Windsor Park Stud’s former shuttle sire High Chaparral stars as an undisputed boom stallion at NZ Bloodstock’s Yearling Sales Series at Karaka in 2011.

With his megastar son So You Think and the G1 gallopers Monaco Consul, Descarado and Shoot Out all stemming from his first southern hemisphere crop, anticipation is high as to what might follow.

“With what High Chaparral has achieved, there is no question that there will be strong demand for his progeny from the likes of Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong,” said Windsor Park Stud’s Steve Till.

Having stood at Windsor Park Stud in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009, Karaka 2011 represents his second to last New Zealand crop and is his third NZ crop to sell at auction.

All up, there are 35 yearlings by the sire that are Karaka-bound.  “His yearlings tend to be progressive horses, who each day get a little better than the last,” offered Till.

High Chaparral’s NZ Bloodstock graduate So You Think etched his name into the history books by successfully defending his Cox Plate crown at Mooney Valley in October.  It was one of the highlights of the year.

So You Think (4h High Chaparral – Triassic by Tights) is the only horse in Cox Plate history to win the Australian weight for age championship as a three and four-year-old.  In fact, he didn’t actually turn four until November 10.

The last horse to win two Cox Plates in a row was Northerly in 2000-01 and mighty mare Sunline also went back-to-back in 1999-2000.  

So You Think notched a fifth Cox Plate for Bart Cummings following Dane Ripper (1997), Saintly (1996) and Taj Rossi (1973).  He was a $110,000 purchase for DGR Thoroughbreds from Windsor Park Stud at the 2008 NZ Bloodstock Premier yearling sale.  Bart’s client and friend Dato Tan Chin Nam owns him in partnership with Tunku Ahmad Yahaya.

So You Think’s sire High Chaparral established a clear lead in the Australian premiership in the first three months of the 2010-11 season.  The Coolmore stallion has sired the winners of $6.34 million and he currently leads Dynaformer ($3.92m), Zabeel ($2.94m), Lonhro ($2.88m), Redoute’s Choice ($2.76m), Commands ($2.69m), More Than Ready ($2.66m), Encosta de Lago ($2.59m) and Street Cry ($2.45m).

Coolmore colossus Danehill holds the prizemoney record with earnings of $11.46 million for the season ending 2005.