IN 2021, Ardad was one of the stars of the freshman scene, the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes victor notching up a long list of winners headed by the Group 1 Prix Morny and Group 1 Middle Park Stakes star Perfect Power.

Coulsty, a Group 3-winning sprinter, struck at Keeneland with the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes heroine Shantisara, while the Group 2-winning miler Kodi Bear supplied Group 1 Oaks runner-up Mystery Angel and leading sprint juvenile Go Bears Go among others of note.

These are among the earliest sons of Kodiac (Danehill) to go to stud, as is juvenile Group 2-winner Kessaar whose yearlings made up to 90,000gns and is a freshman of 2022.

So it is fair to say that the half-brother to Invincible Spirit (Green Desert) has made a promising start as a sire of stallions.

Group 1-winner Hello Youmzain stands for €25,000 at Haras d’Etreham and has his first foals arriving now, middle-distance multiple Group 1-star Best Solution has yearlings in Germany, juvenile Group 2-scorer Ubettabelieveit is about to cover his first book in England, but Nando Parrado is here in Ireland.

Given his juvenile record, plus how the sons of Kodiac are doing as stallions, the new Irish National Stud team member Nando Parrado looks sure to be busy.

The start of 2020’s racing season was compressed due to the Covid-19 lockdowns and the rush to meet one-off qualification requirements to get a run in Royal Ascot’s juvenile races made it likely there could be some surprise results that would look anything but as the months unfolded.

Nando Parrado finished in a fast-ground Newmarket maiden just 16 days before Ascot and put himself into the history books with a record 150/1 victory in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes. He proved there was no fluke about it when finishing a two-length runner-up to the joint juvenile filly champion Campanelle in the Group 1 Prix Morny on soft ground at Deauville next time, and again when chasing home Sealiway in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on heavy at ParisLongchamp.

That runaway winner went on to be a classic-placed Arc fifth before landing the Group 1 Champion Stakes, whereas the colt who finished a three-quarter-length third was none other than the Ken Condon-trained subsequent Group 1 Prix Jean Prat winner Laws Of Indices.

Nando Parrado finished fourth to Chindit in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes on his reappearance and filled the same position behind Mostahdaf in a mile listed contest next time. There will be plenty of his offspring who do well at that trip, in addition to the inevitable sprinters.

A half-brother to the blacktype-placed pair of Dubai Horizon (Poet’s Voice) and Muntadeb (Invincible Spirit), Nando Parrado is out of the Grade 1-placed Argentine Grade 3-winner Chibola, a mare by multiple champion sire Roy (by Fappiano). She is a full-sister to juvenile sprint Grade 1-scorer Chollo and you will find two more Argentine Grade 1-winners under her grandam.

NANDO PARRADO (GB), Bay 2018. Won one race, £141,149, over 6 furlongs, at 2 years viz., Coventry Stakes, Ascot, Gr.2, also placed second in Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, ParisLongchamp, Gr.1, Prix Morny, Deauville, Gr.1.

Retires to Stud in 2022.

Stands at: Irish National Stud, Tully East, Kildare, Co Kildare, R51 DD56, Ireland.

Contact: Gary Swift or Conor Hyland

Telephone: +353 (0)45 521251 or +353 (0)86 6031979 (Gary) or +353 (0)85 1299236 (Conor)

Email: gswift@irishnationalstud.ie

Web: www.irishnationalstud.ie

Fee: €6,000