Portland Pirate: Belonged to Victorian Stallion Partnership from late 1999 until his death in October 2005. He stood at Eldon Park at Tyabb from 2000 onwards, serving five seasons at stud before his loss. Unfortunately he was unable to serve any mares in the 2005 stud season so his last crop are foaled in 2005. Portland Pirate was a bay horse foaled in 1995 by Zabeel, from the brilliant race filly Spirit Of Kingston by Bletchingly.

Bred and raced by the Hains family’s Kingston Park Stud, and trained by Lee Freedman, Portland Pirate emulated his famous sire Zabeel by winning a 1400m 2YO race at Flemington. In doing so Portland Pirate became one of a very select group of Zabeel’s sons who have been able to win at 2 years. This group includes the champion geldings Might and Power and Dignity Dancer. However Portland Pirate joins OCTAGONAL & SAVABEEL as the only colts by Zabeel capable of winning a 2YO city race in Australia. Portland Pirate scored his 2YO victory at his second race start, following an unlucky 3rd on debut over 1200m at Sandown after badly missing the start.

Sireline:
ZABEEL – A Group One winning son of Champion sire Sir Tristram, Zabeel has become a stallion legend in his own right. He is sire (to Dec ’05) of 840 runners; 603 winners; 95 stakes winners; 33 Group One winners; progeny earnings of $98.5 million. His career highlights include Champion Australian Stallion twice, Champion NZ sire (combined Aus/NZ earnings) ten times. In 1999 Zabeel became the first sire ever to produce progeny earnings over $10,000,000 in a single season.

Other achievements include siring the Australian Horse of the Year on three occasions (Octagonal, & Might and Power x 2) & winning the prestigious NZ Dewar Trophy Award on four occasions. Zabeel’s dominance of Australia’s feature staying races has culminated in a quinella in the ’98 Melbourne Cup (Jezabeel & Champagne), and the trifecta in the ’99 Caulfield Cup (Sky Heights, Laebeel, & Inaflury). More recently his progeny quinelled the prestigious QEII Cup in Hong Kong, with Vengeance of Rain defeating Greys Inn.

Zabeel’s supremacy as a sire resulted in an unprecedented demand for his progeny at the yearling sales - a record NZ$3.6 million was paid for a Zabeel colt at the 2000 sales; this colt who raced as Don Eduardo became Zabeel’s 20th Group One winner when triumphant in the 2002 AJC Derby. Zabeel’s outstanding son Reset has recently been sold for some $20million as a stallion prospect.

Damline:
SPIRIT OF KINGSTON by BLETCHINGLY.

Spirit Of Kingston was an outstanding race filly. A top class 2YO Spirit Of Kingston won the Black Opal Stakes, and placed in the AJC Sires & a Blue Diamond Prelude. An outstanding 3YO spring campaign culminated in victory in the VRC Oaks. This courageous filly embarked on an ambitious Autumn 3YO campaign which saw her defeat Australia’s best colts in both the Rosehill Guineas & Canterbury Guineas. Her courage, versatility & toughness saw her campaign successfully across 3 states, winning or placing in virtually every classic and finishing as the very deserving Top Filly on the Australasian 3YO Classification of 1984-85.

Spirit Of Kingston’s success story has not ended there, being one of the rare high class race fillies to become a successful broodmare - her son Portland Player winning the VRC Derby, grand son Coup De Grace winning the VRC Sires Produce, & grand daughter Coupe a high class 2 & 3 YO Group performer.

Spirit Of Kingston is a half sister to the great Rose Of Kingston, conqueror of the colts in the AJC Derby & Australian Horse Of The Year in 1982. Rose Of Kingston has also managed to pass on her ability at stud, producing the Melbourne Cup winner Kingston Rule, Group winner Rose Of Portland & grand-dam of former smart 2YO Queen.

Spirit of Kingston was by the great stallion BLETCHINGLY - a grand son of the phenomenal Star Kingdom. Bletchingly was Champion Juvenile Sire, & Champion Sire three times. He produced 63 stakes winners of $29 million. He is consistently among the leading Australian Broodmare Sires and is brood mare sire of 82 stakes winners ($67million) incl Stella Cadente, Bonanova, Charge Forward, Saleous, Clay Hero, Crown Glory, Kenwood Melody, Al Mansour etc.

Stud career:

Although prematurely ended Portland Pirate’s story will not end here, as he has five full crops to race for him. His first crop (4YO’s of 05-06) include the brilliant Oceano who won her first seven starts before an unlucky 2nd in the Tasmanian Oaks-LR, also stakes placed Portland Prophet plus several city performers. His second crop includes the smart Pirate Island, a debut city winner prior to an unlucky 4th at stakes level on Caulfield Cup day 2005, and the promising Capesterre who also campaigned at Group level during the Spring carnival.