Donna defends Henrythenavigator

The knock on Henrythenavigator was palpable at the Magic Millions last week so it would have been gratifying for Coolmore Stud when his first Aussie winner arrived at Sandown Hillside on Wednesday.

Donna Madeira (2f Henrythenavigator – San Cristobel by Fastnet Rock) led on her ear in the Swettenham Stud Dash For Cash (900m) and was always in control to win in a record-breaking 51.40 seconds.  “She’s very professional and is a dead-set flying machine,” trainer Pat Carey said.  “There will be a nice race for her.”

Henrythenavigator (USA) had 8 second-crop yearlings on offer during the select sessions on the Gold Coast – three were passed-in and the other five made between $35,000 and $85,000.  It was a disappointing and somewhat baffling set of figures for a stallion with only had a handful of runners in Australia.

Henrythenavigator (Kingmambo) is coming off a sensational year in the northern hemisphere with 16 first-crop winners highlighted by his Group 1 colts George Vancouver (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf) and Pedro The Great (Irish Phoenix Stakes).

A high-class miler at three, Henrythenavigator won the English and Irish 2000 Guineas before further victories in the St James’s Palace and Sussex Stakes.  He retired to Coolmore Stud’s Kentucky base in 2009 and, in another vote of confidence, he has been transferred to their Irish headquarters this year.

There are just 3 Henrythenavigator yearlings at the Inglis Classic Sale this weekend and another 4 at the NZB Karaka Premier Sale in a fortnight.

The next real test of his market acceptance will come at the Inglis Melbourne Premier in March.  Donna Madeira was a $105,000 buy from Tyreel Stud at Oaklands Junction last year and there are another 14 by Henrythenavigator catalogued for this year’s sale.

– Karl Patterson