Ambitious General in unlikely stud career
A former Group One performer who has been used to sire stock horses has the chance break back into the racing limelight.
Ambitious General is the sire of General Assault who gave him his first racetrack winner in a Doomben midweek two-year-old race on March 9.
General Assault will run at the Gold Coast on Saturday in preference to Doomben as a lead-up to the $120,000 Capricornia 2YO Classic in Rockhampton on April 9.
It has been a long haul for Ambitious General who is one of only a few stallions by sprint star General Nediym standing in Queensland.
Ambitious General won the 2007 Group Two Autumn Classic at Caulfield before running second in the Rosehill Guineas and Australian Derby.
He was later transferred to Hong Kong where he won the Community Chest Cup (1800m).
After returning to Australia, Ambitious General ended up at Ross and Rhonda Clark’s Bellevue Stud at Goomeri in rural Queensland.
“We have used him as stock horse sire,” Ross Clark said.
“He has a lovely nature and people want to breed that into their horses. He is so quiet I ride him sometimes to round up the cattle,” Ross Clark said.
The Clarks decided to put Ambitious General over some thoroughbred mares and one of those was General Assault’s dam She’s All Greek.
General Assault is Ambitious General’s only named foal but the Clarks expect more interest in their stallion next breeding season.
“He has great bloodlines and if anyone is interested we will take outside mares next time,” Clark said.