Totara Park Acquires A Champion

Irish-bred Group One winner Pure Champion will join the first season sire ranks in New Zealand this spring.

Totara Park Stud at Whangarei has acquired Pure Champion, who was a G1 winner when he raced in New Zealand for the Lance O’Sullivan stable.

“We had no intention of getting another stallion, but Pure Champion is such a magnificent looking horse with a great pedigree,” said Totara Park’s Dirk Oberholster.

By the English 2000 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand, Pure Champion is out of the Danehill mare Castara Beach.

Group One-winning family members include the champion English miler Nannina, Hong Kong Horse of the Year Indigenous, Sydney Cup winner Jessicabeel, Adelaide Cup winner Water Boatman, successful sire Sea Anchor and Fenomeno, who headed 2013 world thoroughbred rankings.

Pure Champion began his racing career in Ireland and the UK where he won the G3 Solonaway Stakes, Listed Ruby Stakes and was fourth in the G1 Dewhurst Stakes and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas.

He then raced in Hong Kong when he won the January Cup and Centenary Vase and was runner-up to Military Attack in the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup.

Pure Champion subsequently raced six times in New Zealand as an eight-year-old, winning the G1 Windsor Park Plate, G3 Manawatu Challenge Stakes and placing in the G1 Makfi Challenge Stakes.

“Who knows what he might have done if we had him two or three years earlier,” said Lance O’Sullivan.

The O’Sullivan family raced Pure Champion in New Zealand and they have entered into a shared ownership agreement with Totara Park.

He will join Buffalo Man at Totara Park on a fee of $NZ5000 plus GST.