Waldgeist Retires To Ballylinch Stud

[Wandering Eyes]

G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}-Waldlerche {GB}, by Monsun {Ger}) will begin his stud career in 2020 at Ballylinch Stud for a fee of €17,500. He will stand alongside Lope de Vega (Ire), who also raced in the colours of Gestut Ammerland.

Trained by Andre Fabre and campaigned at the peak of his career by co-breeders Gestut Ammerland and Newsells Park Stud, Waldgeist won two of his three starts at two including the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud. Though winless at three, he was second in three of his five starts, all in pattern company, including the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, and he bounced back last year at four to win the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly, G2 Prix Foy and G3 Prix d’Hedouville. Waldgeist kicked off his 5-year-old campaign this year with a victory in the G1 Prix Ganay, and after thirds in the G1 Prince of Wales’s S. and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., he defended his Prix Foy title before defeating Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in a historic Arc.

Waldgeist is out of the accomplished young producer Waldlerche (GB) (Monsun {Ger}), who is a half-sister to the G1 St Leger winner Masked Marvel (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and has also left the Group 2-winning Waldlied (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). His third dam is the G2 Deutsches St Leger winner Wurftaube (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}).

Waldgeist’s trainer Andre Fabre said, “Waldgeist was a pleasure to train. He showed me early that he was very good, he won a Group 1 at two, and progressed all the way to win the Prix de l’Arc. He had a fantastic attitude to training and racing, acted on any ground, and had a great turn of foot. He was very sound both mentally and physically and I am confident that he has everything it takes to make a top stallion.”

Ballylinch Stud Managing Director John O’Connor said, “The team at Ballylinch are delighted to welcome Waldgeist here to join Lope de Vega. We look forward to working with Dietrich von Botticher and Newsells Park to help develop Waldgeist into another top-class sire. As with all new Ballylinch stallions, we intend to syndicate a number of shares to leading breeders.”

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