‘This Is The Start Of It All For Us’: Yulong’s Paul Curran Lauds Gewan’s Dewhurst Win

[Wandering Eyes]

Night Of Thunder colt Gewan ignited another Classic dream for his owner Yuesheng Zhang, who has already won the Irish Oaks with Magical Lagoon (Galileo) and came close to 2,000 Guineas glory with Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega), who is now a stallion under his dual-hemisphere Yulong operation.

Zhang already has a significant racing and breeding operation in Australia, where his runners include the multiple Group 1 winner Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock) – bought from Tattersalls for 2.7 million gns two years ago – and where he has an 11-strong stallion roster. The owner-breeder is now increasing his focus on Britain, according to his racing and bloodstock manager Paul Curran.

“We have about 70 horses in training at the moment between UK, Ireland and France. We've put a lot of onus on the UK now in the last couple of years,” Curran said.

Earlier this year it was announced that the stallions Shaquille and Soldier's Call, based at Steve Parkin's Dullingham Park Stud, had been bought by Yulong Investments. The farm, recently rechristened Ace Stud, is now owned by Zhang's son-in-law Harrison Li, who was present at Newmarket to collect Gewan's Darley Dewhurst trophy.

Thoughts have already turned to the grey colt potentially joining the Ace Stud roster but not before he attempts to emulate his trainer Andrew Balding's first Dewhurst winner, Chaldean (Frankel), who went on to win the 2,000 Guineas. 

Curran continued, “It's a pleasure to have a horse like this and to have a horse that could be something special next year. Even to be able to mention something like the Guineas next year. It's phenomenal.”

He continued, “Andrew's saying he reminds him quite a lot of Chaldean. Before we bought the horse, we were down with Andrew and he said he just reminds him exactly of how he was.

“This is the start of it all for us. This is a phenomenal horse. Mr Zhang's a happy man, I can tell you that. I can't put into words how happy we are. We bought Ace Stud – Dullingham Park Stud as it was – and it's a very beautiful spot.”

He added of the Yulong founder, who is currently in his native China, “I'm delighted for Mr Zhang, who has put so much into racing. He's a phenomenal man and he's done so much for the game. I'm delighted that we can give back to him with a Group 1 winner. It's something else. 

“We're obviously starting up a breeding operation outside Newmarket, so we want to have good colts. He looks like he might just be a good chance for us.”

Gewan's sire Night Of Thunder increased his lead at the head of the British and Irish sires' championship with two Group winners at Newmarket on Saturday, the other being Sheikh Mohammed Obaid's G3 Autumn Stakes winner Hankelow. 

 

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