Widely travelled stallion Helenus has a new home for the 2011 breeding season.
The G1 racehorse and sire will stand alongside G1 AJC The Galaxy winner Shellscrape (Dane Shadow) at Wattle Grove Thoroughbreds in the NSW Southern Highlands.
Helenus retired to Heytesbury Stud in 2004 and also stood at Alwyn Park in Western Australia before syndicate manager Trevor Delroy repatriated him to Victoria last year.
Helenus was set to serve his first book at Independent Stallions but was re-routed to Woodside Park on the eve of the breeding season.
Helenus was far and away the best Australian bred galloper sired by Helissio while the Arc de Triomphe winner shuttled to Widden Stud. He was trained by Leon Corstens and was a class above his classic contemporaries in the spring of 2002 winning the G2 MVRC Bill Stutt Stakes, G1 MRC Caulfield Guineas, G2 MVRC AAMI Vase and G1 VRC Victoria Derby.
The following autumn he reasserted that superiority with another G1 triumph in the Rosehill Guineas at the expense of Mummify, Sunday Joy and Clangalang.
His first G1 winner arrived in April when Cedarberg scored a convincing victory in the $2 million The BMW Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill. The Pat Carey trained gelding is currently quoted at $41 in pre-post markets for the 2011 Melbourne Cup.
Helenus has sired 41 winners of 88 races at a 53% strike-rate. Berrima based Wattle Grove will stand him for a $6,600 (inc gst) service fee.