Coolmore Ireland stallion Paddington will shuttle to Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand in 2024, where he will stand for an introductory fee of NZ$35,000 (about US$21,200).
Windsor Park's Rodney Schick said he was delighted to welcome a horse of Paddington's caliber to the stud and believed the stallion would not only be a good asset to the farm but the New Zealand breeding industry as a whole.
"We've obviously had an amazing relationship with Coolmore over a long period of time, right back to Tale of the Cat and Montjeu," he said. "I'm just very excited to have a high-class galloper with a lovely pedigree. It's not just good for Windsor Park but it's good for New Zealand as well.
"I went to see (Paddington's sire) Siyouni probably six years ago when he wasn't as famous as he is now. He's just a cracker of a stallion. When I came back from France, I said I thought he was one of the best-looking stallions I'd seen. He's (Paddington) as good-looking as his old man."
Trained throughout his 10-start career by Aidan O'Brien, Paddington rose to superstar status as a 3-year-old when he streaked to four straight group 1 victories with 68 days. He defeated his own age group in the 2023 Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1), followed by a score over English Two Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Chaldean in the stallion-making St James's Palace Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot. Next, tackling older rivals in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes (G1), the colt bested group 1 winners Emily Upjohn and Dubai Honour before beating his elders once more in Goodwood's Sussex Stakes (G1).
🐻 Happy retirement, Paddington
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 27, 2023
🏇 10 runs
🥇 Seven wins
🏆 G1 Sussex Stakes
🏆 G1 Coral-Eclipse
🏆 G1 St James's Palace Stakes
🏆 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas
💷 £1,750,280 in prize money pic.twitter.com/OH8MnIqQ2q
At the conclusion of his racing career, Paddington retired to stand at Coolmore's base in Ireland, where he is covering his first book of mares for €55,000 (US$59,767).
Schick was confident the NZ$35,000 covering fee he would command in New Zealand would ensure the colt's popularity with breeders throughout the country.
"He's unbelievable value," he said. "I think the one thing about getting these horses over is that we've always been able to get good numbers to the Coolmore stallions. They're great to deal with, they want to see the profit at the backend when they're proven.
"We're very fortunate to be able to stand him at that fee, and he's going to be well sought after at that fee. I can't imagine that we'll be advertising for a long time. He'll be choc-a-bloc pretty quickly."
Paddington will take up stud duties in New Zealand alongside two former O'Brien-trained horses, Circus Maximus and Armory.
"I only ever stand stallions I want to stand, and he was on my list for a very long time," Schick said.
"I spoke to Tom (Magnier) multiple times and I think they were pretty keen for him to go to Australia, but in the end I managed to secure him down here. I know Tom and his family will support him in New Zealand.
"The great thing about Coolmore is that they come and buy them when they're yearlings. If you breed to them, you know that they're one of the farms that will come and buy the progeny of their stallions. They always back their stallions."
