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Charge Forward
Red Ransom (USA) - Sydney's Dream, by Bletchingly. Bay 2001 15.3hh
2010 fee: $33,000 inc GST
Overview
ALREADY THE SIRE OF FOUR GROUP WINNERS FROM HIS FIRST 2 CROPS
$33,000
Crowned Champion Australian First Season Sire 2008/09 (by earnings), Charge Forward has remained in the limelight in 2009/10. His daughter HEADWAY (Golden Slipper runner-up and named Champion 2YO Filly in 2008/2009) stepped up quickly as a spring three-year-old, winning the VRC Coolmore Stud S G1. A trio of G3 winners (three-year-old RESPONSE and two-year-olds SOLAR CHARGED & SHRAPNEL) have kept Charge Forward in the front row of Australia's Second Season Sires.
His twenty 2009/10 Australian winners - six of them from his second crop of two-year-olds - also include stakes-placed Carlton Forward and multiple winners Classic Rush and Hidden Charges.
In what appears to be an exceptionally strong group of 2nd Season stallions, Charge Forward is among the top ten young sires with seven-figure season earnings.
Charge Forward took the honours of Leading 2YO colt of his generation with a rating of 110 in the Australia/New Zealand Official Classifications for the 2003-04 Season. This made him the highest weighted 2YO entire since 1997 rating above the likes of Fastnet Rock, Viscount, Choisir and Bel Esprit.
Charge Forward is built in the mould of a typical Australian speed horse. In fact, much of his physical make-up resembles that of his damsire, the brilliant sprinter and three times champion sire Bletchingly. The resemblance extends to their racing ability: both stallions share as their best win the G1 AJC Galaxy over 1100m.
Charge Forward is a product of the two most successful sirelines in Australia before the advent of Danehill, and offers a proven outcross that is widely recognised in the bloodstock market. His sire Red Ransom, like Sir Tristram, is a member of the Turn-To sireline while his damsire Bletchingly is a grandson of Star Kingdom. The Turn-To/Star Kingdom cross has produced many Group 1 winners in Australia including the Golden Slipper winner and leading sire Marauding as well as Group 1 winners Miss Pennymoney, Tristalove, Absolute Champion, Only A Lady etc.
On the Track
THE FASTEST COLT IN GOLDEN SLIPPER HISTORY
Under the guidance of his astute trainer John O’Shea, Charge Forward took the honours of leading 2YO colt of his generation with a rating of a 110 in the Australia/New Zealand Official Classifications for the 2003-04 Season. This made him the highest weighted 2YO entire since 1997 rating above the likes of Fastnet Rock, Viscount, Choisir and Bel Esprit.
Charge Forward achieved his rating by winning the Breeders' Plate L, where he defeated the record-breaking champion, Dance Hero, the Todman Slipper Trial G2 and finishing a short-neck second to Dance Hero in the race record time of 1:08.60 in the Golden Slipper Stakes G1. In fact, Charge Forward himself broke the previous race record making him the fastest colt in Golden Slipper history.
GROUP 1 WINNER AS A 3YO
As a 3YO, Charge Forward displayed class and brilliance through his spring and autumn campaigns. In the spring he boasted a win over Fastnet Rock, Dance Hero and Savabeel in the San Domenico Stakes G2. He closed his racing career in the autumn with a great win over the older horses in the time honoured AJC The Galaxy G1 – a race also won by the outstanding stallions Snippets, Luskin Star and Bletchingly.
In the Ring
Charge Forward retired to stud in 2005. His first crop yearlings were eagerly sought by buyers in 2008, selling to $450,000 and averaging $101,351 at the Australasian Majors (41 sold).
His second crop yearlings were equally popular in the ring, and delighted vendors with an average of $191,000 at the Magic Millions and $216,250 at Easter.
With the G1 spring success of HEADWAY and a slew of talented gallopers such as SHRAPNEL and SOLAR CHARGED in support, it was no surprise to see breeders well rewarded in the sales ring in 2010 as well.
15 yearlings sold at January's Magic Millions, averaging A$174,643 with a top price of A$500,000, and two yearlings fetched NZ$110,000 and NZ$200,000 at Karaka. At the Melbourne Premier Sale yearlings by Charge Forward sold to $100,000, and then averaged $190,000 at April's Easter Sale in Sydney.