War Decree to replace outgoing Zacinto at Inglewood Stud

War Decree, a Group 2-winning son of War Front, will stand at Inglewood Stud in New Zealand this year, while their previous resident Zacinto, by Dansili, will relocate to Valachi Downs.

Trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien, War Decree has won three of his 11 starts including the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood as a two-year-old. He added the Group 3 Diamond Stakes at Dundalk the following season and finished second in the Group 2 Huxley Stakes at Chester earlier this month.

Inglewood Stud owner Gus Wigley is excited by the acquisition of War Decree, who proved himself to be among the best two-year-olds in Europe with his dominant Vintage Stakes victory, beating Thunder Snow and recording the second fastest time for the race.

War Decree, who was also a decisive winner on debut, was a close second in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket at his only other start as a juvenile.

War Decree’s sire War Front has sired 25 stakes winners in Europe, including six Group 1 winners and the champion two-year-old in Europe for two of the past three seasons with Air Force Blue (2015) and US Navy Flag (2017).

View War Decree's race record and replays

On his female side, War Decree is equally well represented, his dam being a daughter of the breed-shaping stallion Street Cry and multiple Grade 1-winning mare Ticker Tape.

“We think that profile is very similar to that of our foundation sire Zacinto, in that he was a Group 2 winner that connections thought of as a genuine Group 1 horse, while his sire is world leading and his sire-producing female family has the thickest blue-blood,” said Wigley.

“I inspected War Decree in Ireland last week with Valachi’s Jonathan Scully. He’s just a smashing big horse with so much quality about him. He’s got just about the best walk I’ve seen on a horse and I think New Zealand breeders will love him.”

War Decree will stand his first season at NZ$6,500 (£3,400/€3,800) (plus GST).

Zacinto on the move

Meanwhile Zacinto, a rising star of the New Zealand stallion ranks, will relocate to Valachi Downs after the operation’s Kevin Hickman increased his stake in the sire and secured the southern hemisphere standing rights.

Zacinto has made a good start to his stallion career, siring Group 1 winner Ugo Foscolo and four other stakes winners.

They include recent juvenile stakes winners, the Colin Little-trained Listed Anzac Day Stakes winner Vassilator and Riccarton Listed winner Secret Allure.

Valachi Downs’ general manager Jonathan Scully said the recent winning streak by the progeny of Zacinto had only enhanced the stallion’s appeal with New Zealand’s leading commercial breeders.

Zacinto joins Savile Row, a son of Makfi, as foundation stallions for Valachi Downs.

“We have bred over 40 mares to Zacinto since he first retired to stud, so we certainly have an idea of the type of quality stock he leaves and the exceptional record he has started to amass at stud,” said Scully.

“It’s a big move for Valachi to enter the stallion game. But in Zacinto and Savile Row we have two stallions that will get the venture off to a flyer.”

Zacinto has stood since 2012 at Inglewood Stud, who remains a partner in the stallion along with Windsor Park Stud, and he will stand for a fee of NZ$15,000 (plus GST) this year.

Wigley said: “Zacinto has been such an integral part of the rejuvenation of the stud and he’s been such a great sire for the South Island, but we feel it’s the right time to open him up to a bigger pool of breeders.”

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