Lancaster Bomber to Stand at Drakenstein Stud
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Photo: Dubai Racing Club/Mathea Kelley
Lancaster Bomber trains ahead of the Dubai Turf at Meydan Racecourse
Lancaster Bomber, the group 1-winning son of War Front , is to take up stud duty at Gaynor Rupert's Drakenstein Stud in South Africa for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season.
The 5-year-old, who is currently on the roster of the National Stud in Newmarket, will have his South African stud career managed by John Freeman's Freeman Stallions.
"The advanced age of the established champion sires and recent loss of stalwarts Captain Al and Dynasty has made life very difficult for breeders in the planning of their top mares," Freeman said of the new recruit. "Access to the new up-and-coming younger sires who are all fully syndicated and very well-booked isn't easy either, so there never has been a better time to bring such a beautifully pedigreed, group 1-winning international champion to South Africa.
"We firmly believe that the globe-trotting Lancaster Bomber is an ideal stallion prospect for South Africa."
Trained by Aidan O'Brien on behalf of the Coolmore partners, Lancaster Bomber opened his account at 2 at second asking before finishing runner-up in the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes (G1) and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T).
Lancaster Bomber embarked on a globe-trotting 3-year-old campaign, finishing a close fourth to Churchill in the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1), second to Barney Roy in the St James's Palace Stakes (G1), and runner-up in both the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1T) and Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).
He returned at 4 to make his top-level breakthrough, claiming the Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) at the Curragh.
Lancaster Bomber is one of 19 grade/group 1 winners by War Front, a total that includes European champions Air Force Blue , Roly Poly, U S Navy Flag, and War Command.
The son of Danzig is also an emerging sire of sires, with Declaration of War's first crop including last year's Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains (G1) hero Olmedo, while War Command's debut crop includes 27 winners to date.
Lancaster Bomber has a similarly appealing female pedigree as he is a half brother to miler Excelebration—in turn the sire of Barney Roy—and group 3 winner Mull of Killough, while his dam, Sun Shower, is by Indian Ridge out of a daughter of classic winner Sarah Siddons.
He will join fellow European recruit Duke of Marmalade on the Drakenstein roster, along with local talents Futura, Gold Standard, Philanthropist, Trippi, and What a Winter.