2009 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking has been retired to stud
2009 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking has been retired to stand at Rich Hill Stud in New Zealand from this spring.
The five-year-old Street Cry gelding was purchased by Laurence Eales for just $45,000 in 2007, with the talented Shocking going on to win almost $5 million in prize money.
Shocking competed in 27 races during his lucrative career, ten of these starts being at Group 1 level.
The Mark Kavanagh-trained entire won seven of his career runs, producing his final win last start in the $1 million Australian Cup on March 12.
Kavanagh assured the public that Shocking had not been retired due to injury.
“His win in the Australian Cup was excellent and he’s been retired while he’s in good health and in good order,” Kavanagh said.
“It was a good time to let him rest on his laurels, he’d done enough and he was in such devastating form, then we got the offer and we decided to go with it.
“He’s going to stand at stud at Rich Hill alongside Pentire so he’s got a good chance.”
Shocking will be syndicated among some of New Zealand’s top trainers, with Kavanagh choosing to also retain a share in the stallion.
“It was a good opportunity and I’m looking forward to getting some of his stock in my stable,” Kavanagh said.
Kavanagh feels that Shocking deserves to be a much sought after sire.
“He graduated to a weight-for-age horse after winning a Melbourne Cup,” Kavanagh said.
“It was a magnificent win in the Australian Cup, his turn of foot was unbelievable.
“The turn of foot he showed in the Australian Cup was nothing short of amazing and when he won the Melbourne Cup he sat three deep all the way and not many horses would be able to do that.
“You don’t get much better than that.”
Rich Hill’s studmaster, John Thompson, is hopeful that Shocking will be a valuable asset to the local breeding industry.
“We’re confident he will be a highly successful commercial addition to the New Zealand breeding industry,” Thompson said.
“His progeny will have also great appeal to our overseas buyers who come here to buy tough, sound horses who can perform at the elite level from 1,600 to 3,200 metres.”
Shocking will be offered at a service fee of $NZ12,000 with a live foal guarantee for the 2011 breeding season in New Zealand.
Relive Shocking’s greatest win in the 2009 Melbourne Cup below.
