Clangalang received a timely welcome to Rivers End Stud when his son Eagle won the Group 1 Sprint Trophy at Penang on Sunday.

The aptly named Rivers End Stud stands on the old Lakewood Stud site.  It’s situated at the mouth of the Murray River in South Australia.

Clangalang gelding Eagle powered home from 12 lengths off the pace to collar Blue Tosca (Canny Lad) right on the line at Penang.  The judge was unable to split the pair and they shared the Sprint Trophy prizemoney of M500,000.

Eagle (4g Clangalang – Unbeatable by Casual Lies) has now won 7 of his 23 starts since arriving in Malaysia.  His dam is a half-sister to New Zealand Listed winner Kaptive Jewel (Kaapstad).

Clangalang (Clang) was a G1 winner of the AJC Derby and Epsom Handicap before retiring to Eliza Park where he sired the winners of 112 races at a 52% strike-rate.  

His 2010 G3 Tasmanian Derby winner GeeGees Blackflash is racing as well as ever and will be gunning for a hat-trick next time out after victories in Hobart and Launceston.

Clangalang’s Victorian based gallopers Lakedro and Reverberates have been consistent money-spinners and, closer to home, Weholdtheace has his hoof on the till after running second to Periduki at Morphettville a fortnight ago.

Rivers End Stud has been revitalized after several years of inactivity by new owner Louie Elia.  Lakewood built a reputation for breeding and rearing quality bloodstock for many years under the guidance of Florian and Marta Stumpf.

Peter and Pauline Liston enhanced that record until 2005 when they left South Australia prior to setting up Three Bridges in Victoria.

The new-look property does retain one link with the past and breeders will be delighted to learn Bellotto is still alive and well at Rivers End.  The old boy is 27 and there are three weanling colts from his latest crop.

Bellotto (Mr Prospector) is an alpha male of the first order.  After starting his stud career in 1989 in the Hunter Valley, he has gone on to sire 520 winners of 1895 races at a remarkable 70% strike-rate.

Among Bellotto’s 45 stakes winners is Woodlands homebred Clang.  He won the 1995 Silver Slipper at Rosehill and, apart from Clangalang, has sired the G1 winners Calaway Gal (Golden Slipper) and Black Pirhana (Stradbroke Hcp x 2).

“Bellotto is in tremendous shape for a horse of his age,” recently appointed manager Steve Bois said this week.  “We plan to put him over a mare in September and, if all goes well, he could serve a half-dozen this spring.”

Bois and studmaster Phil Pannell are driving the Rivers End revival and, if hard work is the benchmark, they will restore the stud to its previous standing as a first-class facility.  Pannell comes on board after 40 years in the industry, most recently at Oakside Park in the Adelaide Hills.

Oakside owner Trevor Harrington has downsized his involvement in the industry and his proven stallions Akhadan (Danehill) and Devaraja (Sir Tristram) have also made the move to Rivers End.

Rounding out the roster is grey flyer Kurt (Dolphin Street) who won 11 sprints for Murray Bridge trainer Paul Seater.

Rivers End Stud will conduct an open day and stallion parade in August.  For further details contact Steve Bois on 0402 260 943.