The G2 Flying Childers S. winner Caturra (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}–Shoshoni Wind {GB}, by Sleeping Indian {GB}) has joined the roster at Overbury Stud in a deal brokered by Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock. His opening fee will be £6,500.
The 3-year-old will be available for viewing in Newmarket this week from Sunday to Wednesday at Crockfords, opposite the rear entrance of Tattersalls.
The arrival of Caturra at the Gloucestershire stud has echoes of Ardad (Ire), the leading first-season sire in Britain in 2021. Both horses were bred by Tally-Ho Stud and won the Flying Childers, having been bought by Brown as youngsters–Ardad at the breeze-up sales and Caturra as a yearling for 110,000gns from Tattersalls October Book 2.
Caturra was trained by Clive Cox for Saeed bin Mohammed al Qassimi and won as early as the May of his juvenile season before going on to land the Listed Rose Bowl S. at Newbury and gaining his Group 2 success. This season he has added further group placings in the G3 Prix Sigy at Chantilly and the G2 King George S. at Goodwood.
“He's got everything a top juvenile needs: great physical maturity–and he's an outstanding model–but also a wonderful mind. From the moment he stepped in the yard, he was a natural for Royal Ascot,” said Cox.
“The Flying Childers win was very special. To be able to accelerate off fast sprinting pace like he did–that really takes some doing. I loved the way he'd really get his head down to gallop. And so straightforward: I've never had a sprinter with such a sober attitude. Caturra had a lie down at the races when he arrived at Doncaster. That's rare! He saves all his energy for when he needs it, and he's a lovely, kind horse to work with. I am very confident he'd have been competitive at the highest level again at four.”
Caturra is a member of the second crop of Mehmas, who set a new world record in 2020 with 56 first-crop juvenile winners.
Richard Brown commented, “Caturra is the fastest son of Mehmas, and he won the same big race as Ardad. Those are two of the biggest names in the commercial market, and Caturra– who's a particularly good-looking horse–has every chance of joining them. He's just like Ardad.”
Overbury Stud will be offering a number of breeding rights in Caturra. Manager Simon Sweeting said, “We are keeping things simple: these are the same terms Ardad started at, and if ever there was a second Ardad, this is this horse. A fast and notably precocious Flying Childers winner by a top commercial stallion, just like Ardad. And, if anything, Caturra is even better looking, with a most lovely head and bags of strength and quality. We're really looking forward to showing him to breeders during the December Sales.”
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