Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
As the sire of three Spring Champion S. winners; Ace High, Dundeel (NZ) and Monaco Consul (NZ), High Chaparral has already made his mark on that 2000-metre Group 1 contest and his influence looks set to continue on Saturday.
Also grandsire of the 2022 winner Sharp 'N' Smart (NZ) (Redwood {GB}), High Chaparral appears in the direct male line of six of the 2024 running's 11 runners.
Two for the 2021 winner Dundeel (Henlein and Duvana) and one for his son Castelvecchio (El Castello) and three for So You Think's (NZ) son D'Argento (Due Calzini, Flying Argento and Rag Queen). Plus, Firm Agreement (Yes Yes Yes) is out of a So You Think mare.
And High Chaparral is no one-race, one-hit wonder story; in fact, he dominated another big race back in 2010 with his sons Shoot Out, Descarado (NZ) and Monaco Consul {NZ}) finishing first, second and third in the G1 AJC Derby.
Gallery: Some of the runners in this year's G1 Spring Champion S. who hail from the High Chaparral (Ire) sireline
And his progeny and descendants have won a variety of feature races across the globe though his line does fare particularly well in this part of the world.
Of his 23 Group 1 winners, 14 were bred in Australasia whilst 16 of his progeny have recorded their elite-level successes in either Australia or New Zealand; amongst that tally being the Northern Hemisphere-bred Contributer (Ire) and Rekindling (GB).
Which is interesting when you consider that fellow Sadler's Wells (USA) stallion Galileo (Ire) had a well-earned reputation for faring far better in the Northern Hemisphere than the Southern.
Don't forget his racing career
As stallions get into their careers and then depart, we often forget just how good they were before embarking on that part of their career. But we shouldn't overlook just how good a racehorse High Chaparral was.
Facing the starter on 13 occasions, he was never out of the placings; recording 10 victories, six of those at Group 1 level.
His only defeats came at his debut in a maiden at Punchestown and in two runnings of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in which he was a brave third both times.
Watch: High Chaparral's (Ire) 2002 Breeders' Cup Turf victory
He enjoyed Group 1 success in three countries, twice taking on the best in the US and taking out consecutive runnings of the coveted G1 Breeders' Cup Turf trophy. Twenty-two years ago, he called the race his own, 21 years ago sharing the prize with Johar (USA).
High Chaparral is one of six Breeders Cup Turf winners to stand in the Southern Hemisphere and by far the most successful of them.
A Group 1 winner at two, three and four, he earned the titles of Champion 3YO Colt in Great Britain and Ireland in 2002, Champion Turf Male in the USA in 2002 and 2003 and Champion Older Male in Ireland in 2003.
A superior stallion
One of his sire's 294 stakes winners, High Chaparral sired 135 stakes winners with an overall strike rate of 64.9 per cent and a 7.6 per cent stakes winners to runners ratio.
He has had 25 sons represented by runners and 14 of those have sired stakes winners; nine with Group 1 winners.
With 57 stakes winners, So You Think is his most successful son, siring 11 Group 1 horses. Toronado (Ire) has 39 stakes winners including six Group 1 winners whilst Dundeel's tally currently sits on 31 stakes winners including eight Group 1 winners.
Gallery: High Chaparral's (Ire) most successful sire sons
He has four grandsons with runners, Dundeel's sons Castelvecchio and Super Seth siring stakes winners in their debut crops whilst D'Argento who has that lovely representation in the Spring Champion, has two stakes placegetters amongst his first seven winners.
And you would have to say that all three of those horses are stallions on the rise.
As is the G1 VRC Derby and Spring Champion winner Ace High, member of High Chaparral's penultimate crop and sire of two stakes winners including the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas winner Molly Bloom (NZ) amongst his first 31 winners.
