Having been a Top 10 breeder for over twenty years, Maine Chance Farms has a proud heritage of standing Champion Sires in South Africa.
The stallion barn honour roll includes the likes of New South Wales (GB), Jungle Cove (USA), National Assembly (CAN), and more recently, the late Silvano (GER).
This week’s focus will be on the well-bred stallion Querari.
Querari (Oasis Dream – Quetena) has had a great start to the season
(Pic- Maine Chance Farms)
“He is looking absolutely fantastic and has had a great start to the season, having covered thirty-three mares already,” enthuses stud manager Tim Bootsma.
“Our stallions routine is to be lunged every morning. This allows their fitness to be maintained all year round,” he continues.
Querari was the Champion Older Horse in Germany in 2010, winning multiple Group races throughout his career. He then came to stud in South Africa in 2011.
While he was Cape Champion Freshman Sire in 2015 and SA Champion Sire of 2YO’s in 2018/2019, it’s his three-year-olds that are the focus of most of his winners. That said, his Equus Champion son Rio Querari is proof that his progeny don’t stop winning at three years old.
Gr1 winners Querari Falcon, Rio Querari (Equus Champion Sprinter 2020/2021), and 2021 KZN Champion 2YO Filly Maryah top his impressive strike rate of 64% winners to runners.
Rio Querari won the Gr1 Computaform Sprint as a four-year-old. His sire now has more stakes wins amongst his four-year-olds and higher average earnings per race in this age group. A statistic stallion manager John Freeman feels is a good sign.
Rio Querari wins the Gr1 Computaform Sprint (Pic – JC Photos)
“The analysis of his winners and stakes winners over various distances shows that his progeny are versatile with more stakes winners in the 1400m to 1600m range and higher average earnings per race over 1600m,” informs John.
As a son of UK leading sire Oasis Dream (Champion Sprinter in Europe of his year), he should produce speed in his offspring. But true to the construct of his pedigree profile, he also gets them to stay the trip. Querari won from 1400m to 2000m and won his Gr1 race over 2000m as a four-year-old, showcasing his versatility.
Querari has made headlines in the sales ring recently.
His top-priced yearling was Mauritzfontein’s R4,2 million colt Ficksburg, bought by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Then a mare in foal to the classy stallion sold for R3,25 million at the BBP Syndicate dispersal sale in May this year.
His other notable sale prices range from R1,6 million, R1,3 million, R1,1 million, R1 million, R800 000 to R675 000. Ten more of his yearlings have made more than R500 000.
With the sales ring being a happy hunting ground for the leading sire, it’s easy to see why he is so well supported in the stallion barn each season.
Covering an incredible 118 mares last season, and already having covered 33 mares in just the past three weeks, Querari enjoys the backing of many breeders looking to aim at the elite level.
His 2020 book included Atlantic Beach, a full sibling to Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes winner Caya Coco, and Lovely Jubbly, sibling to Gr2 Golden Slipper winner Cockney Pride.
“We have foaled down some very nice mares this year so far, including Silver Dream, a Tiger Hill daughter of Shiva (Silvano’s sister), and Cosmic Dream, the dam of Gr3 winner Cosmic Highway.
Querari filly out of Silver Dream (Tiger Hill) at Maine Chance Farms (Pic- Maine Chance Farms)
“We are very much looking forward to the arrival of the rest of Querari’s crop and are once again sending some exceptional mares to him this year. They include the likes of Dynasty’s Blossom, Don’t Stop Dancing, and Flying Fable, to name a few,” says Tim Bootsma.
“I am also looking forward to his crop of two-year-old runners this season. There are some exciting prospects to keep an eye out for!” he enthuses.
With a high-quality pedigree, proven versatility and good looks to boot, it’s easy to see why this Maine Chance Farms stallion is so well-supported by the racing community.
Contact FreemanStallions for more information: [email protected]
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