Swettenham Services Up For Grabs In Tassie

Saturday's Swettenham Stud Bow Mistress Stakes will boast $120,000 in prizemoney, but it also carries valuable stud services from three of the race sponsor's top stallions, including new arrival Kaphero.

Kaphero Photo by Racing and Sports

Swettenham Stud stands some of the best stallions in Australia and three - Soldier's Tale, Kaphero and Bianconi - will cover the placegetters in this year's weight-for-age classic for fillies and mares.

The winner of the Bow Mistress will win a service to Soldier's Tale; the runner-up will earn a service to Kaphero while a service to Bianconi awaits the third placegetter.

Soldier's Tale is a well-credentialled son of Stravinsky that has already made his mark in Australia, as has Bianconi.

Kaphero will stand his first season at Swettenham next season and his pending arrival is being revered by breeders around Australia.

A top class performer throughout his career, the Group winner Kaphero will race on through this spring and autumn before preparing to serve his first book of mares in 2009.

Swettenham Stud's Adam Sangster said he was thrilled to be able to purchase the Danzero sprinter.

"It's great to know that Kaphero is coming back to Swettenham," Sangster said.

"We bred him from one of our most successful families. Swettenham Stud has purchased three quarters of Kaphero, while his long time owners will retain the other quarter for his future stud duties," he said.

Before the speed sensation retires to stud there are more scores for him to settle on the track.

"He will be running in the Schillaci Stakes Group 2 at Caulfield next and then go out for a break before possible runs in the Group 1 sprints in the Autumn (Lightning Stakes & Oakleigh Plate)," Sangster said.

A top ten sale yearling at the 2005 Magic Millions Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast, Kaphero was the top priced Danzero yearling sold at the auction ($340,000).

"As a yearling he was a real stand out; a very athletic type."

"He looked a ready made racehorse. To this day he is still one of the nicest yearlings we've bred in Australia," Sangster said.

It didn't take Kaphero long to make an impact on the track.

As a two-year-old he won three races including the Listed Blue Diamond Preview over
1000m in a staggeringly quick 55.82 seconds. Sent out a warm favourite for the rich Magic Millions Adelaide 2YO Classic over 1200m he duly saluted in easy fashion being eased down to win by 4 lengths in a quick 1.10.13.

His follow up run in the STC Group 1 Golden Slipper 1200m at Rosehill where he led for most of the race saw him run 2.2 lengths behind the runner up in a blanket finish beating home Gold Edition, Wonderful World and Casino Prince to name but a few.

He has since trained on to accumulate to-date ten career wins and earnings of over $784,000.

Kaphero has carried big weights to victory twice lumping more than 60kg to victory (61.5kg and 60.5kg). He has never started on heavy ground, but has won twice on the slow, three times on dead ground and five times on good ground.