Bruno Cannatelli
Following the recent sale of Cambridge Stud to Brendan and Jo Lindsay, and the appointment of Henry Plumptre as chief executive from April 2018, a new resident stallion has been confirmed for 2018.
Highly Recommended will join the Cambridge Stud roster next season, standing alongside Tavistock, Power and Burgundy, having stood at Berkley Stud near Christchurch since his retirement in 2013.
"We were approached to stand Highly Recommended at Cambridge Stud and we believe that this decision is in the stallion's best future interests,” Berkley Stud's Edwina Morris said.
“We retain an ownership interest in him and will fully support him in the coming seasons."
A Group Two winning son of Fastnet Rock and half-brother to Australian Group winners Sky Cuddle and Sky Love, Highly Recommended has had a flying start to his stud career.
He served 140 mares this season from his South Island base and last season was second on the New Zealand First Season Sires’ table. The freshman sire was fourth among all New Zealand sires for total two-year-old earnings.
With his eldest progeny now three, Highly Recommended is the sire of eight winners from 21 starters, with four stakes performers to date.
Among his leading progeny are Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) winner Sumstreetsumwhere and the dual Listed winner Waldorf, which have both subsequently been sold to Hong Kong.
Group One-placed juvenile Joyfilly and Wanganui Guineas (1340m) runner-up Kirkland complete the stallion’s stakes-performing quartet.
"This sire line of Danehill and Fastnet Rock is the most pre-potent and successful thoroughbred line in the southern hemisphere," said incoming Cambridge Stud chief executive Henry Plumptre.
"The future for this promising young sire is exciting. We are looking forward to him transferring north to Cambridge from Berkley Stud where Edwina Morris and Alan Jones have done such a great job with him. In attracting significant books of mares, they have ensured that Highly Recommended has enjoyed strong representation with his early crops.
"With access to a wider pool of quality broodmares, we believe the progeny of Highly Recommended will be keenly sought after domestically and internationally. The overseas' interest already shown in his first two crops underlines this fact." – NZ Racing Desk.
