Shrewd Rhythm has been signed to stand in WA at Touchstone Farm commencing in 2010.  The Danehill Dancer horse is owned in partnership by Lindsay Park and Patinack Farm.

Shrewd Rhythm was bred by Gerry Ryan’s Limerick Lane Thoroughbreds and sold to clients of Cranbourne trainer Greg Eurell for $130,000 at the 2006 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.

He jumped the blocks as a January juvenile winning on debut at Caulfield and then stepped straight up to the plate to defeat Zizou in the Blue Diamond Prelude (G3).  He was subsequently placed in the Blue Diamond Stakes (G1) and the Inglis Premier before going for a spell with the Caulfield Guineas as his spring goal.

Shrewd Rhythm returned at three and won the Vain Stakes (LR) on the same day his stablemate Apache Cat collected the G2 Liston Stakes.  But Eurell left Caulfield with only one of his stable stars.

David Hayes had been negotiating to buy Shrewd Rhythm and the sale went through before that first-up victory in the Vain Stakes.  The price was rumoured to be in the $2 million range.

“He’s a gun horse,” Hayes said at Caulfield.  “My horses have been following him around for a while, so I know.”

Shrewd Rhythm was beaten a length by Purrealist and Marching in the Guineas Prelude (G3) but then ran head-long into Weekend Hussler in the G1 Caulfield Guineas and Ascot Vale Stakes.

He was restricted to four starts in the next 18 months but returned to winning form in June when a convincing winner over Allied Force in heavy going at Moonee Valley.  He finished the season with a second to Gran Sasso in the All Victorian Hcp at Flemington.

“Shrewd Rhythm will be set for the feature sprint races in the Autumn,” Lindsay Park studmaster Sam Hayes said.  “We look forward to building our involvement in the Western Australian breeding industry and believe Shrewd Rhythm is the ideal stallion to establish a stronger presence in the local market.

“Having successfully sold yearlings in Perth over many years we will support Shrewd Rhythm with our own mares.  The lucrative Westspeed incentive scheme coupled with strong prize money levels makes WA an attractive place to invest.”

Shrewd Rhythm is by Danehill Dancer who is going better than ever this year.  The Coolmore sire grabbed a G1 double in the Irish classics with Mastercraftsman (2000 Guineas) and Again (1000 Guineas) in May.  In Australia, his G1 winners are headed by Coolmore shuttler Choisir, Private Steer and Light Fantastic.  

Shrewd Rhythm (5h Danehill Dancer – Balcanny by Canny Lad) is a half-brother to G2 winning Melbourne sprinter Blur (Flying Spur).  And his Melbourne based sister Dancescape earned black-type behind Rostova, Noesis and Come Hither in October and November last year.

Touchstone Farm’s 2009 roster consists of Redoute’s Dancer (Redoute’s Choice), Vital Equine (Danetime), Natural Blitz (Dehere) and Flying Pegasus (Fusaichi Pegasus).