Gallery: High Chaparral's (Ire) grandsons with runners
The G1 All-Aged S. winner Tivaci also has a Group 1 winner; the G1 Flight S. heroine Never Been Kissed (NZ) whilst the Northern Hemisphere-bred High Chaparral stallions Redwood (GB) and Contributer (Ire) have also sired big-race winners with the former having his talented G1 Hong Kong International Mile-bound son Antino (NZ) in the winner's circle after taking out the G1 Toorak H. a couple of weeks ago.
Wrote (Ire) has also been enjoying a good run with his 2024 stakes winners Pulchritudinous (NZ) (G1 New Zealand Oaks) and Read About It (NZ).
A big day ahead
Saturday is a big day for his sire line, not only with his Spring Champion representatives. There are also major contenders in the G2 Soliloquy S. at Ellerslie (Kitty Flash {NZ}) by Ace High), the G2 Fillies Classic at Moonee Valley (Double Market by Castelvecchio and Polymnia by Dundeel), the G3 War Decree S. at Riccarton (Kitty Skyhawk {NZ} and He's Lucid {NZ}) by Contributer), the G2 Callander-Presnell at Randwick (Dame Commander by So You Think), the Listed Spring Classic at Riccarton (Denarau by So You Think), the G2 Moonee Valley Vase (King Of Thunder by So You Think), the G2 McEwen S. at Moonee Valley (Celui and Extratwo by Toronado), the G3 Tesio S. at Moonee Valley (Molly Bloom {NZ}) by Ace High and Lady Jones by Toronado) and the Listed William Crockett S. at Moonee Valley (Couples Retreat {NZ}) by Super Seth).
Yes, a big day!
So what makes this sireline tick? A member of the High Chaparral fan club, Paul Moroney has his theories.
“I could've stood all day looking at High Chaparral,” he reminisced. “He was the sort of horse who would just draw you in.
“I could've stood all day looking at High Chaparral. He was the sort of horse who would just draw you in.” - Paul Moroney
“He'd stand so proudly like a statue, and you'd think, 'Wow look at that' and then he'd walk, and you'd think, 'Oh my god look at that!'”
A panther
“He was an absolute standout who had a panther like action. He hardly touched the ground; he'd get down low and lift his feet quickly.”
“There have been studies looking at the amount of time the coffin bone spends on the ground,” Moroney said, taking note of the correlation between High Chaparral's superior movement and his breeding.
“There is a definite way of moving that comes from Sadler's Wells,” he said. “It wasn't a Northern Dancer trait, it was something Sadler's Wells had, passing it on to High Chaparral who has passed it on to his sons and daughters.
“They are light on their feet, they can quicken up very well and they are really tough.
Paul Moroney | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Aidan O'Brien has talked about how the Galileo breed finds under pressure, how they can run through the pain barrier, and I think that is a real trait of the Sadler's Wells line.
“These are things that should and are being passed on.
Seeing High Chaparral race, Moroney recalled what a great horse he was; “He was a great racehorse with an outstanding turn of foot and a will to win, something I have seen through the line.
“And he is proving to be a high-class broodmare sire and I think that is testament to a really great stallion, they can do it on both sides.”
“He (High Chapparal) is proving to be a high-class broodmare sire and I think that is testament to a really great stallion, they can do it on both sides.” - Paul Moroney
High Chaparral has 81 stakes winners as a broodmare sire, 15 of those horses being Group 1 winners.
Moroney liked what he saw of High Chaparral's first Southern Hemisphere crop, taking a particular fancy to two colts at the 2008 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
“Looking back, it can be said I got it wrong or got it right buying that day,” he laughed, taking home the G1 VRC Derby and Spring Champion S. winner Monaco Consul but leaving the complex without So You Think.
Watch: Monaco Consul (NZ) wins the 2009 G1 Spring Champion S.
He remembers the qualities he admired in both colts. “Monaco Consul was a sleeker, more athletic type of horse whilst So You Think had more substance.”
But both had that High Chaparral movement and style.
