burgage stud
Making stallions
Bob Back and Shantou enjoyed long successful careers at Burgage Stud with Victor Connolly, but a new roster is now in development,writes Sally Duckett
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OMETIMES THINGS can be argued away as mere coincidences, but when those events are repeated, there has to be more to it than mere lucky chance. Over the last 20 years Victor Connolly of Burgage Stud has successfully produced and managed the careers of leading NH stallions Bob Back and Shantou, and both sires enjoyed a longevity to their stud careers rarely achieved. Burgage Stud stood Shantou, a son of Alleged, for 16 years. The farm imported the sire, who had started his career in Italy, in 2004, and his last covering season came in 2020, the stallion dying in 2021 as a 28-year-old. He had nine runners and three horses placed in graded races at The Festival this year, including in the Champion Bumper. His impact on the NH races will be felt for at least another decade – arguably he was as well regarded as a sire, both in the sale ring and on the racecourse, at the end of his career as he was at his peak. Burgage has sourced two new sires to Victor Connolly and his wife Elizabeth
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take the farm forward into the 2020s, and Connolly is more than happy with the new residents, despite the sizeable shoes they need to fill. Jukebox Jury, a 16-year-old son of Montjeu, transferred to Ireland for the 2018 season having stood five years in Germany at Gestüt Etzean – in some ways mirroring Shantou’s move to the farm after starting his career in Europe. “We hope Jukebox Jury will be the successor to Shantou,” says Connolly. “His profile is quite similar at the moment, and he’s had a Grade 1 performer so we’re very happy with what he’s doing so far. He’s been very popular in the sale ring, and you know, the trainers seem to like them, which is important.” The stallion, a dual Group 1 winner, whose CV boasts victories in the 1m2f Preis von Europa and the Irish St Leger, as well as four Group 2 wins and a Group 3 success over distances from a mile to 1m4f, can claim highest level progeny results both on the Flat, courtesy of the admirable filly and 2020 Prix du Cadran (G1) winner Princess Zoe, as well as over hurdles – in 2018 Farclas annexed the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle. The Gordon Elliott-trained runner has
