Classic Winner And Sire Indian Haven Dies At 23

Classic winner Indian Haven (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), a winner of the 2003 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, died peacefully in his paddock at Chapel Stud on Tuesday. The son of G2 Prix de Royallieu and G2 Park Hill S. heroine Madame Dubois (GB) (Legend Of France) was 23.

Bred by Cliveden Stud, the chestnut was a 62,000gns Tattersalls October yearling, and later brought 95,000gns at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale in 2002. Trained by Paul D'Arcy, he was ridden by John Egan for racing owners Peter Gleeson, Julian Smith, and Loz Conway. A first-out juvenile winner at Yarmouth in July of 2002, Indian Haven won the Listed Victor Chandler European Free H. in the spring of his 3-year-old year and landed the Irish 2000 Guineas by a length that May.

Retired to the Irish National Stud in 2005 with three wins from 12 starts and over $300,000 in earnings, he moved to the Bond family's Withyslade Stud in Wiltshire in 2012. Suzi Prichard-Jones leased the stallion from David Bond beginning in 2021 and accordingly he moved to Chapel Stud that year. His 2023 fee was £1,500. Overall, he sired several stakes winners led by group winners Ashram (Ire) and Aspen Darlin (Ire).

Roisin Close, owner and manager of Chapel Stud, said of the late representative of the increasingly rare Byerley Turk line, “It's been an honour to stand Indian Haven on behalf of Suzi Prichard-Jones. He was a pleasure to deal with, and got every mare in-foal during the three seasons he stood with us. He will be greatly missed by us all at Chapel Stud.

“Mostly it is a huge loss to the Thoroughbred racehorse, with another thread in an already diminishing line now gone.”

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Chapel Stud Close at Heart

Nestled near the Malvern Hills in the west of England is Chapel Stud, a 70-acre stud farm owned and managed by Roisin Close. As well as offering services from boarding, sales preparation to breaking and pre-training the stud now boasts a dual-purpose stallion roster with new recruits Walzertakt (Ger) and Bangkok (Ire) joining the stud's three existing and established stallions, Planteur (Ire), Indian Haven (GB) and Hellvelyn (GB). Close formerly owned Bucklands Farm and Stud but when the business outgrew the facilities at that farm a move was needed.

“Chapel Stud is actually an extension, or a following on from Bucklands Farm,” said Close. “We outgrew the farm, so we needed to find a new premises. We found a farm about half an hour north of where Bucklands was and over the last three years we've slowly been putting in all the relevant needs for horses. I have all sorts of plans going forward but at the moment it is serving every purpose that we need it to serve.”

Prior to owning her own stud, Close gained experience across the world with time spent at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky and a 13-year stint at Tweenhills Stud. Along the way she has gained valuable friendships and appreciates the amount of support she has had throughout her career and with setting up her enterprise.

“I'm so lucky that along the way everyone has supported me and backed me and allowed me to get where I am,” said Close. “That includes people I've worked for, people I've worked alongside, my family, my friends, they have all allowed me to get where I am.”

Having previously owned stallions outright Close knows the financial and physical demands that are required to make a horse successful. Three of the stallions, Planteur, Bangkok and Walzertakt, calling Chapel Stud home are owned by Simon Davies and for Close having a team member like Davies is not lost on her.

“With the sprint stallions that I stood beforehand everything was always on a budget,” Close said. “Simon has really gone in in a big way, from advertising to promotions and or sponsorship. It's been really lovely to deal with someone that has that same kind of passion and really wants to make a success of things.”

Spearheading the stallion roster is Planteur, a horse who started his stud career with Al Shaqab and was purchased by Davies in 2020. Trueshan (Fr) is the stallion's classiest offspring and has become a staying star for trainer Alan King.  Aside from that multiple group winner, Planteur is also the sire of G2 winner Road To Arc (Fr) and is operating just shy of 58% winners to runners.

Davies has added National Hunt stallion Walzertakt to his bloodstock portfolio at Chapel Stud having purchased him from Haras de la Croix Sonnet. The German-bred Group 2 winner is bred along similar lines to Camelot (Ire), being by Montjeu (Ire) out of the Kingmambo (USA) mare Walzerkoenigin (USA) and has yet to be tested with his eldest progeny only being four.

Coming in as a dual-purpose stallion is Bangkok who is standing his first season at stud this year having previously been quite a talking-horse for King Power Racing.

“He's a very attractive, quality son of Australia (GB) out of a blue hen mare, Tanaghum (GB),” said Close of the bay horse. “He's a half-brother to Group 1 winner Matterhorn (Ire) and his half-sister Mujarah (Ire) is the dam of Ribchester (Ire). Actually, all of Simon's stallions have looks and temperament as well as an excellent pedigree.”

The six-time winner has run over seven furlongs to a mile and a quarter and raced from the age of two to five with international trips under his belt too.

“Andrew Balding, who trained him, said 'he was a tough, sound and consistent horse with a stallion's pedigree,' ” Close remarked. “He's absolutely the type of horse that people should be embracing to breed racehorses. He should be able to breed you a top-quality horse across the board.”

With a bonus scheme available to those breeders who breed his first 2-year-old winner and his first black-type 2-year-old winner it is no wonder that Close is bullish about the type of horse she envisions Bangkok could sire stating that he is a horse who offers “toughness and soundness.”

While new stallions bring excitement to any stud farm, Close has a sparkle in her eye talking about her boys new and old with Hellvelyn getting a special mention. With something on offer for everyone, Chapel Stud could continue to grow in stature much like the hills that surround its pastures.

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Trainer Paul D’Arcy to Retire on Jan. 27

Paul D'Arcy, who trained Indian Haven (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) to win the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas in 2003, will saddle his final runner at Kempton on Wednesday. The soon-to-be 65-year-old will leg up John Egan on Knight of Kings (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) in the first race, a seven-furlong maiden over the all-weather. Egan was also aboard Indian Haven for his Classic score. A jockey prior to turning his hand to training, D'Arcy began training in 1993.

“I've no regrets, I turn 65 in February and always planned to step away then,” said D'Arcy. “The licence comes up for renewal on Feb. 1, so I don't see any point in renewing it for two weeks. We've been winding down for a while so we're down to five horses now. Those will now be going to John Butler, but I'll still be involved in a small way.”

Knight of Kings will be making his second start at Kempton after an eighth on debut at Wolverhampton on Dec. 27.

“There's no significance in me booking John for the last one, he rode that horse last time,” D'Arcy added. “Indian Haven was a very talented horse, he won the European Free Handicap and the Irish Guineas, but I still think he should have won the English Guineas.

“He was drawn on the fence at Newmarket when they decided to put the stalls against the rail. He just had nowhere to go. We never saw the best of him, he had a cecal dysfunction [form of colic] which was why he retired.

“We also had Edinburgh Knight (Ire) (Selkirk) who won the apprentice handicap on Champions Day, he was very talented, and of course there was Spring Loaded (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) who was very good on his day. There's been lots of highlights.

“As we never had that many horses we got to know the horses personally, I can look back with pride. Whether we'll leave with a winner I don't know, It would be a dream if he did, but dreams don't tend to come true–I'm a realist. But racing is about dreams.”

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