Windsor Park signs Vanbrugh and Rageese

Group 1 bound stallions Vanbrugh and Rageese will retire to stand at Windsor Park Stud after completing their current-season engagements in Australia.

Windsor Park owner Rodney Schick signed Turn Me Loose to his roster in New Zealand last week and he’s enthusiastic about the trio in advance of their first season at stud.  “The important thing is they all possessed huge talent from Day 1 and they’ve all competed successfully at the highest level in Australia.

“They are outstanding types with pedigrees to match and now, with the recent announcements around boosted prizemoney, Windsor Park is excited to offer breeders three new high-class stallion prospects.”

Vanbrugh (Encosta De Lago) was a debut 2yo winner at Randwick and Group 1 winner as a 3yo in the Spring Champion Stakes.  He also saluted the judge in the G3 Coongy Hcp at Caulfield earlier this season.

The strikingly handsome winner of more than $745,000 hails from the Waikato Stud family of Group 1 winners Diademe and Sacred Star.

Trainer Chris Waller has set Vanbrugh for the G1 Doomben Cup in Brisbane later this month.

Rageese (Street Cry) is owned in partnership with Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa.  He won the Listed Nitschke Stakes in Adelaide and returned last spring to claim the G3 Yellowglen Stakes at Flemington.

He was also runner-up in the G1 Sydney Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick and in his classic season was placed in the G2 Stan Fox Stakes.

Rageese runs next in the G1 Goodwood Hcp followed by the G1 Stradbroke Hcp.  The Darren Weir-trained sprinter is a direct descendant of champion mare Emancipation (Bletchingly) and is closely related to Group 1 winners Virage De Fortune and Stratum Star.

VANBRUGH