A Group II winning half-brother to Strawberry Boy and Newtown Jet, former Highview Stud stallion Danroad was exported to China in 2015 when support fell to a handful of mares in each of his previous five seasons.
The son of Danehill has begun his career promisingly enough with the Group1 TJ Smith Classic winner Rockdale, and Down The Road won the Group II ARC Championship Stakes and ran second in the Group1 NZ Derby.
Danroad shuttled to Europe for four seasons, 2007-2010. He left just 38 named foals in that time. None could win a stakes race and just one managed to place in a black-type race.
That was the filly Aris who was third in the Listed Flame of Tara Stakes over a mile at the Curragh while another claim to fame was when she defeated none other than the hugely popular Gordon Lord Byron when breaking her maiden at Listowel in what proved to be her last start.
A half-sister to the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas and Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Again (Danehill Dancer), Aris is a daughter of the unraced Kahyasi mare Cumbres a half-sister to the great Montjeu.
When bred to Choisir's old rival and now leading sire, Acclamation, Aris foaled Acclaim who rose to new heights at the Arc meeting at Chantilly when capturing the Group I Qatar Prix De La Foret (7f).
Ridden by Oisin Murphy, Acclaim credited trainer Martyn Meade with his first Group I winner when defeating So Beloved (Dansili) by three-quarters of a length with Karar (Invincible spirit) a short-head back in third.
"He's a tough little horse. He tries so hard that he reduces me to tears," Meade said.
He comes to his best form at this time of year.
"Winning a Group One was something we had to do this year and now we've done it.
"My immediate reaction is not to run him again this year. He's won a Group One and it's job done. I'm not sure if he stays in training next year. He's a real warrior."
