Paardeberg Stud owners Steve Ajax and Charles Palmer will be filled with a quiet sense of satisfaction for having imported the Gr1 Breeders Cup Mile winner Expert Eye as their foundation stallion.
Expert Eye – top class racehorse now stands at Paardeberg Stud (Pic – Dan Abraham)
A son of acclaimed sire of sire Acclamation, he stood a couple of seasons at birthplace Juddmonte Stud prior to arriving in South Africa and has enjoyed a fine run in Europe and Britain this year, his latest success being a newly-minted stakes winner in four-year-old daughter Entrancement, who scored a career best in the Listed Beckford Stakes at Bath.
Ridden by Oisin Murphy, who be travelling to SA for the Betway Summer Cup next month, she moved into the lead turning for home and held on gamely to prevail by a head.
It was a back to back success for the five-time winner, following her victory over the same 2800m trip at Goodwood last month.
She is one of three winners out of the dual Listed winner Entree, who also finished second in the Gr3 Prix Allez France. The female family is one developed at Juddmonte, and is that of the Gr1 winners and sires Zambezi Sun and Midships.
Remarkably, Entrancement is her sire’s first stakes winner over an extended distance, given that he is better known for siring precocious stock who display plenty of zip up to a mile.
As a matter of fact, juvenile daughter Shining River showcased her sire’s versatility as a stallion on the same afternoon when she strode to a facile maiden victory over 1400m at Southwell.
Expert Eye is currently working his way through a first local book of quality mares at Paardeberg, with the stud’s Sally Bruss reporting that those already tested in foal to the son of Acclamation include the stakes winners Mina Salaam, And We Danced, Love Bomb and Ripple Effect.
Expert Eye is the first son of Acclamation to stand in South Africa.
The veteran, who is still going strong at Rathbarry Stud at the advanced age of 24, enjoyed an excellent day at the recent Arc meeting, where daughter Makarova swept to a first Gr1 victory in the Prix de l’Abbaye, while his red hot son Mehmas sired the Gr1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Vertical Blue.
