Sweet Orange, a son of red-hot sire War Front, has joined the roster at Highview Stud in New Zealand.

War Front commands a $150,000 fee at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, up from $85,000 just a few years ago.  He has made a start to his stud career that’s reminiscent of his own sire Danzig and is now the most sought after stallion in North America.

Sweet Orange (USA) began his career in Ireland as Warning Flag winning the LR Star Appeal Stakes and finishing runner-up in the G3 Killavullan Stakes.

“He was then sold to Hong Kong and was transferred to David Ferraris,” Highview Stud’s Brent Gillovic said.  “His career highlight there was a victory in the G1 Hong Kong Classic Mile.

“He should have won the Hong Kong Derby as well and he was also placed at Group 1 level in the HK Classic Cup and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

“He was sent to New Zealand last year to recover from a suspensory injury but they couldn’t get him right and he was retired.

“I have been on this horse for 12 months and wanted to stand him last season, particularly after War Front left two Group 1 winners on the opening day of Royal Ascot.”

Sweet Orange (War Front – Good Vibes by Unbridled’s Song) is a half-brother to four winners and is from the family of champion filly Crimplene who was a Group 1 winner of the Irish 1000 Guineas, Nassau Stakes and Coronation Stakes).

“He’s a lovely bay with black points and a beautiful masculine head,” Gillovic said.  “He is short coupled and a well-balanced type, very typical of what you would expect from a Danzig line horse.  He is letting down into a real bull and will not disappoint breeders when they view him.”

Sweet Orange will stand alongside Align, Bullbars, Danroad and Sufficient at an introductory fee of $5,000 (plus gst) this year.