Spendthrift Australia owner B. Wayne Hughes has confirmed that Hampton Court has been retired from racing and will stand at his Victorian-based stud for the upcoming breeding season.
Hampton Court beat a strong field to take out the 2015 Spring Champion Stakes last year. Photo by: Steve Hart
Hampton Court stamped himself as a stallion prospect when he upset First Seal and Sweynesse to win the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival and connections decided that the time was to right to retire the Redoute’s Choice colt after he failed to fire in five race starts during his 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign.
“We are thrilled to be able to stand Hampton Court at Spendthrift Australia in our inaugural season
Spendthrift Australia has previously only placed host to American shuttle stallions Can The Man, Jimmy Creed and Warrior’s Reward and Hughes said that he was delighted to be able to offer breeders a local option this breeding season.
“We are thrilled to be able to stand Hampton Court at Spendthrift Australia in our inaugural season,” Hughes said.
“It was important for us to bring in a colonial horse that will be exciting for breeders.
“He’s a record-breaking, Group 1-winning son of sire of sires Redoute’s Choice and we’re looking forward to sharing him with the Australian breeders through our Share The Upside Program.”
Hampton Court made his racing debut in February of 2014, but the plans to head to the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) were put on hold when he failed to fire in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) before he recorded a maiden race win in the Tal Beaumont Handicap (1400m) in Newcastle last March.
The three-year-old made a slow start to his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign, but he was able to return to winning form in the Listed Dulcify Quality (1600m) at Royal Randwick on October 4 before he outstayed his rivals to record a maiden Group 1 win in the Spring Champion Stakes.
Hampton Court was extremely well-backed in the lead-up to the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) and he started the race as a dominant favourite, but he was one of the first horses beaten and he could finish no better than eighth.
Trainer Gai Waterhouse tried a number of different methods to get Hampton Court to fire in the autumn, but he was never able to return to the form that he produced in the spring and he was retired after he finished at the tail of the field in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) at Royal Randwick on April 6.
Hampton Court recorded just three wins from his 15 race starts, but he was able to accumulate almost $400,000 in prizemoney for connections.
