Danehill’s Group 1 winning sire-son Viking Ruler will have a new home for the remainder of his stud career after a deal was struck between Cambridge Stud and the historic Victorian-based nursery Mornmoot Stud.
“We’re delighted about the new opportunity he’ll have in Australia,” Sir Patrick Hogan of Cambridge Stud said on Tuesday. “He’s going to a highly reputable place and will be cared for in exactly the same manner as has been the case here at Cambridge Stud.”
In fact, Viking Ruler will walk into the very box where former champion stallion Century lived throughout a stud career which netted a premiership title and 44 individual stakes winners including the likes of Rubiton and Centaine.
“Viking Ruler is going to be very popular – the State is abuzz about his arrival,” Robert Thompson of Mornmoot Stud revealed. “Viking Ruler will certainly appeal to the breeder-racer. In fact we’ve already got 15 bookings to the horse through social contacts.
“We will be announcing his fee after the Sydney Easter Sale and will be limiting his book to 100 mares. However for those who want to make the commitment to book to him now, his fee is $5,500.”
Viking Ruler is the sire of New Zealand’s leading stayer Red Ruler who recently won both the City of Auckland Cup-G2 and Wellington Cup-G2 and shortly heads overseas for tilts at Group 1events in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Viking Ruler is the sire of the Queensland Derby-G1 winner Court Ruler and of the excellent Bart Cummings-trained sprinting horse Kroner. To date Viking Ruler has had winners in 13 countries.
Viking Ruler was a G1 winner of the Spring Champion Stakes-G1 at Randwick and represents one of the all-time great New Zealand families. He is a brother to Kempinsky (AAMI Vase-G2) and Diamond Like (WRC Lightning Handicap-LR) – the latter being the dam of this year’s Karaka Sale-topping NZ$2m Zabeel colt. Viking Ruler is also a half-brother to Lovetrista (Waikato Gold Cup-G2).
Viking Ruler’s dam, Trisalove (Sir Tristram) was a dual Group 1 winner and is a daughter herself of Diamond Lover. Viking Ruler’s third dam is Eight Carat – one of the world’s all-time outstanding broodmares being the dam of five individual Group 1 winners, namely Octagonal, Mouawad, Kaapstad, Marquise and Diamond Lover.