Arrowfield Stud will shuttle Al Shaqab’s Champion colt Shalaa (Ire) to Australia from 2017.

Shalaa (4h Invincible Spirit – Ghurra by War Chant) made his mark in Europe winning the G1 Deauville Prix Morny and G1 Newmarket Middle Park Stakes in 2015.  Those performances ultimately cemented Shalaa’s status as Champion 2YO Colt in Great Britain and France.

“He’s got tremendous speed and is the fastest two-year-old I’ve ridden,” champion jockey Frankie Dettori declared.  “I haven’t met a horse fast enough to lead him.”

Trainer John Gosden echoed that assessment.  “He’s very, very fast.  He has so much speed and has that sprinter’s build, so he reminds us of Oasis Dream.”

Timeform was similarly impressed, rating Shalaa at 123+ in July 2015, and declaring him the best two-year-old in the world at that time.

Shalaa will stand his first Australian season in 2017 at a fee of $33,000 (inc gst).  He is about to start serving his first mares in France at Haras de Bouquetot and among them is G1 Arc de Triomphe winner Treve.

His sire Invincible Spirit has been represented by 98 stakes winners including European Horse of the Year Kingman, Champion European Sprinter Moonlight Cloud and successful young Australian sire I Am Invincible.

“Shalaa displayed the high quality, early-maturing speed that Australian breeders demand and offers a fresh take on the Danzig sire-line that is clearly working here,” Arrowfield’s John Messara said.  “He is a great physical type, ideally suited to the Australian market.  We will support him strongly with a significant number of our quality mares.”

SHALAA