakes winner Harbinger has been sold to stand at Shadai Stallion Station to Japan.  The multimillion dollar deal values the horse as one of the highest priced transactions in recent times.

Harbinger produced an epic display in the King George.  He triumphed by 11 lengths over two Derby winners in race record time.  Trainer Sir Michael Stoute and owners Highclere Thoroughbreds were all set to head towards the Arc de Triomphe when the Dansili colt broke down last month.

“There were a number of top stud farms from both home and abroad involved in the negotiations and there was a very strong bid to keep the horse in England,” Highclere director John Warren said.  “But the final bid from the Shadai Group was far too strong to be able to compete.”

“He will be in excellent hands and we hope he is as big a success at stud for the Yoshida brothers as he was on the racecourse for us.  It has been a privilege to have been involved with such a great horse.”

Harbinger (4c Dansili — Penang Pearl by Bering) was unbeaten in four starts this term.  Before demoralising the King George field, he had won the G3 John Porter Stakes at Newbury, G3 Ormonde Stakes at Chester and G2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Racing Post UK ranked his King George victory well above of any other performance in 2010.  Harbinger (135) was rated ahead of USA Metropolitan Hcp winner Quality Road (130), Epsom Derby winner Workforce (129), Queen Anne winner Paco Boy (128) and Coronation Cup winner Fame And Glory (127).