Jukebox Jury to relocate from Gestut Etzean to Burgage Stud

Jukebox Jury - who dead-heated with Duncan for the 2011 Irish St Leger - has been relocated from Gestut Etzean in Germany, where he stood the past five seasons, to Victor Connolly's Burgage Stud in County Carlow. His fee for 2018 will be confirmed at a later date.

"A St Leger winner and a winner of seven Group races by Montjeu from a very good family means there is a lot to like about Jukebox Jury," said Connolly.

"Montjeu has already made a massive impact on the National Hunt scene siring Hurricane Fly, Authorized and Walk In The Park to name but a few and we expect Jukebox Jury to add to that list."

Jukebox Jury's oldest crop will turn four in January, and his runners have included the Italian Grade 1-placed hurdler Stuke and Jukebox Jive, who won comfortably on his hurdling bow at Fontwell in November.

On the Flat, Jukebox Jury has sired Italian Group 3 winner Wiesenbach and the Listed-placed Vive Marie and Felix.

Bred by bloodstock agent Paul Nataf, Jukebox Jury is one of ten winners - five of whom struck at stakes level - from 15 foals out of Mare Aux Fees, a winning daughter of Kenmare, out of a half-sister to the 1979 Grand Prix de Paris scorer and St Leger runner-up Soleil Noir.

One of Jukebox Jury's siblings, Belle Allure, hit the headlines in Japan this year as the dam of Victoria Mile heroine Admire Lead, while his half-brother, the admirable Flat performer Hurricane Higgins, was second in the Lingfield Derby Trial in 2011.

Watch the 2011 Irish St Leger when Jukebox Jury and Duncan dead-heated for first

Jukebox Jury, now an 11-year-old, was a €270,000 Arqana yearling purchase for his trainer Mark Johnston and raced in the colours of Alan Spence.

The son of Montjeu won on nine of his 22 starts - including seven times in Group company - and made a winning juvenile debut over 7f at Glorious Goodwood before landing the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes and finishing second in the Racing Post Trophy.

Gradually stepped up in trip as a three-year-old, Jukebox Jury won the Grand Prix de Deauville and Preis von Europa - his first success at elite level. He was a near four-length winner of the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket at four and, as a five-year-old, took in the Prix Kergorlay before dead-heating for the Irish St Leger.

Montjeu's influence

Sons of Montjeu have certainly made their mark on the jumps sphere with this year's Cheltenham Festival a case in point.

Montmartre got the week off to a flying start with Labaik winning the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, while Authorized supplied a brace of winners in Nichols Canyon and Tiger Roll. Scorpion, meanwhile, was responsible for the wayward RSA Chase winner Might Bite.

"He reminds us of his predecessor Bob Back and his current stud companion Shantou in that he is a top racehorse with the pedigree to be a top jumps sire and, like them, he has already proven that he can sire Group winners on the Flat and has shown great promise with his young hurdlers," added Connolly.

"His sire Montjeu is an outstanding sire of National Hunt stallions and with his looks, temperament and soundness he looks certain to make a big impact on the National Hunt industry. He will be supported by many of the same shareholders that launched Bob Back and Shantou and we are delighted with the reception he is receiving from breeders."

Download our special 16-page guide to the new US sires for 2018, headed by Arrogate, Classic Empire and Gun Runner