Coolmore snap up Maxios for National Hunt duty at Castlehyde Stud

Coolmore have purchased Maxios, sire of this year's Group 1 German Oaks heroine Diamanta, with the blue-blooded son of Monsun to stand under the operation's National Hunt banner at Castlehyde Stud for 2020.

The 11-year-old has stood the last six seasons at leading German farm Gestut Fahrhof, from where he has sired the winners of over 100 races from his first two crops, including eight black type performers, most notably his German Oaks-winning daughter and the Listed scorer Realeza.

He has already sired three winners over hurdles in France, including Foxboro, who is now two from two in that sphere having won by six lengths at Strasbourg earlier in the month.

The latest round of yearling sales have seen his progeny sell for as much as £170,000.

"We have been watching Maxios for some time and are delighted to have secured him," said Castlehyde's Cathal Murphy. "He's a fine big horse by leading National Hunt influence Monsun, he comes from a fantastic Niarchos family and he was a champion miler.

"He’s already sire of a Group 1 winner and we have no doubt that he'll prove extremely popular."

Maxios boasts a top-class race record, which was compiled over four seasons in training. An unbeaten Group 3-winning juvenile who progressed markedly with age, he reached his peak at five when he handed out a five-length beating to Olympic Glory in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin over a mile, having also seen off Planteur to claim the Prix d'Ispahan earlier that year.

He retired from racing having won eight times, with five of those victories gained at Group level.

As a Niarchos family homebred, he also possesses an exceptional pedigree, with his four black type siblings headed by brilliant Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Bago.

He is out of the Nureyev mare Moonlight's Box, making him a grandson of the champion two-year-old Coup De Genie, a full-sister to the influential stallion Machiavellian and dam of another Group 1-winning juvenile in Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Denebola.

The family traces back to Natalma, dam of Northern Dancer and ancestress of Danehill.

Sire sons of Monsun have already made a significant impact on the National Hunt breeding scene, with Network leaving a true great in Sprinter Sacre and Shirocco supplying the mighty Annie Power.

Grange Stud resident Getaway has also enjoyed some headline successes in recent seasons, most notably with Christmas Hurdle winner Verdana Blue, while Beeches Stud sire Ocovango got his stallion career off to the best possible start on Wednesday when his first runner in Britain and Ireland, Langer Dan, made a winning debut at Ludlow.

Maxios will stand alongside the likes of Order Of St George at Castlehyde Stud, with a fee to be announced at a later date.

More stallion news:

Crystal Ocean bought by Coolmore to join their jumps stallion ranks

First runner obliges on debut for Beeches Stud resident Ocovango

Order Of St George the busiest new sire in Britain and Ireland this year