International Round-up

[my miss storm cat]

Court Masterpiece to the Sussex Stakes.

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Yeah, but do they get a movie?
From AAP...

Grey Swallow Arrives On Thursday

Wednesday, 19 July 2006: Cox Plate contender Grey Swallow is among the first annual shipment of northern hemipshere shuttle stallions due to touch down in Sydney on Thursday.

The flight is carrying stallions valued at more than $300 million who will be standing at stud around Australia this spring.

The flight is bringing US-based stallions from Kentucky, including the recently purchased 2004 Irish Derby winner Grey Swallow.

Grey Swallow is to race in Australia this spring before beginning his stud career next year.

Wadham Park, the big spending new breeding and racing entity with bases in Queensland and Victoria, purchased Grey Swallow from the Dermot Weld stable in a deal reported to be worth more than $4 million.

Wadham Park trainer Dale Sutton will prepare Grey Swallow for the $3 million W.S. Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in October.

Grey Swallow is to be flown through to Melbourne after Thursday's arrival where he will begin his mandatory quarantine confinement of two weeks at the facilities provided at Sandown each spring for international spring carnival runners.

Grey Swallow has come out of a US racing campaign and by serving his quarantine at Sandown his fitness level will be maintained with trackwork prior to him joining the Sutton stable.

The bulk of the stallions on the flight are coming from Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky.

They include Fusaichi Pegasus, Royal Academy, Johannesburg, Tale Of The Cat, Lion Heart, Hold That Tiger and Dehere.

Vinery Stud's More Than Ready and Widden Stud pair Southern Image and King Cugat are also on the flight.

Greenwood Lake and Monashee Mountain are among the stallions on this flight who will be standing in Queensland.

The charter flight costs almost $2 million and carries 16 handlers and two vets.

The stallions will serve their 14-day quarantine at Eastern Creek in Sydney's west before they are shipped to their various stud destinations to prepare for the start of the breeding season on September 1.

Other charter flights bringing shuttle stallions from Europe and Japan are due in the next two weeks.