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Imported sire Unusual Suspect, a grandson of Nureyev now standing his second season in Australia, is indeed unusual in breeding and versatility.
Standing at Glen Avon Lodge Stud in Queensland, Unusual Suspect was sired in America by one of Nureyev’s best sire sons Unusual Heat from Penpoint, an exported New Zealand bred winner whose bottom line has been in that country for 12 generations.
In performance, Unusual Suspect contested G1 races in America, Dubai and Australia and won 10 races over distances from 1200m (Del Mar, Hollywood Park), 1600m (Del Mar, Santa Anita, Hollywood Park), 1700m (Hollywood Park, Bay Meadows, Golden State), 2400m (Hollywood Park, Del Mar) and 2600m (Werribee).In Australia he was twice unplaced in the Melbourne Cup, won the Werribee Cup and was third in the Sandown Cup.
In earning $1.58 million, Unusual Suspect won the G1 Hollywood Turf Cup, G3 Hollywood Turf Express Handicap, Bay Meadows Derby, Golden Gate Silveyville Stakes, Del Mar Cougar Mile and Werribee Cup. His 15 placings included seconds in the Hollywood Generous Stakes, Santa Anita Louis Obispo, San Juan Capistrano, Del Mar Cougar and thirds in the Santa Anita Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes, Hollywood Sunset Handicap and Sandown Cup.Unusual Heat, the sire of Unusual Suspect, has been responsible for 398 winners of 1364 races and $US52 million.
His 42 stakes winners include G1 winners Acclamation, The Usual Q, Golden Doc A, Miss Adela and Unusual Suspect.Unusual Heat is one of a long list of sires by Nureyev, the three-quarter brother by Northern Dancer to Sadler’s Wells and Fairy King who supplied 135 stakes winners including 29 at G1 level. His dams have been represented by 219 stakes winners, including 22 in G1 races.
Zabeel, a son of a Nureyev mare, is a phenomenal broodmare sire in this part of the world while Makybe Diva’s sire Desert King and Kingmambo are others from daughters of Nureyev.He has also left his mark in this part of the world through his sire sons Stravinsky (nine G1 winners) and Good Journey (sire of Happy Trails, Grand Journey) and paternal grandsons Thorn Park (sire of Jimmy Choux, Ocean Park) and Starcraft (sire of Star Witness).
Unusual Suspect went to stud at Glen Avon Lodge in 2015, looking after 81 mares.Glen Avon Lodge, earlier in the ownership of Fred Brown when it stood No Faith, Sea Road, Double Century and Admiralty, is now owned by Tony Gorring, a prominent racing identity who conducts the stud in partnership with manager Cameron Barnes.