THE Tsui family, owners of Sea The Stars, have moved all nine horses they have in training with John Oxx to France.
The Irish Field has learned that three of the horses have gone to Eric Libaud who trains in the Loire Valley, a further three to Jean-Claude Rouget at Pau and three to Damien de Watrigant at Artassenx, also in the south west of France.
Oxx suffered a similar blow in 2013 when the Aga Khan announced he would no longer be sending yearlings to Oxx. The pair ended their 25-year association in 2014.
Under Oxx’s guidance, Sea The Stars won six Group 1 races from six starts in 2009, culminating in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, a race the colt’s dam Urban Sea had won for the Tsuis in 1993.
Sea The Stars has enjoyed a successful start to his stud career, with six Group 1 winners and 23 stakes winners. The Tsui family has had one Group 3 winner by the stallion, the Oxx-trained My Titania. Last month Mrs Ling Tsui sold a yearling colt by Sea The Stars for 260,000gns at Tattersalls.
SUNDERLAND HOLDING
This year Oxx raced 12 individual horses for the Hong Kong-based Tsuis, who race under the Sunderland Holding banner. They won four races from 41 starts, the highlight being the Group 3 Flame of Tara Stakes win for Sea Of Grace. She is a daughter of Born To Sea, another Tsui-owned stallion who Oxx trained.
Both Born To Sea and Sea The Stars stand at the Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud, also home now to Sea The Stars’ most accomplished son, Harzand.
Oxx had 11 winners this year and they included a premier handicap with Avenante and a listed race with Red Stars. His owners include the President of Ireland, Newtown Anner Stud, Lady O’Reilly, Charles Fipke, Pat Garvey and Barbara Keller.