Top New Zealand stallion Danroad - a Group 2-winning son of Danehill - has
just arrived in Britain to begin his first northern-hemisphere covering
season at Hedgeholme Stud in Co Durham, where he is standing for a fee of
2,800.

The Hong Kong Breeders Club, Danroad's owner, will be supporting the
stallion with around 15 mares, including a number bought at the autumn
breeding-stock sales. There has also been great interest from breeders in
Britain, Ireland and France.

Andrew Spalding, owner of Hedgeholme Stud, said today: "Danroad arrived on
Monday and we are delighted with him. He is as good-looking as he appears
in his photographs and, as a son of Danehill who scored in Group 2 company
as a juvenile, he has obvious appeal to commercial breeders.

"We have some exciting mares booked to him, including a significant number
from Ireland, some from France and those owned by the Hong Kong Breeders
Club."

A nomination to Danroad was auctioned in aid of the Chris Kinane Trust Fund
at Doncaster in September and bought for  3,000 by Canice Farrell of
Knockatrina House Stud in Co Laois. Among the mares that Farrell, breeder
of Group 1-winning sprinter Fayr Jag, is likely to send to Danroad is
Waroonga, dam of smart handicapper Foursquare.

SWAINES WIN TOP BREEDING AWARD

Sir John and Lady Gwen Swaine were named Hong Kong Breeders of the Year at
the inaugural Hong Kong Breeders Club awards ceremony held in Hong Kong
last month. Major-General Guy Watkins, chairman of the selection committee,
described the Swaines' love affair with racing as "a fairy tale".

The Swaine's involvement began with a filly named Corvette who was born in
Australia in 1972, exported to Hong Kong and in 1976 becoming the first
filly to win the Hong Kong Derby.

Watkins added: "When Corvette lost sight in one eye, as a result of an
accident, she was retired to a specially purchased stud farm in England.
She produced a filly by Busted, who was named Corvalent. She in turn
produced a colt by Sillery, named Syllabus. He is already the winner of
four races in Hong Kong in the Swaines' colours for Hong Kong Cup-winning
trainer David Ferraris. He believes that the best is yet to come for
Syllabus."

Sir John, a former chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said he was "very
surprised" to be selected in front of two high-profile and successful
breeders in Alan Lam and Sunny Yam.

He continued: "This is a great honour and I thank the Hong Kong Breeders
Club but it's really an award to my wife, whose passion for breeding has
driven this operation for almost 30 years."

The Hong Kong Breeders Club was established last year with the aim of
blending the pursuit of thoroughbred breeding excellence with recreational
lifestyle options for members.

The Club already owns a number of well-bred broodmares in Europe, America,
Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and has shares in 10 stallions,
including 2005 international Group One winners Starcraft, Whipper,
Motivator and Rakti as well as owning Danroad.