Sweet Orange, a high-class son of War Front, has returned to New Zealand to resume his stallion career at Highview Stud after a spell in Australia.
He stood three seasons at the Waikato farm before relocating to Australia. “His owner felt he wasn’t getting the numbers here and he decided to try his luck at Aquis Farm [in Queensland],” Highview’s Brent Gillovic said. “He bought us out of our shareholding, but the horse got a very small book of mares in Queensland.
“The old chap that owned him died and Aquis asked if I wanted him back. I had mixed feelings to be honest, but everybody who has got a Sweet Orange has been raving about them.”
Sweet Orange is now owned by the Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Group’s Lang Lin and will stand at NZ$5,000 + GST.
Out of the winning Unbridled’s Song mare Good Vibes, the American-bred Sweet Orange began his career in Ireland, where he was successful as a 2-year-old in the listed Star Appeal Stakes (1400m).
He subsequently transferred to Hong Kong and won a further two races, including the listed Hong Kong Mile and finished third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m).
Sweet Orange’s oldest crop are juveniles and, from six Australasian runners, he has sired the winner Khimar War.
“I sold two to the South Island, one was Khimar War, who looks pretty good, and another one out of Senorita Rosa, [who has] been a trial winner,” Gillovic said.