Arrowfield Stud’s John Messara is weighing options regarding whether, or
where, Saturday’s Group 1 Dubai World Cup star Animal Kingdom will race again,
according to a report on
racingandsports.com.au.
The Royal Ascot meeting in June remains under discussion for the Graham
Motion charge, who still sports the colors of co-owner Team Valor International.
“We will meet tomorrow (Monday) in the cold light of day and see what the
logistics are,” Messara told Sky Sports Radio.
“They are pushing me very hard to take him to England to run at Royal Ascot.
“I’ll talk to the trainer and see if he can handle it. He’s based in America,
so it’s not easy.”
Messara reportedly dropped a hint that Animal Kingdom could run in Australia
later this year instead of retiring promptly to stud. It has been expected that
the five-year-old son of Leroidesanimaux would enter stud at Arrowfield ahead of
the Southern Hemisphere breeding season, which starts in September.
Messara also commented on why the Australian anthem, “Advance Australia
Fair,” was played following Animal Kingdom’s dominant victory in the World Cup,
rather than the American “Star-Spangled Banner.”
“The Australian national anthem was controversial because everyone said,
‘What are you doing, this is an American horse.’ I said, ‘I bought the horse and
I’m playing my anthem,'” Messara recounted.
The Arrowfield supremo last December had purchased a majority interest in the
breeding rights to Animal Kingdom, the 2011 Kentucky Derby winner and champion
three-year-old colt.
On Saturday, Animal Kingdom became only the second horse to win both
America’s iconic race and the world’s richest race. The first was Hall of Famer
Silver Charm, who landed the 1997 Derby and 1998 World Cup.
Silver Charm’s trainer,
Bob Baffert,
tweeted his response to the historic occasion.
“Animal Kingdom is a great horse to win Ky Derby and World Cup. Wow race,”
Baffert said.
“Great training job,” he added in a tip of the cap to Motion.
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