Xaar's going far

Whilst Xaar's first Japan-bred crop are not due to hit the track until 2011, he is well-established as a sire with the ability to produce top-class performers year after year and 2009 has been no exception. Xaar has recorded no fewer than 64 winners this year, headed up by exciting colt Xtension, who took the G2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood in impressive style in July.

Trained by Clive Cox, Xtension wasted little time in demonstrating his promise when winning by four lengths on his racecourse debut in late May. He followed this victory up with a creditable second behind subsequent G1 winner in the G2 Coventry Stakes at Ascot’s Royal meeting but returned to winning ways the following month when sweeping from the rear of the field to take the prestigious Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

Rounding off his year with a close-up third in the G1 Dewhurst Stakes, putting up a game performance which earned him quotes of around 20-1 for the 2,000 Guineas, he will now be aimed at next year’s Classics.

Bred by Paul McCartan, Xtension is out of the Stakes-placed Grand Lodge mare Great Joy and is closely related to Cadeaux Genereux’s talented juvenile Wathab. He is also from the family of G1 winner Stephen Got Even.

Xtension is one of four Black type performers for Xaar in 2009, with Balthazaar’s Gift also winning at G2 level when landing this year’s Hungerford Stakes.

Xaar has now sired 23 individual Stakes winners in the northern hemisphere and no fewer than 74 juvenile winners from his first four crops.