Ontario expected to boost Sohna Stud

By Sharan Kumar

Nov 24, 2004

Little known but up-and-coming Sohna Stud Farm has acquired Storm Cat’s four-year-old son Ontario to stand in India.

From the eleventh crop of Storm Cat, Ontario, a half-brother to top-class miler and classic sire Desert Prince, won the Gr.3 Anglesey Stakes at Curragh as a two-year-old, defeating Spartacus, a dual Gr.1 winning juvenile in Europe in 2002 and now a sire at Coolmore.

Ontario is expected to prove successful in Indian conditions. There is great anticipation as to the impact his progeny will make and it is hoped that they will put Sohna Stud, which has only has had modest success thus far, on the map and provide the stud with an injection of quality. The good collection of mares acquired both in India and abroad, should go a long way in helping the well-bred Ontario, the only son of Storm Cat in India, to start on a bright note.

Ontario’s dam Flying Fairy is by a champion broodmare sire Bustino out of Fairy Footsteps, winner of the 1,000 Guineas. Since Ontario himself did well both on soft and hard ground, his progeny should relish Indian conditions which has a mix of tan-based grass tracks as well as the gravel-based monsoon grass tracks. Ontario will stand alongside Storm Bird’s son Conquering Hero who has had modest success through his progeny in handicap races. His two Graded race winners are The Proletarian and Feel The Force.