Kingston Park Studs and the Independent Stallion Station of Victoria have announced a joint venture partnership that will merge both enterprises' stallion resources at the commencement of the 2007/08 breeding season.

The exciting initiative will see young sires King Of Roses and Ice Point (ARG) from Kingston Park Studs join Independent Stallions' incumbent roster that features former world champion 2yo Arazi (USA), Irish G1 winning 2yo Beckett (IRE), Irish River's G1 producing son Brief Truce (USA) and four-time US G1 winner Denon (USA), by Pleasant Colony.

And in a significant coup for the studs' ambitions Independent Stallions' have secured, for three-years, the Southern Hemisphere breeding rights to five-year-old Artie Schiller, winner of the 2005 Breeders' Cup Mile.

By Sadler's Wells' son El Prado Artie Schiller is a great grandson of the all conquering Northern Dancer so he is impeccably credentialed to continue that bloodline's phenomenal success in Australia which is exactly what Independent Stallions' Mike Becker is expecting him to do.

"He clearly is a great speed horse at the best level. He's sound, honest and fast so he's everything you look for," said Becker.

The collective stallion roster will be marketed under Becker's Independent Stallions banner in conjunction with Kingston Park with all seven stallions standing at Independent Stallions' fledgling Nagambie property located at the heart of Victoria's thoroughbred breeding community - the "Hunter Valley of Victoria" as some describe it.

Originally the vision of Kingston Park's principal David Hains the mooted partnership immediately struck a chord with Becker who enthusiastically embraced the idea.

"I was approached by an adviser to Mr Hains to see whether I would be interested in standing the horses," explained Becker.

"At that stage it was going to be three horses but unfortunately Westbridge died in the interim."

"Mr Hains came to the farm which is a new farm that we are currently developing at Nagambie and we had a long chat and discussed the possibilities and that's how it all started."

"We stood our four stallions there last season, our first year, and the farm is pretty much finished now."

"We are simply standing the horses on behalf of Mr Hains and Kingston Park Studs who will continue to keep their mares at Kingston Park Merricks and rear their foals - so it's a good partnership."

Becker went on to say he was especially smitten with the striking nine-year-old Fairy King horse King Of Roses which has achieved good results with extremely limited representation.

"I personally am a big fan of the Fairy King line," Becker enthused.

"I mean we already stand Beckett because we are of the belief that sons of Fairy King have been hugely successful in Australia, even with the exception of Encosta de Lago."

"So I was particularly taken with King Of Roses because not only was he a good looking horse but he clearly had a lot of ability himself and has already demonstrated an ability to pass on that touch of brilliance that the sire line is known for."

"Ice Point (ARG) also shows promise as I think we are beginning to learn that the South American form is very good form."

"If you look at the number of horses from Chile, Argentina or Brazil that now regularly go to America and take out their group one races, then you have to start to respect the form."

The breeding venture looks likely to especially benefit the stud careers of King Of Roses and Ice Point which until now have not been marketed as commercial stallions.

"What it does is it places the horses closer to the breeding centre of Victoria and gives them more exposure to breeders so it's very exciting," explained Kingston Parks' David Houston.

"King Of Roses is going very well with the likes of Rose Ceremony and Amerryking."

"He's only had eleven runners and all of them have got cheques."

"And Ice Point has only got yearlings but they are great looking foals so we are hoping he will do well also."

Both King Of Roses and Ice Point, by Roy, will be relocated to Nagambie from Kingston Park's Burnewang North stud at Rochester where David Hains' daughter Kathy will move in and set up her own boutique breeding operation Houston says.

For more information breeders should contact Mike Becker on 0412 538 155 or David Houston on 0408 609 994.