Saint Thomas, a Danehill brother to Cambridge Stud sire Keeper, is standing his first season at Woodwinds Farm in Queensland’s Numinbah Valley this spring.

A winner in Sydney and Hong Kong, Saint Thomas will replace Fouardee at Woodwinds Farm which is situated near the NSW border.

Fouardee (Forest Glow) died in a paddock accident last year after just three seasons at Woodwinds for owners Shannon and Erica Bates.

Saint Thomas (Danehill – Nuwirah by Pleasant Colony) comes highly recommended and his initial book will be boosted by three mares owned by his Hong Kong trainer John Moore.  He will stand for a $3,300 (inc gst) service fee.

Coolmore Stud (as agent) sold Saint Thomas for $600,000 at the 2001 Inglis Easter yearling sale. He would have been worth more a month later when older half-brother Keeper won the G1 Goodwood Handicap in Adelaide for part-owners Lloyd Williams and Sir Patrick Hogan.

Keeper retired to Sir Patrick’s Cambridge Stud and has emerged as a reliable source of quality gallopers headed by G1 winners Insouciant (NZ 1000 Guineas), Linky Dink (QTC T J Smith Classic), Keepa Cruisin (Levin Classic) plus G2 winners Sender (MRC Sandown Guineas) and Keep The Passion (NZ Royal Stakes).

Saint Thomas is also a half-brother to the dam of Metal Bender (Danasinga) who was a G1 winner AJC Randwick Guineas and STC Rosehill Guineas earlier this year.  The Allan Denham trained gelding would have been one of the stars of the spring carnival but for injuring a hoof last month.

His damsire Pleasant Colony won the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) and is the sire of 78 stakes winners and broodmare sire of 83 stakes winners.

Saint Thomas won a barrier trial as a January juvenile but was subsequently sidelined and didn’t reappear again until 12 months later when he scored a front-running victory on debut at Sale.

Switched to Sydney before being shipped off-shore, he won at Warwick Farm and was then whisked to Moore’s Hong Kong stable.

Saint Thomas won two races at Sha Tin but ran one of his best races in defeat when a head second to Absolute Champion in a Class 1 event.

“Absolute Champion went to on to win the Group 1 International Sprint and Saint Thomas would have been one of our best sprinter-milers had things gone his way,” Moore declared.

“He had a very good turn of foot and, as a stallion, he has a perfect temperament, good looks and a willingness to please.”

Moore has booked three mares into Saint Thomas this year – Asmahan (Zabeel), Gravitron (Spinning World) and Church on Sunday (Bubble Gum Fellow).

Asmahan is a daughter of G1 NZ Oaks winner She’s Country while Gravitron is a sister to G2 winning flyer Impaler.  They cost a combined $265,000 at the Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale this year.

Church on Sunday (Bubble Gum Fellow) is a half-sister to G2 VRC Maribyrnong Plate winner Sanziro (Danzero) and G3 SAJC R N Irwin Stakes winner Flying Object (Peintre Celebre).  Second dam Will Fly (Will Dancer) was a G3 winner at Flemington and Caulfield.

Church on Sunday is the dam of the Garry Moore trained Happy Gladiator (Viscount) who won by seven lengths in Macau shortly after the mare sold for just $13,000 at the 2009 Inglis Broodmare Sale.

Church on Sunday’s only other foal race is the Neville Voigt trained Halo Halo (Lonhro) who was runner-up at Gosford last time out.

“Saint Thomas has a wonderful temperament,” Erica Bates said this week. “He’s alert, intelligent and it will be a pleasure working with him.”

His associate sire on the Woodwinds roster is Tanabota, a young Redoute’s Choice stallion who is closely related to Makybe’s star filly Headway.  He is a magnificent individual and won his class at the Brisbane Royal Show in 2008.

Bookings to Saint Thomas can be confirmed by calling Shannon Bates (0432 591 564) or Erica Bates (0417 720 352) or by Email woodwinds@bc.wbs.net.au.