Aust-NZ stallions fill the breach in South Korea

The attrition rate among the ranks of South Korea’s leading stallions continued last week with the death of champion sire Didyme.  He was 23.

Didyme (Dixieland Band) was a half-brother to G1 French 2000 Guineas winner Green Tune and G1 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Pas De Reponse.  He claimed the G2 Prix Robert-Papin in 1992 and was later crowned South Korea’s champion sire in three consecutive years between 2007 to 2009.

South Korea lost three other leading stallions during 2012 – Creek Cat (Storm Cat), Running Stag (Cozzene) and Social Charter (Nureyev).

The Australian – New Zealand imports One Cool Cat, Delago Brom and Stromberg Carlson are ready to fill the breach.  North American bred stallions Rock Hard Ten, Officer and Whywhywhy are other recent addition to the KRA stallion ranks.

Menifee (Harlan) claimed the 2012 sires’ premiership with just three crops of racing age in South Korea.  He was a runaway winner of the title from Exploit who had edged him out in 2011.

Menifee was G1 winner of the 1999 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.  He underwent life-saving surgery in January 2012 to have two stones removed from his urinary tract.