Scenic viewed at four different Australian studs

  Initially a shuttle sire, he started off at Collingrove, a stud at Sandy Hollow in the Hunter Valley for a time owned by a partnership of the Hayes family of Lindsay Park, South Australia and leading international breeder and racehorse owner Robert Sangster's Swettenham Stud.They also had Collingrove Stud at Nagambie in Victoria,.

 Commencing in1989, he shuttled between Coolmore in Ireland and the Hunter Valley through to1996 and then became a resident at Lindsay Park. He was sold off to the Durham Lodge Stud at Muchea in Western Australia eight years ago, but came back across the Nullabor to be used in the 2002 season at the Nagambie located Collingrove. 

   That stud is now named Swettenham and is in the sole ownership of the deceased Robert Sangster's Australian domiciled son Adam. He has developed it into one of Australia's major stallion stations, one which has seven sires on offer in the 2008 season and which is to be home next year for a newcomer in the high class Danzero juvenile and sprinter Kaphero.

  The Sangsters played a big role in establishing Scenic as a quality sire, in particular being the breeders with the late Colin Hayes of the three-quarter brother million dollar earners Blevic (efforts included wins at Flemington in the Victoria Derby and Sires' Produce Stakes and a third in the AJC Derby) and Universal Prince (won the AJC Derby, Spring Champion Stakes, STC Rawson Stakes and Canterbury Guineas; second Victoria Derby).

  Standing at the Toole's long established Kambula Stud at Kadina, Blevic is one of the best sires in South Australia, while Universal Prince, a brother to SAJC Robert Sangster Stakes-Gr.1 winner Universal Queen, has replaced Scenic at Durham Lodge after starting off at stud in NSW. His oldest are 4-year-olds.

  Blevic, Universal Prince and Universal Queen are among 520 winners, including100 who have won or stakes placed, of a massive 2,000 plus races and over $63million supplied by Scenic from his Australian use. The others include Viewed (besides the Melbourne Cup, won the Brisbane Cup), Shame (Caulfield Thousand Guineas, QTC Sires Produce Stakes; second in four Group1s), Episode (SAJC Australasian Oaks, South Australian Oaks; second Queensland Oaks), Lord Essex (STC George Ryder Stakes; placed AJC All-Aged Stakes, QTC Doomben 10000 Piavonic (MVRC Manikato Stakes and Norman Carlyon Stakes) and Western Australian star Marasco (Group 2s in Melbourne and Perth; second at Caulfield in the Australian Cup and C.F. Orr Stakes), to mention a few.

  Scenic has had good performers from1000m to 3200m and 29 offspring who have each won ten or more races.

  He supplied nearly 1000 foals from his Australian use and in consequence has left a huge pool of females who should be much prized as broodmares.They have already produced over 350 winners, including among successful stakes performers Niconero (by Danzero), Lazer Sharp (Zariz), Van Costa de Hero (Encosta de Lago), Book of Kells (Rock of Gibraltar) and Almost Never (Akhadan).

  Got at Coolmore in Ireland in the first crop of the Robert Sangster bred and raced Sadler's Wells from Idyllic, an unraced daughter of American champion juvenile and Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure, Scenic was purchased as a yearling by Sheikh Mohammed, subsequent founder of the Darley conglomerate. He was raced 11 times over three years for four wins, three of them, including a dead heat victory with another Sadler's Wells product, Prince of Dance, in the Newmarket Dewhurst Stakes-Gr.1. Scenic's effort was a shock as he was unwanted in the betting at 33-1in the six runner field.

  At the end of his juvenile year, Scenic was rated equal best 2-year-old with Prince of Dance in the Timeform assessments with a high128 and weighted equal third best in the European Free Handicap.

  Scenic suffered from illhealth at three, a year he had his other win, appearance in Scotland's only Group class event at that time, the Group 3 Scottish Classic. Four Group1 efforts at this age were a well beaten third in the St James's Palace Stakes (1600m) at Ascot, fourth in the Newmarket Champion Stakes (2000m) and near last displays in the Irish Champion Stakes (2000m) and American Breeders' Cup Turf (2400m).Three outings at four included a Group 3 second and a last of eight in the Group 2 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Ascot.

Brian Russell Bloodstock Media.