Legend Stud Dog Sh Avatar Passes Away

ON the eve of his induction into the US greyhound racing Hall of Fame, stud great Sh Avatar has died.

The son of Kiowa Mon Manny and Tom S Caterwaul made his presence felt at home and in Australia by producing such racetrack stars as Million Dollar Chase hero Handsome Prince and prolific winner and Group star Ebby Ripper.

One of the very best race dogs of his era in the US where he was a member of the All America team twice, Sh Avatar was the US' highest stakes earning greyhound of all time.

He twice won the Bluff's Run Breeders Classic and also won the Summer Cship and ran a track record at Bluffs Run. He was placed in the Bluffs Run Open.

The leading sire in the US, Sh Avatar had been living the life of a pet with his former trainer Darren Flahive in Kansas City.

Victorian Geoff Collins brought Sh Avatar semen to Australia through his friendship with the dog's owners Bob Hardison and Tom Sugihara.

“He was an absolute superstar on the racetrack in the US and earned $700,000,” Collins said.

“I had known Bob for some time and our friendship allowed Australia to access the dog's semen for breeders here.

“It came out here at intervals.”

At stud in the US, SH Avatar has sired high class middle distance US gallopers Konomi, Braska Dale, Kentucky Boy, Bar Gin, PJ Popshoveit, Taken N Interest, Arkans BD Doc, LK's Centuria, JS Armdndangerus and Go Bon Ridgeroad etc etc etc.

In Australia, he is the sire of Handsome Prince (2020 $1M Chase), King Cratos (15 wins, $$169,000, G1 Paws of Thunder, 2nd G1 Temlee), Matt Machine (17 wins, $88,000, finalist G1 Melb Cup, G1 Aust Cup, G1 Silver Chief, G2 Wbool Cup) and the sensational littermates Suffragette (13 wins, $193,000, G2 Launching Pad), Ebby Ripper (31 wins, $317,000, multiple Group performer), Ebby Chance (17 wins, $58,000), Suffragette (13 wins, $193,000, G2 Launching Pad) and Utah Miss (19 wins, $53,000).

He is also the sire of Midnight Hero (23 wins, $93,000), Daithy Allen (10 wins, $61,000, 3rd G1 Nat Futurity), Robson (16 wins, $104,000, G1 NZ Waterloo Cup, 3rd G1 Auck Cup), Midnight Hero (23 wins, $93,000), Unison (WPk 29.57, finalist G1 Paws), Incapacitated (22 wins, $145,000, G2 Richmond Derby, G3 Xmas Shootout, 2nd G2 Gos Cup, finalist G1 Paws) etc.

Collins says the legacy of Sh Avatar is already been shown through his daughters in Australia.

“The current star of Victorian racing Qwara Bale is out of a daughter of Sh Avatar,” he said.