The phone of Levin studmaster Paul Hobbs deserves to ring more frequently this breeding season. Paul stands Rosehill Guineas winner Zabrasive's lightly raced half brother Castelli and last season the son of Galileo served just 13 mares, most belonging to the stallions majority owner, Hawkes Bay's Lawrence Redshaw.
For those of you with good memories the Murray Baker trained Castelli created enough of an impression in three starts here in the early spring of 2006 to at one stage hold a single figure quote for that seasons VRC Derby.
Unfortunately the colt never made it the Derby after chips in a knee were discovered following a second placing to Old Belvedere over 1600m at Hastings on Mudgeway Stakes day. Ultimately the injury saw the stallion never return to the racetrack, going to stud in 2008 after failing to stand two further training preparations.
Retiring with a sole maiden win (at 1400m) on a slow track from three starts and being a son of Galileo is not a recipe for attracting mares, particularly in this part of the world after Galileo's very disappointing shuttle service to Australia, but the stallion looks good value at his $1,000 service fee.
Castelli is the first foal of his Danehill stakeswinning and group one placed dam Danasia - Zabrasive is the mares fourth foal. As a son of Galileo and with staying influences further back in his female family such as Persian Bold, Exbury (Zammazan's sire), and the former Fairdale stallion Kings Island, Castelli won't sire Karaka Million runners however he showed enough tactical speed in his short racing career to that suggest that with the right type of mare getting an early three-year-old to the races won't be out of the question.
The odds of Castelli making it as a stallion are extremely slim but with his pedigree, the glimpse we got of his ability on the racetrack and a reinvigorated market for staying types, he's a better gamble than a number of his colleagues out there pitched in a similar price bracket.
I gather Windsor Park may agist some Castelli weanlings for a client; if that is the case I shall make a point of dropping in when I'm next down in Cambridge. Even at $1,000 you need to do your homework thoroughly and I recall seeing a couple of Castelli's immediate family as yearlings and they were not impressive types. For instance Zabrasive at Karaka was quite light and a poor walker.
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