Aston Rupee Begins Journey To Stud Greatness

THE speculation had been rife for some time that record breaker Aston Rupee was nearing retirement.

No one wants to see the end of the race career of a great dog, especially one as SUPER fast as Aston Rupee.

ASTON RUPEE AT STUD

The 2022 year would bring with it TWO Million Dollar Chases, a Golden Easter Egg, Topgun, you name it … Rupee was on target for them all.

Aston Rupee slashes two lengths off the Sandown Park track record in one of the most complete performances ever seen! pic.twitter.com/Gi1Lto1ocL

— Sandown Greyhounds (@sandowndogs) September 9, 2021

But in the end, his adoring fans forced breeder and owner Ray Borda's hand.

Ray was getting three and four phone calls every single day from broodbitch owners wanting to use the son of KC And All and Aston Miley.

Rupee simply had to be sent off to stud.

“He had nothing left to prove when we made the decision,” said Borda.

And with that Ray has been inundated with requests from broodbitch owners, so much so that Aston Rupee is already fully booked and that comes without the hint of an advertising schedule.

This was even with restrictions being placed on those bitches he mates.

Bitches on season are the requirement and even then Ray says the demand is too much for the supply.

‘ASTON' MOTORS AWAY

ASTON RUPEE (4) has thrashed his rivals by nine lengths in the $100,000 to-the-winner Group 1 @tabcomau #Temlee (525m) @MelbourneGreys in 29.612 for trainer Glenn Rounds.

Result ? https://t.co/vWzDl266N7#GreyhoundRacing #PremierRacing pic.twitter.com/9NcFTDJEnq

— Greyhound Racing Victoria (@GRV_News) February 12, 2022

Borda has three things he believes will set Aston Rupee on the road to stud greatness.

“One thing that sets him apart is his breeding,” he said. “I challenge anyone to find a better bred dog.

“Next is the fact he is so tough. He raced 42 times and never had an injury … not one. He's perfectly put together. The injury factor, producing sound race dogs is an important part of this industry.

“And, third is the fact the best stud dogs are those who broke track records. He did that too.

“Someone said to me he goes better at Sandown than The Meadows. He won his two Group 1s at The Meadows and almost broke the track record there, a record that has stood for many years.”

Aston Rupee is one of the fastest dogs of his time. He started 42 times for 23 wins and 14 placings for stakes of $606,000.

His claim to fame is his 28.79 Sandown TR, 29.39 at The Meadows (TR 29.37), Angle Park 29.95 TR, and wins in the G1 Topgun and G1 Temlee.

ICYMI: Aston Rupee reaffirmed his status as this year's @tabcomau Melbourne Cup ($5.50) favourite by winning last night's TAB Topgun @TheMeadowsDogs ? pic.twitter.com/Tg3jBCjjeF

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 6, 2021

But he is also the winner the G3 Speed Star twice, the G3 Sandown Shootout and a Match Race series in SA.

He ran second in the G3 Launching Pad and Pink Diamond Sprinter, third in the Ballarat Derby, and was a finalist in the G1 Melbourne Cup, G1 Adelaide Cup and The Phoenix.

There is no doubting his absolute speed.

Everywhere he went, he ran remarkable times and four times broke 29-seconds at Sandown.

Ray Borda would not be getting three and four phone calls a day requesting semen for him if he was not such a remarkable dog.

He comes from a fabulous litter which also includes Aston Fastnet (11 wins, $76,000, G3 Wgl St Leger, finalist G1 Maturity, G3 Speed Star, San 29.11), Aston Flame (18 wins, $66,000), Aston Glow (8 wins, $23,000), Aston Oriental (7 wins, $26,000), Aston Reward (11 wins, $51,000) and Aston Rhone (6 wins, $28,000) etc.

By US hall of famer KC And All (sire in Aussie of stars Striker Light, Orson Allen, Campini, Equalizer etc), his dam Aston Miley (3rd G2 Gel Cup, finalist G1 Melb Cup, G2 Wgl Cup) is a litter sister to champion Aston Dee Bee (G1 Melb Cup, now leading sire).

