Maxios to Castlehyde

Maxios, sire of this year’s Group 1 German Oaks heroine Diamanta, has been purchased by Coolmore and will stand under the National Hunt banner at Castlehyde Stud for 2020. The superbly-bred son of Monsun hails from one of the most celebrated Niarchos families. Out of the Nureyev mare Moonlight’s Box, Maxios is a half-brother to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Bago. Their grandam, the brilliant juvenile Coup de Genie, is an own-sister to influential stallion Machiavellian and produced another Champion Two-Year-Old in Denebola. The family traces to Natalma – dam of Northern Dancer and ancestress of Danehill.

An unbeaten Group-winning two-year-old in France for Jonathan Pease, Maxios improved with racing and enjoyed his best season as a five-year-old when winning the Group 1 Prix du Moulin over a mile by 5 lengths from Olympic Glory and the nine-furlong Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan from Planteur.

Maxios retired to Gestüt Fährhof in 2014 and has sired the winners of over 100 races from his first two crops including eight blacktype horses headed by this year’s German Oaks winner Diamanta.

His yearlings this year have sold for up to £170,000 and he has already sired three winners over hurdles in France including Foxboro who won by 6 lengths at Strasbourg last week to make it two from two in that sphere.

“We have been watching Maxios for some time and are delighted to have secured him,” said Castlehyde’s Cathal Murphy. “He’s a fine big horse by leading National Hunt influence Monsun, he comes from a fantastic Niarchos family and he was a Champion Miler. He’s already sire of a Group 1 winner and we have no doubt that he’ll prove extremely popular.”