Direct Charge, one the first grandsons of Red Ransom to go to stud, promises to add to the growing reputation of emerging NSW north coast nursery Oakley Island Thoroughbreds.

Maribyrnong Plate winning Direct Charge is one of two young sires standing the stud located on the Manning River’s Oxley Island near Taree.

The other is Polarmore, a son of More Than Ready and the Golden Slipper Stakes winner Polar Success.

Polarmore serves his first book of mares this spring while Direct Charge covered his first mares in 2014.

A late retirement saw Direct Charge cover only 14 mares last spring but they included daughters of Lohnro, Zabeel, Beautiful Crown, Strategic, Not A Single Doubt, Easy Rocking and Youthful Legs.

Direct Charge is a promising extension to the Red Ransom dynasty, being a son his brilliant racehorse and sire Charge Forward.

Red Ransom has become quite a force as a sire of sires, exemplified by seven of his sons already being represented by winners since August 1.

They are Charge Forward, Red Dazzler, Red Element, Duporth, Domesday, Onemorenomore and All American.

Charge Forward, who won four of his 11 starts (G1 Galaxy, G2 San Domenico Stakes, G2 Todman Stakes, Listed Breeders’ Plate) and was beaten only a head in the G1 Golden Slipper, has been represented by over 200 winners (23 SW) of 500 races and $18.4 million since he went to stud.

His best performers have been dual G1 winner Response, G1 winner Headway and Group winners Shrapnel, Solar Charged, London Dolly, G1 placed Sabrage, Cavalry Rose and Road Trippin’.

As a Maribyrnong Plate winner Direct Charge is poised to continue the fine tradition that race holds as a source of winners who have gone on to be top sires.

They include Baguette, Bel Esprit, Testa Rossa, Canny Lad, Rancho Ruler, Brave Show, Rancher and Blazing Saddles and seven times champion Australian sire Heroic.

The 2012 edition of the Maribyrnong Plate was a triumph for Charge Forward with two of his colts Direct Charge and Crack A Roadie fighting out the finish.

Direct Charge raced only at two, appearing seven times for his Flemington win and a third in the $250,000 Inglis Classic at Rosehill.

Purchased by his trainer Robbie Laing for $105,000 at the Inglis Sydney Classic Sale, Direct Charge has very strong maternal breeding.

His dam Lady Of Choice is a half-sister by Redoute’s Choice to six winners including G2 winner Burrito from the imported mare Echilada, a daughter of noted sire Alydar and Famed Princessa, a prolific stakes winning mare by Nashwan (Nasrullah).

Direct Charge’s grandam is a three-quarter sister to Clear Choice, the US G1winner who sired good winners when he stood in Australia at Woodlands Stud.