Ivanhoe latest Aussie import

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

APRIL 18, 2015

Ivanhoe latest Aussie import

by Michael Sharkie

As dawn broke over Flemington Friday, trainer Lee Freedman unveiled perhaps

the most anticipated European import to arrive in Australia since Hardwicke S.

(Eng-G2) winner Sea Moon (Beat Hollow) stepped onto the same track in September

2013. Sea Moon has since been returned to Ireland by owner Lloyd Williams after

a disappointing run, but Ivanhowe's (Soldier Hollow) connections are hoping

their dual Group 1-winning German entire will enjoy a far more successful career

Down Under.

Purchased by London-based agent and ex-pat Aussie David Baker on behalf of

Australian clients in December, Ivanhowe will be prepared for the Cox Plate

(Aus-G1) and Melbourne Cup (Aus-G1) later this year before embarking on an

international campaign. Showing no signs of a brief bout of travel sickness

acquired during transit to Melbourne, the Grosser Preis von Baden (Ger-G1)

winner and conqueror of German Horse of the Year Sea the Moon looked in rude

health when breezing down the Flemington straight, cuddled through the 800-meter

heat by champion jockey Damien Oliver.

"We were thrilled to get a horse of his quality and despite a little bit of a

rocky start he's been really well for the last 11 or 12 weeks," Freedman said.

"I'm more than happy with his trial this morning, as was Damien and we may give

him a little look around in a mile race in Adelaide in a few weeks."

Ivanhowe joins an ever-growing list of horses relocated from Europe to

Australia in the last five years, with import rates doubling during that time.

The Australian Stud Book shows that European imports represented 27 percent of

total imports in 2014, up from just 12 percent in 2010. That number is expected

to exceed 30 percent by the end of 2015 in a market that seemingly cannot be

sated.

And this comes as Britain's Thoroughbred Breeder's Association hopes to plug

the leak of its quality staying stock to Australia with the release of a study

into the future of British stayers and staying races, which found that 50

individual stakes winners bred in Europe were able to win under Australian

tutelage since 2011.

Although the TBA release roused interest among patriotic Brits, it barely

caused a stir in Australia with a number of prominent buyers unfettered  by

the news when speaking on industry radio station RSN  on Monday; they

concurred the demand for tried stock is too great and sales prices too lucrative

for  any call to curb trade to be taken seriously in either hemisphere any

time soon.