Ajaya follows in sire's footsteps with shuttle season at Chatswood

Ajaya, a Gimcrack Stakes-winning son of Invincible Spirit, is to shuttle to Chatswood Stud in Victoria, Australia for the upcoming southern hemisphere breeding season.

He will be following in the footsteps of his own sire, who stood four seasons at Chatswood from 2003, from where he sired his most decorated southern hemisphere son I Am Invincible, whose success at stud has seen the popularity of Invincible Spirit’s stock soar.

Trained by William Haggas for owner-breeders Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar, Ajaya won two of his eight starts, most notably the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York, where he defeated subsequent Group 1 winner Ribchester. He also finished a close second in the 2015 Prix Robert Papin and was beaten just three lengths by Shalaa in that season’s Middle Park Stakes.

He is the first foal out of the Hennessy mare Nessina, an unraced half-sister to the dam of Cityscape and Bated Breath, and hails from the family of Xaar and southern hemisphere breed-shaper Redoute’s Choice.

The four-year-old is currently standing his first breeding season at Rathbarry Stud at a fee of €10,000.

Chatswood studmaster Greg Willis said: “Ajaya is the right shuttle stallion to bring to Australia. He loved firm tracks, Redoute’s Choice is in his female family and of course Ajaya will take his place in the same barn that his sire, Invincible Spirit, did when he stood here.

“He’s serving quality mares in his first northern hemisphere season in Ireland where some astute breeder’s have noted his uncanny resemblance to his sire. I couldn’t be more confident he will make it as a sire in Australia - we will be supporting him very well”.

He will be standing alongside fellow Chatswood residents All American, Anacheeva and Reward For Effort, with his fee having been set at A$13,200 (£7,580/€8,960).