Firebreak - Press Release
FIREBREAK, winner of the 2004 Group 1 Hong Kong Mile for Godolphin, has been retired to Bearstone Stud in Shropshire. The son of Charnwood Forest began his career with Ian Balding and won four of his six starts at 2, including the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes Gr.2 and Prix de Cabourg Gr.3, as well as finishing a neck second in the Coventry Stakes Gr.3 and fourth in the Prix Morny Gr.1.
At the end of the season he was sold to Godolphin for 525,000 gns at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale. Transferred to Saeed bin Suroor, he began his 3YO career with a close second in the UAE 2000 Guineas Gr.3 in Dubai and returned to Europe to win the Charlton Hunt Supreme Stakes Gr.3. The following two seasons saw him record back-to-back victories in the Godolphin Mile Gr.2 in Dubai, before returning to Europe again to win the Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes Gr.2 and ending his career at Sha Tin in December, where he defeated an international field in the Hong Kong Mile Gr.1.
FIREBREAK is the best horse sired by Charnwood Forest and is out of the Song mare Breakaway, a three time winner and stakes placed 2YO. Charnwood Forest himself was by Warning, who has already been represented by several high class stallions notably Group 1 sires Piccolo and Averti, and the Darley-owned Diktat.
Terry Holdcroft, owner of Bearstone Stud, commented “We are excited to stand FIREBREAK at Bearstone. He is our kind of stallion, winning from 5 furlongs to 1 mile and Group races from 2 to 5 years. He is a tough, genuine, high-class performer owned by Darley, and we are honoured that they have decided to stand such a high-class first season stallion with us.”