Meon Valley Matriarch REPROCOLOR dies

Reprocolor pictured here in 1994 with her unraced colt foal by Sadler’s Wells named Pierre, who now stands at Knockmullen House Stud.
(Pacemaker)

Reprocolor, the matriarch who established an illustrious equine dynasty and who was one of three foundation mares at Meon Valley Stud, has been put down at the grand old age of 32.

Europes leading bloodstock publication, Pacemaker, reports that the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Jimmy Reppin was bought as a yearling for 25,000gns by Richard Galpin on behalf of Egon Weinfeld, founder of Meon Valley Stud. She was subsequently trained by Sir Michael Stoute to win the Lancashire Oaks, Lingfield Oaks Trial and Pretty Polly Stakes, and she was also placed in both the Yorkshire and Epsom Oaks.

Her broodmare career got off to a flying start in 1981 with her very first foal, the Listed winner Rappa Tap Tap. A further 17 foals followed before she was retired in 1999, including the Group 1 winners Colorspin and Cezanne, and the Prix de l’Opera winner Bella Colora, dam in turn of the highly performed Mullins Bay, who has just joined the stallion roster at South Africa’s Champion Breeding establishment, Summerhill Stud.

Reprocolor’s daughters continued their dam’s success at stud producing, among others, Kayf Tara, Opera House, Stagecraft, Polish Precedent and Zee Zee Top. The family has continued to flourish through the progeny of Reprocolor’s grand-daughters: the best of those include the Group winners Necklace and Alkaadhem.

Even the mare’s great-grand-daughters have made their mark, producing the Group winners Alessandro Volta and France.

Egon Weinfeld’s son Mark, who manages Meon Valley Stud, commented: “Reprocolor produced at least 26 stakes-winning descendants as well as at least 13 who were stakes-placed. Pretty good for a mare whose sire cost 200gns!

“Her ashes will be buried on the farm with a tree planted in her memory.”

Visit Meon Valley Stud’s website : www.meonvalleystud.co.uk