You might well ask what the New Zealand Kakapo, (a native NZ Bird that was all but extinct three decades ago), and the 2022 Preakness winner, Early Voting, have in common.
The answer is New Zealand Research Scientist Dr. Padraig (Paddy) O’Casiagh BVSc, PhD, MRCVS, and his breeding research in association with the Mont Liggins Trust.
Dr. Paddy was the scientist who helped develop fertility enhancement for the Kakapo, a notoriously shy breeder, in the Department of Conservation Recovery Programme, supporting breeding on pest-free island sanctuaries around New Zealand’s South Island coast.
Early Voting is the progeny of the outstanding USA stallion Gun Runner, the 2017 Horse of the Year, and leading with already nine millionaires from just three crops. Gun Runner stands the 2024 season at a stud fee of $250,000.
On his dam’s side, Early Voting is from a daughter by Tiznow from Silken Cat, the 1995 Canadian two-year-old Champion filly and winner of the Jockey Club Canada’s esteemed Sovereign Award.
As a three-year-old in 2022, Early Voting won the prestigious Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, second leg of the American Triple Crown, at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore over a distance of 1900m. With three wins, a second and a fourth from only six starts, including both the Group 1 Preakness and the Group 3 Withers Stakes, Early Voting amassed lifetime stakes of $1,372,500.
Ending his race career sound, Early Voting started his stud career at Coolmore’s, Ashford Stud, in Kentucky. In his first season this very fertile stallion achieved pregnancy for 120 mares, due to foal in spring 2024.
However, by the end of the 2023 season, the connections of Early Voting were forced to retire him from stud on the advice of world veterinary experts. This was due to a rare condition that caused him to have an inability to breed.
Although his sperm were fertile, he had developed Anejaculatory Syndrome, an inability to ejaculate.
One of the horse management team remembered a “quirky veterinarian and research scientist” from New Zealand, Dr. Paddy O’Casaigh, who, among other groundbreaking research science, had treated males of New Zealand’s rarest bird for Anejaculatory Syndrome.
Dr. Paddy developed his diagnostic and treatment protocols along with Professor Sir Graham (‘Mont’) Collingwood Liggins, FRS, an internationally renowned pioneer in research on Human Foetal Development and Birth (interestingly, he was also a key scientific advisor to Queen Elizabeth II). Together they formed the Mont Liggins Trust to further fertility research for new Species Survival Strategy and enabled the subsequent survival of the Kakapo and other rare and endangered species.
Early Voting’s uncommon equine fertility case piqued Dr. Paddy’s clinical interest immediately.
Gracefully, the owners Taylor Made Farm, Kentucky, agreed to work with Dr. Paddy and Early Voting at the end of 2023.
Commenting on the clinical condition, Dr. Paddy said, “Early Voting has a very rare condition that is difficult to diagnose and treat. Because of the work of the Mont Liggins Trust with the Kakapo and Tuatara, (NZ’s native reptile that is the closest living relative to the dinosaur on Earth), we have developed a very unique diagnostic suite for this exact scenario. I just feel very fortunate to have been involved and have had the assistance of our many international colleagues. It is such a credit to all the interested parties who have gone literally to the end of the earth for Early Voting’s welfare.”
After less than two months, Dr. Paddy and the Mont Liggins Trust, in honour of the late Professor Mont Liggins, are proud to announce the complete success in the treatment of Early Voting’s Anejaculatory Syndrome. A very happy Early Voting will be standing in the 2024 breeding season at the worldwide recognized Thoroughbred stud, Taylor Made Farm, in Lexington, Kentucky.
For further information, contact:
Dr. Zahra J Champion
Chief Scientist
Mont Liggins Trust
info@montliggins.com
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