Van Nistelrooy registers first Group stakes performer

23rd July 2007

Van Nistelrooy, one of the leading freshman sires of 2007, registered his first Group stakes performer when the two-year-old colt Strike the Deal (Van Nistelrooy - Countess Gold, by Mt. Livermore) placed in the prestigious Prix Robert Papin (Fr-G2) at Maisons-Laffitte on July 22. Trained by Jeremy Noseda for owners The Searchers, Strike the Deal overcame a poor start to rally into contention late before falling just short of victory. The colt became the second new stakes horse for Van Nistelrooy in the past seven days, following the runner-up finish of Vanny Fair in the listed Whangarei Breeders Stakes in New Zealand on July 15.