JUST two weeks ago there was an impressive success for Ocovango, when his son Langer Dan stormed home more than four lengths clear in the valuable Grade 3 Imperial Cup Hurdle at Sandown Park, adding to his win in the Listed Wensleydale Hurdle at Wetherby. He subsequently ran second at Cheltenham.
The five-year-old Langer Dan is from the first crop of Ocovango, who already has several winners to his credit, including La Shaba who has won five times on the flat. Ocovango’s sons have fetched prices up to €75,000 at the sales.
Bred by the Lloyd-Webbers’ Watership Down Stud and trained by Andre Fabre, Ocovango was one of the top three-year-olds in France in 2013 when he won the Group 2 Prix Greffulhe and took third place in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and the Group 2 Prix Niel. Timeform assessed this son of Monsun on 120 in Racehorses of 2013.
Sold for €180,000 at Deauville as a yearling, Ocovango raced only once as a two-year-old, when he won a maiden race over a mile at Saint-Cloud in November 2012 by two lengths, after making all the running. He reappeared the next spring in the Listed Prix Francois Mathet, also at Saint-Cloud, and scored comfortably. Then Ocovango completed the hat-trick in the Prix Greffulhe over 10 furlongs at Saint-Cloud in May, winning by half a length from his old rival Bravodino who later won at Belmont Park.
Ocovango was still unbeaten when he ran in the Group 1 Epsom Derby and finished fifth, only two lengths behind Ruler Of The World. Next he lined up for the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, where he was a creditable third to Flintshire, with the Epsom Derby fourth Battle Of Marengo only seventh.
In the Prix Niel in September he was third, less than a length behind the Japanese Derby hero Kizuna and Ruler Of The World, with Flintshire fourth, but he was unplaced for the first time in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Monsun, the sire of Ocovango, was a triple Group 1 winner who has been Germany’s champion sire several times and the sire of 22 individual Group 1 stars. His son Novellist was a dual champion, with Group 1 wins in 4 countries, while Manduro was a European champion in 2007. The triple Group 1 star Getaway is another Coolmore NH stallion by Monsun.
Ocovango is the first foal of his dam Crystal Maze, a daughter of Gone West and the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile victress Crystal Music who was also second in the Irish 1000 Guineas. This is the family of the Epsom Derby and 2000 Guineas hero Royal Palace and of classic winners Fairy Footsteps and Light Cavalry.
OCOVANGO (GB), Brown 2010. Won three races, £209,315, from 1 mile to 1 mile 2½ furlongs, at 2 and 3 years including, Prix Greffulhe, Saint-Cloud, Gr.2, Prix Francois Mathet, Saint-Cloud, L, also placed third in Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris, Longchamp, Gr.1, Qatar Prix Niel, Longchamp, Gr.2, La Coupe, Longchamp, Gr.3.
Retired to Stud in 2015, and sire of the winner of 5 races, and £15,505, and sire of the winners of 5 races, and £79,971 under N.H. Rules, including LANGER DAN (IRE)
Stands at: The Beeches Stud, Lismore, Co Waterford, Ireland.
Contact: Robert McCarthy or Bobby McCarthy
Telephone: (353) 58 56254.
Email: thebeechesstud@outlook.com
Web: www.coolmore.com
Fee: €5,000.