For over two decades, The Oaks Stud has been a centrepiece of the Waikato’s breeding industry and in 2024, the Gr.1 producing farm will stand three premier stallions. Champion European Two-Year-Old and Champion Sprinter U S Navy Flag is now a proven stallion of stakes winners, while Roc De Cambes continues to sire group class horses, and The Chosen One brings colonial blood and Group 1 ability to the fore.
“We’ve had a good year. U S Navy Flag was the Champion First Season Sire last season and will be the Champion Second Season Sire this season. He has a couple of nice horses in Pendragon, the filly Chantilly Lace, and several other stakes horses. The Chosen One is in his second season at stud for us, and our two biggest earners in our racing team this season are by Roc De Cambes, being Antrim Coast and Harlow Rocks,” said Rick Williams.
“Our racing team also won the Jericho Cup with Nassak Diamond. Good ol’ Warrnambool, it’s a bit of fun, that town! It’s been a good solid year for us all round. U S Navy Flag looks very promising. He’s right behind Savabeel and Almanzor on the three-year-old chart, and now he needs to go on with it.”
U S Navy Flag (War Front-Misty For Me, by Galileo) stands for NZ$15,000 plus GST
With his oldest crop now rising four-year-olds, U S Navy Flag has shown he’s on the right path sitting third on the NZ three-year-old sires list behind multiple Champion Sire Savabeel and proven Group 1 sire Almanzor. U S Navy Flag was a dual Gr.1 winner at two, and won the Gr.1 July Cup at three. His four stakes winners are split evenly between hemispheres, led by Gr.2 Auckland Guineas winner Pendragon while his New Zealand progeny also includes Gr.1 placed horses like To Catch A Thief (placed in the Gr.1 2000 Guineas, Gr.1 Sistema Stakes and Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes), and Aprilia (placed in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes).
U S Navy Flag shares a sire with proven stallions Declaration Of War, The Factor, and many others, and is out of four-time Gr.1 winner Misty For Me, who has also produced triple Gr.1 winner Roly Poly and Gr.3 winner Cover Song.
The Chosen One (Savabeel-The Glitzy One, by Flying Spur) stands for NZ$4,000 plus GST
Gr.1 winner The Chosen One stood at The Oaks Stud last season in his second official season at stud, serving 80 mares, a huge upgrade on the 21 live foals he has in his first crop. In 2024, he’ll stand his third season, but in reality, his second commercial season at The Oaks.
Winner of seven races on both sides of the Tasman, The Chosen One was a Gr.3 winner at three in Australia, a Gr.2 winner at four while placing in both the Gr.1 Sydney Cup and Gr.1 Otaki Maori WFA Stakes, then at five he placed in the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup and Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes. At six, he broke through at Gr.1 level after being competitive there for two seasons prior, winning the Thorndon Mile, while also placing three times at Gr.1 level on both sides of the ditch.
Rated the NZ Champion Stayer in three successive seasons, The Chosen One is by multiple Champion Sire Savabeel from one of NZ’s great families. His dam was a tough racemare, winning eight races and placing in black type company on five occasions. His second dam is Champion 3YO in NZ and dual Gr.1 winner The Jewel; dam of two stakes winners. Gr.1 NZ 1000 Guineas winner The Perfect Pink (Savabeel) also features in this family.
Roc De Cambes (Red Ransom-Fairy Lights, by Fairy King) stands for NZ$3,000 plus GST
Antrim Coast comes from Roc De Cambes’ smallest crop with only nine three-year-olds, and yet he’s proving to be one of his best with a stellar Classic season that includes a win in the Gr.2 MVRC Alister Clark Stakes, second in the Gr.1 NZ Derby behind super mare Orchestral (Savabeel) and fourth in the Gr.1 South Australian Derby to Coco Sun (The Autumn Sun) and Warmonger (War Decree) who went on to demolish the Gr.1 Queensland Derby field.
A Listed winner in Japan at two and three, Roc De Cambes has fashioned a record as a solid sire of stayers with six stakes winners led by Gr.1 Toorak Handicap winner He’s Our Rokki, while this season he has sired Antrim Coast and group placed city winner Harlow Rocks as well as Jericho Cup winner Nassak Diamond.
The Oaks Stud’s retired proven sire Darci Brahma is making a name for himself as a broodmare sire, and he had an exciting spring with Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Ozzmosis (Zoustar-No More Tears, by Darci Brahma) becoming his second Gr.1 winner in this role. The Oaks Stud’s influence across Australasia is set to continue with Darci Brahma and exciting young proven sire U S Navy Flag.
-Renee Geelen, Bluebloods
