Victorian stallion Ruwi (GB) is building up a winning strike-rate from limited numbers out of his first crop bred at Aintree Park Stud.
Ruwi opened his Australian account when Royal Spinner carved up a Penola maiden on debut in October. And after Mini Minx won a Rockhampton maiden by daylight on Sunday, his record improved to 4 winners from just 7 starters.
Rubymay is another Ruwi ready to salute after finishing second at Warrnambool a fortnight ago.
Ruwi (Unfuwain) won his first four starts in France culminating with an effortless Group 2 victory in the Prix Noailles (2100m) at Longchamp. The unbeaten run came to a halt at the hands of Hurricane Run in the G2 Prix Hocquart and Shamardal in the G1 French Derby.
Exported to Singapore in 2007, he didn’t fire for trainer Desmond Koh and was retired after pulling up last in the G1 Singapore Cup won by Japanese raider Shadow Gate.
But that Singapore connection wasn’t a complete write-off for Koh.
Aintree Park studmaster Mark Arrowsmith sold him Above The Horizon earlier this year and the Ruwi colt won a Kranji Initiation in September.
“Ruwi showed more interest in becoming a stallion when he was here,” Koh recalled. “I guess he’s done well in that area. Above The Horizon was named Ruwi Magic in Australia but the owners changed it when he landed here.”
Arrowsmith also sent Ruwi filly Lady Roulette to Singapore and she doubled up at Kranji in August and September.
Ruwi was from the final crop of Unfuwain who was a Newmarket Group 2 winner of the Princess of Wales’s Stakes and Jockey Club Stakes for Sheikh Hamdan. He also finished fourth in the 1988 Arc de Triomphe won by Tony Bin.
Unfuwain (Northern Dancer) entered stud at The Nunnery in 1990 alongside his classic-winning half-brother Nashwan. The best of his progeny were Champion English 2YO Alhaarth, Champion English & French filly Petrushka and England, Ireland and USA Group 1 winner Lailani.
Ruwi covers for a $2,200 (inc gst) service fee at Aintree Park which is located south of Euroa at Creightons Creek. He stands alongside Perth stakes winner Phenomenons (Giant’s Causeway).
RUWI