Mongolian Khan has proven himself to be one of New Zealand’s most successful exports when it comes to racehorses in the past year. He has won numerous races, flying the New Zealand thoroughbred flag high.
The colt was in fact bred in Australia, but came over to New Zealand to be trained by Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman as a weanling. He was prepared for the Karaka yearling sales where he was sold for $140 000. He was originally brought over by Courtney Howells of Ainsley Downs Stud, which is in Waikato, New Zealand, due to the success of his half brother, Young Centaur.
Taking on the Mighty
Mongolian Khan has taken on the mighty horses from most continents. He has won race after race, including Group Ones such as the Australian Derby, which he wrestled from the grasp of Japanese horse Hauraki and his archrival Volkstok’n’barrell. In doing so he became the first horse to win the New Zealand Derby and Australian Derby double since Bonecrusher.
His four year old season saw him again taking on international horses in group one races including the Caulfield Cup, which he won over Trip to Paris and Our Ivanhow which were both imports. His final races as a four year old were slightly more disappointing, but it did mean that he was retired to stud to carry on producing New Zealand thoroughbreds to take on the world stage.
2015 and 2016 Horse Of The Year
Mongolian Khan has been rated horse of the year two years running in New Zealand. In 2015 he was up against Benzimi and Jimmy Mac. In 2016 he won again against the likes of Sacred Elixir and Xtravagant. Last year Mongolian Kahn’s trainers, Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman won trainer of the year due to the amount of earnings that their stakes winners accrued, thanks in no short part to Mongolian Khan.
The awards were announced at Langham Hotel in Auckland with a lavish dinner, which of course Mongolian Khan himself did not get to attend. He was accorded a high Timeform Rating of 126, only being beaten by the outstanding racemare Winx who achieved a higher rating in the 2016 4 year old category.
New Zealand Stud
Mongolian Khan will stand at stud at the Winsor Park Stud Farm in New Zealand. He follows in the footsteps of other high-class stallions such as Star Way, Kaapstad, Volksraad, Montjeu, Thorn Park and High Chaparral.
With his grand sire being Danehill, and his own sire being the incredible Holy Roman Emperor, Mongolian Khan will be a top class New Zealand sire, who will most likely be put to only the best broodmares to produce foals, which in turn should be blisteringly fast.
Many sires have however proven themselves on the track, and not lived up to the hype as a producer of winners. Mongolian Khan’s pedigree suggests however that that will definitely not be the case with him and he could well win the esteemed accolade of racehorse of the year for a third time if he keeps up at the same rate as before; ensuring that many punters visiting horse racing betting sites came away smiling from ear to ear.