Group 1 winner Mare Australis retired to stand at Haras de la Hetraie

Gestut Schlenderhan's Prix Ganay winner Mare Australis has been retired from racing and will take up stallion duties at Haras de la Hetraie in Normandy for the 2023 breeding season.

One of five individual Group or Grade 1 winners for Australia, Mare Australis won four of his 11 starts with another of his other career highlights coming in this year's Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly.

A winner in Munich on his sole start at two for Jean-Pierre Carvalho in late 2019, he switched to Andre Fabre's stable the following spring and won on his second start in Listed company before a close second in the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris at Longchamp that October.

Returning the following April with a second to Skalleti in the Group 2 Prix d'Harcourt, Mare Australis defeated a Prix Ganay field back at Longchamp that included subsequent Caulfield Cup second Gold Trip, dual Group 1 winner Mogul and Dubai World Cup third Magny Cours.

Bred by the Von Ullmann family, the five-year-old is out of the Listed-placed Rainbow Quest mare Miramare, a half-sister to Group 2 Prix de Pomone winner and Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak second Macleya and Group 3 Prix de Barbeville scorer Montclair.

In a deal brokered by Richard Venn and Tina Rau, the chestnut will join another previous winner of the Ganay in Pastorius, a son of Soldier Hollow who sired his first top-level winner on the Flat this year with Beverly D. Stakes scorer Dalika.

The 2012 Deutsches Derby winner has also made a fine start with his jumps runners, operating at a 47 per cent winners to runner strike-rate in Europe, those including Listed Prix Finot Hurdle scorer Zenta and Listed Prix Roger Saint Chase winner Campinas.

His other leading Flat runners include Group 3 Grand Prix de Vichy winner Riocorvo and Group 3 Grosser Preis der Wirtschaf victor Parol.

Pascal Noue of Haras de la Hetraie said: "He's got everything physically. Group 1 winners over 2100/2400 meters have done well as the sire of jumpers and we are particularly happy to welcome such a quality new stallion.

"He's also a winner of the Prix Ganay, like Pastorius who has had plenty of successs on both the Flat and over obstacles this year with the likes of Dalika, Parol, Riocorvo, Josubie, Alycone Rouge and Zenta."

Mare Australis joins a roster that also includes Kapgarde, Great Pretender, Gris De Gris, Bathyrhon, Nirvana Du Berlais, Born To Sea, Roman Candle and For Fun.

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