Ekraar Now Domiciled at Linwood Park

EKRAAR, the sire of this week's Gr. 1 Auckland Cup winner, Shez Sinsational, now has a permanent home at Cambridge-based Linwood Park in New Zealand.

A new stallion and breeding operation set up last year by Mary Fitzpatrick, Linwood Park has acquired Gr. 1 winning Ekraar for stud duties in partnership with an Australian partner. He was formerly a shuttle sire under the ownership of Shadwell Farm.

"We are delighted that Ekraar was one  of our foundation stallions at Linwood Park last year standing alongside Mr Nancho and Royal Gem,” Fitzpatrick said.

"The deeds of Shez Sinsational on the racetrack have been nothing short of sensational and she is certainly putting her sire, Ekraar, and Linwood Park, right in the spotlight," she said.

"We congratulate Allan Sharrock on his training accomplishments with the mare and also James McDonald for the way he rode her in the Auckland Cup," Fitzpatrick said.

As a racehorse Ekraar was a Group 1 performer every season for five straight years, racing at the highest level in five different countries, a real testament to his versatility and temperament. The son of Red Ransom earned a reputation as a tough consistent performer.

He won the GR3 Goodwood Vintage Stakes as a two year old, smashing Maroof’s track record over 1400 metres. His racing career was crowned with victory in the GR1 Milan Gran Premio del Jockey Club over 2400 metres but perhaps his most memorable race was his nose defeat in the GR1 Hong Kong Vase when after slipping five lengths clear on the home bend for jockey Frankie Dettori Japanese Champion Stay Gold was the only horse to thunder out of the pack to catch Ekraar on the post.

Ekraar achieved 8 wins - six at stakes level - with lifetime earnings of $NZ2.52 million  from 25 starts. He achieved a Timeform rating of 126 at three years.

Shez Sinsational has now won three times at Group 1 level. Before that she had also taken out the Gr. 1 Darci Brahma International Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa in February and the Gr. 1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

Shez Sinsational is now headed towards a tilt at the Gr. 1 Melbourne Cup in November and also holds an entry for the Gr. 1 Singapore Cup at Kranji Racecourse in May.

Ekraar is now the sire of six individual stakes winners including another Gr. 1 winning mare, Ekstreme, along with the Listed VRC St Leger winner, Exceptionally.

He has been represented by winners in 12 individual countries and has more than 120 individual winners to his credit.