Eminent to stand at NZ’s Brighthill Stud

Eminent (centre) will be the first son of Frankel to stand at a southern hemishpere stud.

Eminent will become the first son of champion Frankel to go to stud in the southern hemisphere with the five-year-old to stand at Brighthill Farm in New Zealand.

Raced by Sir Peter Vela in partnership with Hubie De Burgh, Eminent won three of his 14 starts and was prepared by Martyn Meade before being transferred to Sir Mark Todd for an Australian autumn campaign earlier this year.

Racing as He’s Eminent in Sydney, he finished second to Avilius in the Group One Ranvet Stakes in March but only beat one home in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes won by Winx.

He finished fourth in the 2017 English Derby (2400m) won by Wings Of Eagles and stamped himself one of the best three-year-olds of his year when successful in the Group Two Prix Guillaume d’Ornano (2000m) at Deauville.

“We’re obviously very excited to have the first son of Frankel to stand at stud in the southern hemisphere,” Brighthill Farm principal Nick King said.

“It’s an amazing opportunity. We were approached by his owner Sir Peter Vela, who had weighed up a possible autumn campaign with the horse in Europe, but he decided that that would push him another year before he could come to stud.

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“We’re now in the process of syndicating him and have enjoyed a great response.

“It has literally only been a handful of days since this has come about and to have the likes of Cambridge Stud, Windsor Park, Valachi Downs, Haunui Farm, Hallmark Stud and Curraghmore on board already, just shows you the regard in which the horse is held.

“With Sir Peter Vela also staying in the horse and pledging to send some quality mares from his Pencarrow Stud, and obviously we’re taking a shareholding and will be supporting the horse, Eminent is going to get every opportunity at stud.”

Eminent will stand his first season at $8,000 plus GST.

Unbeaten on the track, Frankel has made an exceptional start to his stud career with 31 Group winners, seven at Group One level headed by Cracksman.

“For many people he is the best horse they have seen in their lifetime and he is doing an amazing job at stud too,” King said.”