Australian stakes-winning stallion Counterattack moves to Iran

Dr Hamid Khalili has announced that he has purchased former German-based stallion Counterattack. The now 13-year-old was trained in Australia by Chris Waller to land three stakes races – including the Group 3 Fred Best Classic at Doomben – while also hitting the frame in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, Doomben 10,000 and the Kingsford-Smith Cup (Gr 1, 1300m). Counterattack will now be based in Iran.

"We are delighted to announce that we have purchased the stallion Counterattack, and he has just moved to Iran," Khalili, who is a senior lecturer at the Manchester School of Architecture and a trustee for the National Horse Racing Museum in Newmarket, said.

"My brother, who will also manage him, and I acquired him primarily to support our own and our close friends' limited bloodstock, though he will also be made available to selected mares owned by breeders.

"For a long time, we had been actively looking for a suitable sprinter stallion from a fresh bloodline – one with scope, size, and enough stamina to complement speed – but nothing really ticked all the boxes until we found Counterattack. He does. On pedigree, he is blue-chip: bred on the same cross as Snitzel, by Redoute’s Choice, Danehill’s best son and a proven breed-shaper, and a half-brother to two Group 1 winners."

Counterattack has spent most of his stud career at Gestut Karlshof and his progeny have caught Khalili's eye.

"On the track, he was rock-solid and consistently competitive at Group 1 level, notably finishing second to Redzel with an unlucky run in the G1 Doomben 10,000," he said. "Most importantly, he is already proving himself as a sire with an exceptionally high winners-to-runners rate both in Australia and Europe.

"His first European crops include a Classic winner, See Hector, as well as several other black-type performers. What makes this more impressive is that he achieved this in Germany without access to the kind of large mare pools that stallions typically receive in Ireland or the UK. And he is still popular in the sales ring: at the September 2025 BBAG Yearling Sale, Joseph O’Brien and Kevin Blake purchased a Counterattack colt for €55,000. This reflects the quality and strike-rate he generates from relatively small crops – he’s punching well above his weight.

"We have owned stallions before, such as Hot Streak, Red Jazz, and Captain Gerrard, but we strongly believe Counterattack is on a different level. We feel extremely fortunate to have secured him."

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