Former Moonee Valley Horse of the Year Kaphero is set to bolster an already impressive line-up at Swettenham Stud this season.

The speedy son of Danzero will join regulars Keep The Faith, Dash For Cash, Bianconi, Hold That Tiger, Court Of Jewels and second season sires Host and Soldiers Tale.

“It’s great to have Kaphero come home.  We bred him from one of our most successful families,” Swettenham owner Adam Sangster said.

At $340,000, Kaphero was the highest priced yearling by Danzero at the 2005 Gold Coast Magic Millions.  “As a yearling, he was a real standout; a very athletic type,” Sangster recalled.  “He looked a readymade racehorse.  To this day he is still one of the nicest yearlings we’ve bred in Australia.”

Beginning his career with Lee Freedman as a two-year old, Kaphero (5h Danzero-Kapchat by Centaine) won three races including the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) in a scintillating 55.82s.  Sent out a warm favourite in the Adelaide Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m), he cleared out to flatten his rivals by four lengths.

He then led the field up in the G1 Golden Slipper (1200m) before fading late to finish midfield, leaving in his wake G1 gallopers Gold Edition, Casino Prince and Wonderful World.

After failing to recapture his early two-year old form as a three-year old, Kaphero was transferred to the care of Leon Corstens and his career soon blossomed.

He won six races in a row at Moonee Valley from October 2007 through to August 2008 culminating with victory in the G3 McEwen Stakes (1000m) before finishing a credible third to Typhoon Zed in the G1 Manikato Stakes (1200m).

“He just loved that place (Moonee Valley),” Corstens said.  “The McEwen win was probably his best given that he had to fight for the lead and keep going.”

Kaphero is the most prolific winning Danzero entire which is no mean feat from a former Golden Slipper winner who boasts over 400 winners and a winners to runners strike-rate of 63%.

Kaphero’s dam Kapchat was a quality race mare herself amassing just over half a million dollars in prize money form 15 starts.  She won six races including the G1 Winfield Classic and is closely related to Golden Slipper winner Courtza (Pompeii Court) and champion sire O’Reilly (Last Tycoon).  

“Kaphero has an outstanding pedigree, first class race record, smashing good looks and as a speed grandson of Danehill with a double cross of Star Kingdom – he’s got plenty going for him,” Sangster said.  Kaphero’s service fee has been set at $11,000 (inc gst) for his initial season.

Meanwhile fellow Swettenham sire Hold That Tiger (Storm Cat) celebrated his 150th individual winner after Tigero (Hold That Tiger-Ladyote by Capote) won over 1200m in North America by a widening two and a half lengths on July 30.  The win also lifted the stallion’s winners to runners percentage to 55.7%.

Hold That Tiger has served just shy of 450 mares in his five seasons with Swettenham and will stand his sixth at the reduced service fee of $9,900 (inc gst).