ALL IN THE BREEDING
Champion racehorse Sea The Stars will breed with fellow Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Zarkava at "the earliest possible opportunity".
The 2009 Arc champion Sea The Stars is set to generate annual fees of £10m from his breeding career at the Aga Khan's Gilltown Stud in County Kildare.
And the Aga Khan, who owns 2008 winner Zarkava, will send his unbeaten filly to the Derby-winning colt.
"I believe the last two Arc winners were made for each other," he said.
He believes the pair are similar in ability, temperament and conformation.
"The best needs to be bred to the best," he said.
To coin a showbusiness analogy, they are the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie of the equine world.
The match-up will send vibrations around the global bloodstock community, with high expectations for the pair's blueblood offspring.
One bookmaker has already offered odds of 33-1 that a son or daughter goes on to win the Arc at Longchamp in France.
Sea The Stars, a son of Cape Cross, will stand at stud for a fee of 85,000 euros (about £80,000).
This is the charge that will be paid every time an owner sends a mare to be covered by him.
With a book of 120 mares in his first year, the horse is expected to bring in about £10m in stud fees annually.
Owners the Tsui family had been considering various options for Sea The Stars after he was officially retired a fortnight ago.
Sea The Stars was hailed an all-time great after six Group One wins including a unique treble of the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
606: DEBATE" What would you name their offspring - Seize the Arc? "
Gilltown is close to the Curragh base of the three-year-old colt's Irish trainer John Oxx.
"His Highness came over in late summer and had a look at him while he was visiting," said the trainer.
"I think he was always going to stand in Ireland, and he'll get supported with some great mares there."
Ling Tsui, mother of Christopher Tsui in whose colours he raced, said "Gilltown is an ideal stud for Sea The Stars to thrive and develop as a stallion.
"There is no more appropriate place for him to stand than in his homeland and close to Currabeg where he was trained by John Oxx."
The Aga Khan said the decision to use his stud brought him "the greatest happiness".
"We are all proud to have such a remarkable athlete," he said.
"Mrs Tsui and Christopher's decision is certainly one of the most important developments for my operation since I inherited it in 1960.
"I am also most pleased that Mrs Tsui and Christopher will be developing their own breeding operation with the help of their magnificent horse, Sea The Stars.
"This horse could also help develop relations to bring Chinese investment into the European bloodstock market."
He added: "I look forward to the earliest opportunity to send my unbeaten champion Zarkava to Sea The Stars. "
Watch - Sea The Stars win the Arc (2009)
Watch - Zarkava win the Arc (2008)
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