Aston Miley, to Brett Lee, is also the mother of Aston Lee (finalist G3 Casino Cup, G3 Devonport Chase, Gardens 29.17), Aston Maeve (finalist G1 Nat Futurity), Aston Tatum (finalist G3 Casino Cup) etc.

To Fernando Bale, she is the dam of Aston Lira (finalist G3 Vic-bred Maiden) etc.

The biggest question on the industry's lips at the moment is … will Rupee make it as a sire?

There is no question about it, he will be remarkable!

His sire, KC And All, is already represented in this country by Superior Panama (a boom stud dog), Bernardo and only recently his son SE Tali Sundance sired the winner of the Group 1 WA Galaxy, Mambo Monelli.

His son Orson Allen is already siring G1 winners like Ritza Donna (finalist in Saturday night's MDC) and stars like Impulse Buy, Gracie Bale and Mirror Illusion.

We often say they're not machines but Aston Rupee may be the exception. Only dog to twice break 29 seconds at @sandowndogs (3 if you include a trial), and both run in near identical fashion, EXCEPT he had a tail wind in his TR run and turned right at last night.

He can go faster pic.twitter.com/dCVlovpb0U

— Mick Floyd (@MickFloyd) October 29, 2021

His son Bernardo is already the sire of G1 star Aussie Secret and Group class Dr Tucker and Got The Torque.

KC And All's daughters have recently produced Group stars Gypsy Wyong and Paddy Wants Pats.

Aston Rupee has a pedigree to suit just about every broodbitch line available.

He is bred on the same KC And All/Desalle Bale (Barcia Bale) cross as champion Orson Allen.

Just like the great stud success, Fernando Bale, who is also a son of a US stud dog, Aston Rupee's success in his “new caper” will almost certainly rest with a huge degree of in-breeding and line breeding to all the aspects of his mother's pedigree.

It has to.

The fact Rupee has Barcia Bale as his damsire means he is a MUST for daughters of Fernando Bale to further enhance the “nick” they already have.

His close relation, Aston Dee Bee, is working spectacularly when he mates bitches with Bombastic Shiraz in their make-up. These can be picked up via Zambora Brockie, Bit Chili, Fabregas, Lochinvar Marlow, My Redeemer, Glen Gallon, Lightning Frank, Mister Twister, Spring Gun, Velocette … the list is almost endless.

He will be ideal for matings to bitches by any stud dog with a close-up cross of Where's Pedro to link with his brother Hallucinate.

These include My Bro Fabio, Allen Deed, My Redeemer, Feral Franky and Good Odds Harada, Ritza Lenny, El Grand Senor, El Galo, Mogambo, Moreira, Nolen, Zipping Garth etc.

Bitches by Allen Deed could be special for mating to Rupee.

Daughters of Dyna Tron, to recreate the cross found in Shima Shine, too, are an ideal cross for Rupee.

Barcia Bale has already proven a huge success when his daughters have mated to Zambora Brockie, Bernardo, Magic Sprite, Aussie Infrared and bitches by any of these will suit Rupee.

Barcia's dam Princess Bale is already proving a great success when crossed with her brother Bartrim Bale. This cross can be picked up in Bekim Bale, David Bale, Rippin' Sam, Space Star.

Bitches with up close crosses of Brett Lee and Big Daddy Cool suit also. These can be accessed via Cosmic Rumble, Lochinvar Marlow, Blazin Bomber, Oaks Road, Worm Burner, Smooth Fancy, Swift Fancy, Spring Gun, Ando's Mac, Zipping Garth, Awesome Project etc.

Big Daddy Cool is a genetic brother to Elite State so close are their pedigrees.

Elite State is the sire of Aston Rupee's 3rd dam.

An interesting match could be for bitches with Knocka Norris somewhere in the pedigree of the dam. This will link Knocka Norris with his litter sister Elite Oriental.

Token Prince and Collision, too, will need to be brought in. Neither appear in Rupee's pedigree but both have strong links with his damline.

Bitches with Magic Sprite and his close relation Oaks Road will both suit Rupee.

As Ray Borda says of Aston Rupee “he's got nothing to prove, he's got the breeding, was injury proof and a record breaker”.