Widely-travelled stallion Winning Rupert has died at Westbury Park following a severe bout of colic on Thursday.
Westbury Park owner Phil Ibbotson, who stood Winning Rupert (Written Tycoon) on behalf of leading Perth trainer Luke Fernie, said surgery failed to save the 12-year-old stallion. He passed away just a day after Westbury paraded its incoming Written Tycoon-line sire Straight Charge (Written By) at Pinjarra.
Winning Rupert had only arrived at Westbury Park in May following the closure Geisel Park. He had covered two books at the Myalup stud after transferring west following stints at Grandview Stud in Queensland and Newgate Farm in the Hunter Valley where he covered an initial book of 147 mares in 2017.
A stunning liver chestnut, Winning Rupert was bred at Wicklow Lodge in Queensland and won the G2 Champaign Classic (1200m) at Doomben and the G3 Vo Rogue Plate (1300m) in record time at Eagle Farm. His career was curtailed after just six starts for Bjorn Baker who rated him the fastest horse he had ever trained!
Winning Rupert already had a profile in the west before crossing the Nullabor through the Simon Miller-trained It’sarayday (LR Fairetha Stakes) and stablemate Madhi Girl (LR Summer Scorcher).
The best of his progeny have been Iowna Merc (G2 ATC Ajax Stakes), Seonee (G2 SAJC Queen Of The South Stakes), Semana (G3 ATC Triscay Stakes) and Tintookie (G3 ATC Wenona Girl Hcp).
The latest black-type winner arrived last month when his 2yo gelding Cool Gent scored a last-to-first victory the LR BRC Oxlade Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm.
Overall, Winning Rupert has sired 157 individual winners of 439 races at a 62% strike-rate.
