Roc de Cambes was a NZ$3.1 million stakes earner in Japan, winning from 1800m-2200m and competitive up to 3000m. Rated 115 by the Japanese Racing Association, he was the second highest three year old of his year – only the champion filly Vodka (117) rated higher. Roc de Cambes also received an International Rating of 115 on the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, further endorsing his remarkable Japanese form .

Such were the race performances of Roc de Cambes, at three years he was widely regarded in Japan as a super-star racehorse in the making. For a young New Zealand bred colt, racing in a middle distance and staying arena reknowned as the world’s toughest, his racetrack achievements were seen as extraordinary.

 

A crowd favourite in his adopted homeland, Roc de Cambes was rated as world-class by top international jockey Mick Kinane.
 

Roc de Cambes was a brilliant winner of his first four starts. These wins including two stakes races, and followed with a placing in the Jpn.1 Japanese St Leger. He then had starts as fourth favourite in the NZ$6.3 million Gr.1 Nakayama Arima Kinen, and second favourite in the NZ$4.6 million Gr.1 Hanshin Takarazuka Kinen – two of Japan’s biggest and most prestigious stakes races.

The winning style of Roc de Cambes and the ease with which he put together his first four wins quickly found the horse becoming a crowd favourite with an ever growing and enthusiastic army of Japanese race fans. 
 

Top international jockey Michael Kinane who rode Roc de Cambes to a fast finishing fourth in the 
Gr.1 Arima Kinen could hardly have been more enthused labelling the colt world-class. Kinane was adamant when discussing the colt’s future with trainer Noriyuki Hori that ‘Roc de Cambes was absolutely top-class and that he would be competitive at the highest level in the UK and in Europe.’ Kinane’s recommendation to Hori was that the Gr.1 King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot was a race ideally suited.

The racing career of Roc de Cambes was struck down in its infancy. At just his eighth start the colt  received a career- ending injury after being galloped on during the running of the Gr.1 Takarazuka Kinen. 

 
“I’d followed Roc de Cambes career with great interest,” said Williams. “On sheer potential he was rated a budding superstar and his Japanese and International ratings of 115 reflects both his class and the untimely tragedy of his injury.” 

“What he’d achieved in his short career was phenomenal, more especially when considering he was southern hemisphere bred.”

With Roc de Cambes no longer a racing proposition, The Oaks secured an option to stand the horse, with owners Mr & Mrs Yoshida retaining breeding rights and planning to support the horse with their own southern hemisphere based mares. 

Mrs Kazumi Yoshida, wife of prominent Japanese owner and breeder Katsumi Yoshida, originally purchased Roc de Cambes out of The Oaks’s 2006 Sydney Easter draft, for A$135,000. Her husband Mr Yoshida, who owns Japan’s famed Northern Farm, is well known in Australasia for his incredible success as owner of both Delta Blues and Pop Rock who quinella-ed the 2006 Melbourne Cup.

 

  Red Ransom – Vinery Stud’s outstanding sire (96 SW), now emerging as a top sire-of-sires

 

 

Roc de Cambes is a son of star sire and sire-of-sires Red Ransom , out of The Oaks top mare Fairy Lights (by Fairy King). This makes the new stallion prospect a half-brother to dual Group 2 winning colt Keyora, New Zealand Derby runner-up Roman Chariot, and to last year’s top priced Darci Brahma colt which sold for $480,000 at Karaka Premier. 

Regarding Roc de Cambes outstanding pedigree, “It’s one of the best family’s in the world,” says  Rick Williams. 

“Fairy Lights dam Gay Fantastic is the mother of Germano, and Moon Solitaire, whilst her grand-dam Gaily won the Irish One Thousand Guineas and is herself third dam of the champion European Racehorse Pilsudski, who is rated by many as one of the outstanding racehorses of all time."

With Red Ransom as his sire and Fairy Lights being by Fairy King; himself the full-brother to the champion sire Sadler's Wells as well as the celebrated sire of the Australian Champion stallion Encosta De Lago – Roc de Cambes has a pedigree holding widespread appeal for Australasian breeders. 

 

Since the announcement of Roc de Cambes standing at stud, it seems the Japanese are not the only ones stirred by this exciting son of Red Ransom. New Zealand breeders’ already well aware of the strength of Japanese racing, have been quick to recognise Roc de Cambes pedigree and racetrack qualifications, with good bookings to the horse.