Zephyr Bay for Australian stud

Press, 20 May 1987, Page 46

Zephyr Bay for Australian stud

PA Wellington The outstanding stallion Zephyr Bay is to be moved to Australia and will, stand the 1987 stud season at Balfour Stud in New South Wales, Waikato Stud, Ltd, has announced. The stallion has stood in New Zealand since his retirement from racing in 1975. •Pat Wilson, a director of Australasian Breeding Stables, Ltd, the major shareholder in Waikato Stud, said Zephyr Bay was being returned to New South Wales on the strength of international veterinary opinion that the Australian climate would assist his welldocumented fertility problem. -

Denny Miller, of New South Wales, a big shareholder in the stallion, said leading veterinary researchers were unanimous that the milder Australian winter and greater number of daylight hours in the Hunter Valley early in the season would significantly improve Zephyr Bay’s libido and fertility. “Waikato’s managing director Steve Brem had previously advised shareholders that Zephyr Bay was far more effective later in the season than in the early months,” Miller said.

“The researchers told us that as the amount of daylight hours per day increases, so does the sperm production rate and general libido level improve. That was why the horse was so much better in the New Zealand summer than in the breeding season beginning mid-September.” Miller said the weight of evidence suggesting that Zephyr Bay’s fertility would improve in New South Wales was overwhelming. “With that being the case, anything the syndicate could do to increase his productivity simply had to be done,” Miller said. The winner of nine of

his 22 starts, Zephyr Bay included the Group One Oakleigh Plate (1100 m at Caulfield in course record time among his successes. After his defeat in the 1975 VRC Newmarket Handicap, a half-share in Zephyr Bay was sold to New Zealand interests and he was placed at Jack Lindsay’s Balcarres Stud at Matamata. Balcarres was later purchased by Waikato. Zephyr Bay’s first crop which amounted to just 16 foals in 1976 has been his biggest. Despite his lack of runners, he has established a fine record. . From' 71 lifetime runners, he has produced 57 individual winners including 12 stakes-winners. He is the sire of three winners of the Group one New Zealand Oaks in Glamour Bay, Judena and Zepherin as well as other group winners Zephyr Zip, Governor’s Bay, Elounda Bay, Romantic Bay, and Zephyr Souba. In the current season, he has been represented by the Bart Cummings-trained Broad Reach and Society Bay.

Another notable feature of his success is that henow has 21 sons at stud including Zephyr Zip, Elounda Bay, Black Zephyr and Zephyr Zing,, all of which are enjoying

considerable success. Zephyr Bay’s stock have always been in keen demand, averaging $103,428 at the 1986 national sale and $119,500 this year. Zephyr Bay will be associate sire to Twig Moss, Strawberry Road and Kind Music at Balfour. His replacement at Waikato will be Kampala, which is being moved from Newbury Park, Palmerston North. Kampala, the top British first season sire of 1984 and ranked fourth on the 1986 English sires' table in order of winners stood 9is first season at Newbury last breeding season.