Criterion To Stand At Newgate

   Criterion (NZ) (Sebring {Aus}–Mica's Pride {Aus}, by Bite The Bullet) will retire to Newgate Farm upon the completion of his racing career later this year. Campaigned as a homebred by Sir Owen Glenn, Criterion won the 2014 G1 Tab.com.au Rosehill Guineas and G1 BMW Australian Derby for trainer David Payne. The chestnut was transferred to trainers David Hayes and Tom Dabernig later that year and won last year's A$4 million G1 Longines Queen Elizabeth S. at The Championships under their tutelage, as well as the G1 Ladbrokes Caulfield S. The 5-year-old was also second to Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) in last year's G1 William Hill Cox Plate before finishing third in the G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup, and his international travels garnered him thirds in Hong Kong's G1 Audemar's Piguet QEII Cup and Longines Hong Kong Cup. Criterion was also precocious enough to contest the G1 Golden Slipper and G1 Champagne S. at two. He finished sixth in both, beaten less than three lengths in the latter.
“It is a real privilege to be entrusted by Sir Owen Glenn with such an exceptional racehorse in Criterion,” said Newgate's Henry Field. “He excelled over all distances, under any conditions and at every age. A properly fast and highly talented juvenile, Criterion stood with the top of his generation at two.  He danced every dance through the rest of his career, developing into one of the toughest and most versatile racehorses of the modern era. He is the type of horse every breeder dreams of breeding and every owner dreams of owning.”
Sir Owen Glenn added, “Criterion has meant so much to our family and is the horse of a lifetime. He deserves only the very best and we are confident we have chosen the farm that will give him every opportunity to achieve lasting success.”
Criterion is expected to make his autumn debut in the G1 Canterbury S. Mar. 5, followed by the G1 George Ryder S. Mar. 19 to set up for a title defense of the Queen Elizabeth Apr. 9.

Also retired for 2016 is the Gai Waterhouse-trained Group 1 winner Pornichet (Fr) (Vespone {Ire}), who has suffered a tendon injury. Stud plans have yet to be decided.