One minute heavily marketed ... the next bundled unceremoniously into a Magic Millions Monthly Sale courtesy of a minimal sperm count and an insurance claim. Whilst most of us accept that this is a commercial business and investors need to be paid, I have no doubt that many people still flinch when they see these horses back in the ring.

Today it was Geronimo, the young Willowbend hopeful who had had some well known family relations to boost his first season stud appeal. But a champion father and sister weren't enough when he proved infertile and it would appear that a renewed focus on racing - or another career path - is what he now faces.

Meanwhile, another monthly sale (this time Inglis' March Thoroughbred Sale at Oaklands) has turned up two extraordinarily well credentialed stallions. Both seem to have appeared on our fine shores without even a media byline and have now (equally mysteriously) sidled their way into a less that stellar sale. Anyone got any ideas?

The first is lot 163 - GENEREUX (ARG) - a G1 winning 5 year old bay stallion by French Deputy out of the G1 winner Griffe de Paris. He is the half-brother to 3 group winners including the G1 wining filly Lady de Paris and his pedigree, whilst all Argentinean form, is, quite simply, a sea of black type.



The second is lot 164, a 7 yo Argentine champion and classic winner - LORD JIM (ARG) who won or placed 5 times at G1 level and has the distinction of having been voted the Champion 2YO Colt in Argentina. His half-brother, LITTLE JIM, was purchased in 2004 by Sheikh Rashid, the eldest son of Godolphin chief Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. Satish Seemar trains Little Jim, who was conditioned in Argentina by Roberto Pellegatta. Little Jim captured the U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-III) in his first start of the 2004 season and ran third in the UAE-II US$2m UAE Derby on Dubai World Cup Day.

Considering that a number of stud farms in Australia have taken a punt on Argentinean horses the appearance of these two very well bred stallions at a sale of this type does seem eminently strange ... hopefully one of the AAP/Cyberhorse/Stallions journalists will dig something up to help us out.