Windsor Park sires King’s Chapel and Thorn Park sired Group 1 candidates on either side of the Tasman last weekend.

King Montrose, a first-crop son of New Zealand’s Champion 3YO King’s Chapel, won on debut at Oamaru on Sunday.

Trainer Neil Ridley confirmed a classic campaign is now on the agenda for King Montrose, with a start in the Listed Coupland Stakes  pencilled in as a lead-in race to the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton in November.  “He is a very tough horse and has a lot of natural ability like his father”, said Ridley.

King Montrose will follow in the footsteps of King’s Chapel who won the Coupland at Ashburton on the way to winning the NZ 2000 Guineas and being crowned New Zealand’s Champion 3YO and Horse of the Year.

King’s Chapel has made an exciting start to his stallion career with a first crop that also includes G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes winner King’s Ransom who is also being pointed towards the G1 classic in November.

King’s Chapel stands for a fee of $7,500 + gst.

Thorn Park galloper Centennial Park will also be set for a Group 1 campaign this season after an impressive first-up win at Rosehill on Saturday.  Trainer David Payne has never hidden the high regard for Centennial Park and has the G1 Epsom Handicap at Randwick in October as a long-range target.

Thorn Park’s book for 2009 was full in June following a successful season which included five new stakes winners.