Maranoa Charlie set for stallion career after racing retirement

Prix de la Foret winner Maranoa Charlie has been retired to stand at Tally-Ho Stud in Ireland.

The winner of three of his four juvenile starts last season for French trainer Christopher Head, the son of Wootton Bassett colt kicked off his three-year-old campaign with a couple of Group Three wins before being snapped up by new owners Bond Thoroughbred Limited.

He was narrowly beaten in the Prix Jean Prat and the City Of York Stakes, but belatedly broke his Group One duck on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp and a second career as a stallion now beckons.

Bond Thoroughbred Limited will remain as part of the ownership in Maranoa Charlie and speaking on the Tally-Ho Stud website, Charlie Bond said: “Tally-Ho are one of the best studs out there and we’re thrilled to be teaming up with them.

“The eight-metre stride pattern that Maranoa Charlie has is up there with the very best and will prove the key to his progeny.

“Christopher Head said from day one that he is the best he has ever trained and the data technology that Christopher uses showed that what Maranoa Charlie does at home was transferred on to the track.

“He goes out at the top winning the Prix de la Foret in such good fashion. By Wootton Bassett out of a Galileo mare, he’s from one of the fastest lines out there that also produced champion two-year-old Tiggy Wiggy.

“He is a very exciting horse for the future for many breeders.”