Harbour Watch (Ire) to stand at Emirates Park

Emirates Park have formed a new alliance with an emerging world thoroughbred power to stand the brilliant European 2-year-old Harbour Watch (Ire), beginning with the upcoming 2013 covering season.

An unbeaten son of Acclamation recognized by Timeform as its Champion 2-year-old of 2011, Harbour Watch is owned by Qatar Bloodstock and stands at Tweenhills Stud, England. The exciting stallion prospect is presently serving his first northern hemisphere stud season.

Emirates Park CEO, Trevor Lobb, confirmed that negotiations had been completed to stand Harbour Watch at its Murrurundi headquarters at an introductory service fee of $9900 (inc GST).

“Harbour Watch is a very exciting young stallion and we are greatly looking forward to becoming the first Australian stud to join forces with Qatar Bloodstock,” stated Lobb when announcing the development.

“For local breeders and ourselves alike, Harbour Watch offers juvenile speed and precocity in abundance, as well as a much sought-after outcross, making him a very exciting new stallion for the 2013 breeding season.

“We’d been in discussion with David Redvers and Sheikh Fahad al-Thani since very early in the year,” added Lobb, “and then continued the negotiations during their recent visit to Sydney for the Easter Yearling Sale.”

Sheikh Fahad al-Thani and his bloodstock adviser David Redvers have become very well known figures in Australian thoroughbred circles following the enormous success they have enjoyed with 2011 Melbourne Cup and 2012 Caulfield Cup winner Dunaden.

A member of the Qatar Royal Family, Sheikh Fahad al-Thani is also the driving force behind Qatar Bloodstock, an operation steadily assembling a select band of outstanding young stallion prospects, as well as one of the finest strings of racehorses in European racing. It is Qatar Bloodstock’s intention to support Harbour Watch with high-calibre fillies and mares.

Harbour Watch offers top-class European juvenile performance, a very fashionable sireline, and the chance to source one of the world’s most celebrated female families.

Trained by the redoubtable English horseman Richard Hannon, Harbour Watch went through his 2-year-old season unbeaten, breezing through his first two racecourse assignments at Salisbury and Newmarket with near four and five lengths victories respectively.

Subsequently assigned the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood at his third and only other outing, Harbour Watch landed one of the most prestigious events on the English juvenile racing calendar with consummate ease. Such was the manner of the win, Timeform declared it “the best performance by a two-year-old in 2011”.

Unfortunately, a freak accident prevented Harbour Watch from taking his place in last year’s Group 1 English 2000 Guineas, for which he was a one-time favourite, and he was subsequently retired to Tweenhills Stud. His first season at stud has seen him in high demand and the freshman is expected to cover over 150 mares.

Harbour Watch is a son of Acclamation, the leading First Season Sire of his generation and a champion sire of 2YOs in Europe now gaining an enviable reputation as a sire-of-sires. Dark Angel, Acclamation’s first son to stud, became the Leading First Season Sire in GB-Ire in 2011, and then backed that title up by becoming the Leading Second Season Sire in GB-Ire in 2012.  

Harbour Watch’s catalogue page is equally as impressive. Produced by a grand-daughter of Fall Aspen also responsible for the dual South African Group 1 winner Europa Point, Harbour Watch hails from a family responsible for a plethora of revered stallions — Dubai Millennium included — that have left their imprint on every continent on the planet.

“Australian broodmare owners have always placed great importance on 2-year-old performance and that is why we were very keen on acquiring Harbour Watch’s services,” added Lobb. “He is also a magnificent individual standing 16.2hh and has all the attributes to be a world class prospect. We very much look forward to standing him.”

For any further information, please contact Trevor Lobb (0418 240 230) Bryan Carlson (0415 275 885) or Mat Becker (0409 501 233).