Eight-times champion sire Volksraad was laid to rest at Windsor Park Stud yesterday following injuries sustained in a paddock accident.
A son of Green Desert and the Secretariat mare Celtic Assembly, Volksraad was just a few days short of his 24th birthday and began stud duties initially at Mapperley Stud in Matamata before transferring to Windsor Park in 1999, two years before winning his first Sire’s premiership.
Commencing his stud career in 1993 at the modest fee of just $2,500, Volksraad fashioned an outstanding career as one of New Zealand’s greatest stallions of the modern era.
He made a sensational start with his first crop siring 9 stakes winners from just 49 foals that included Group One VATC Oakleigh Plate winner Dantelah.
His feat of winning eight sire premierships between 2001 and 2009 stands as a modern day record, a total only exceeded by the great Foxbridge in the 1940’s.
To date Volksraad has sired 58 stakes winners with total progeny earnings over $47 million and this season his record of consistently siring top class gallopers was added to with the recent Group One victory of his 3YO son Distill in the Levin Classic on November 25th.
Volksraad’s 14 Group One winners also includes ‘peoples champion’ Sir Slick, winner of 22 races including six at Group One level and 2010 New Zealand Derby winner Military Move.
The versatility of Volksraad’s progeny is exemplified by them winning Group One races from 1100m to 3200m and he remains one of the few New Zealand based stallions to sire Group One winners at 1100m, 1200m and 1400m in Australia.
“We have been fortunate to stand a number of champion stallions at Windsor Park and Volksraad rates among the best”, commented Windsor Park Stud proprietor Nelson Schick.
“His contribution to Windsor Park and the breeding industries in New Zealand and Australia has been immense and his influence looks set to continue for many years with his daughters now proving such wonderful broodmares at stud”.
“We will forever be indebted to Volksraad who was not only a great stallion but a real character and we are thankful for the journey we have enjoyed with him these past 19 years”.
