Don Eduardo hit the headlines with a stakes winning double at Randwick last Saturday and his close relation Viking Ruler could take centre stage at Rosehill this weekend.

Viking Ruler is based at Cambridge Stud and his winner tally continued to grow at Foxton on Thursday when Theruler won second-up over 1600m for Opaki trainer Andrew Campbell.

Theruler (4g Viking Ruler – Pearla by Blues Traveller) is from a half-sister to the dam of Walk On Air (Eire), a G2 winner of the VRC Blamey Stakes.

Viking Ruler’s brilliant sprinter Kroner will be gunning for back-to-back black-type in the G3 Concorde Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill this Saturday.  He is a last start winner of the G2 Premiere Stakes when dead-heating with Mentality.

Another one of his sons worth following is Red Ruler who was doing his best work at the finish of the J J Liston Stakes (G2) at Caulfield a fortnight ago.  He was a Group 2 winner at Ellerslie prior to his initial Australian campaign that included an unlucky second to Nom Du Jeu in the 2008 G1 AJC Australian Derby.

Viking Ruler (Danehill) and Don Eduardo (Zabeel) were foaled in the same year and descend from famed mare Eight Carat.  The similarities don’t end there as they were both successful at Group 1 level at Randwick in the 2001-02 season.  Viking Ruler won the AJC Spring Champion Stakes and Don Eduardo arrived in the final stride to defeat Carnegie Express in the AJC Australian Derby the following autumn.

Don Eduardo is based at Haunui Farm and his 2009 book received a boost when the Gai Waterhouse stablemates Moti (LR Toy Show Quality) and Swift Alliance (G3 Silver Shadow St) completed a winning double at Randwick last weekend.

Don Eduardo is now the sire 41 winners and 9 individual stakes-performers.  Mark Chitty of Haunui Farm is naturally delighted with the success of his young blue-blood sire.

“The results of the past few months have been great and his book has been solid for the upcoming season.  In recognition of the current economy, we made the decision to reduce his 2009 service fee by 30% to $7,000,” Chitty said.  “Fundamentally this provides all breeders both big and small with a serious value proposition to breed their mares again this season.”

Don Eduardo is in his fifth season standing at Haunui Farm after previously standing at David Benjamin’s Fayette Park. He will serve a restricted book of 120 mares this spring.

“He has been getting winners in New Zealand every week and in some cases, every race day,” Chitty added.  “He was a Derby winner and is bred to stay but is proving to be a remarkably versatile sire.  His mother Our Diamond Lover was a G1 Railway winner so no doubt this is where the speed is coming from.”

Don Eduardo was purchased at 2000 Karaka Yearling Sales by Gooree Stud’s Eduardo Cojuangco for $NZ3.6 million and remains the highest price yearling ever purchased in Australasia.