In sad news for the South African thoroughbred breeding industry, it has been announced that Drakenstein Stud’s War Front stallion Lancaster Bomber died on Tuesday morning as a result of a suspected heart attack.
“It’s with a sad and heavy heart that we say goodbye to Lancaster Bomber today. He collapsed this morning in his paddock from a suspected heart attack. He was a young stallion with a bright future, and we are very sad that we will not see the best of him. He was always a character to work with and had a lovely temperament, he was liked by all in the stallion barn,” said the champion breeders in a statement on social media.
A beautifully pedigreed Gr1 winning international champion, Lancaster Bomber was about to commence his third season at stud.
Leading local Stallion Manager John Freeman announced in March 2019 that Drakenstein Stud Farm had mandated him to syndicate and manage Lancaster Bomber’s career.
A son of International Sire and Sire of Sires War Front, Lancaster Bomber was Champion Older Horse in Ireland in 2018 and a winner of the Gr1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in one of the fastest times recorded in the history of the race.
The globetrotting Lancaster Bomber defeated 23 individual Gr1 winners during his career including champions of the likes of Churchill, Blue Point, Lightning Spear, Ribchester, Limato and Thunder Snow – to mention a few.
He was one of the top-rated sons of War Front to retire to stud at TFR 123.
