Throughout history, there have been a number of extremely promising sires who died after leaving just a couple of foal crops behind. While we will never know the true extent of their loss, there are some prematurely deceased stallions whose loss appeared to have been truly detrimental to the thoroughbred. Here are just a few examples of potential star sires who died too soon, writes Sarah Whitelaw.
TROY (Petingo –La Milo)
Brilliant winner of the1979 Epsom Derby winner, Troy spent just four years at stud, before dying of peritonitis at Highclere Stud (he had been syndicated for £7.2 million at the end of his racing career). In a limited stud career, Troy left behind Gr1 Irish Oaks winner Helen Street and Gr1 Prix Vermeille winner Walensee.
Helen Street is the dam of ill-fated G1 Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry and second dam of French Derby winner Shamardal –with both Street Cry (Machiavellian) and Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) having since gone on to be outstanding sires and successful sire of sires. Walensee also produced a top class performer in Gr1 Ascot Gold Cup hero Westerner (Danehill), while Troy’s son Tropular is the sire of French Derby winner Ragmar (another Troy son Trojan Fen is sire of 2000 Guineas runner up Lucky Lindy). Troy is also damsire of Epsom Derby winner Oath (Fairy King) and former globetrotting champion Pilsudski (Polish Precedent).
SHERGAR (Great Nephew –Sharmeen)
Epsom Derby Winner 1981
Shergar – W.Swinburn going to post.
Famously kidnapped (and presumed to have subsequently been killed), Shergar completed just one full season at Ballymany Stud before being abducted. A brilliant 10 length winner of the 1981 Epsom Derby, the charismatic Shergar is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant Derby winners of all time. However, he did not receive the chance to stamp himself as an equally top sire –with Shergar being kidnapped shortly before he began his second season at stud. His sole crop of foals did include Gr1 Irish St Leger winner Authaal and classic placed filly Maysoon.
DUBAI MILLENNIUM (Seeking The Gold –Colorado Dancer)
Dubai Millenium
The mighty 2000 Dubai World Cup winner failed to complete his first season at stud, before being felled by a fatal bout of grass sickness. However, his 35 foals to race included 3 group winners, including triple G1 winner and subsequent outstanding sire Dubawi. The latter has more than 20 Gr1 winners and 100 odd stakes winners to his credit, including promising young sires Makfi and Poet’s Voice, as well as a plethora of young, unproven sire sons. Only once defeated (when failing to stay the Derby’s 2400m trip), Dubai Millennium was one of the most brilliant thoroughbreds of his generation.
MOZART (Danehill -Victoria Cross)
Britain’s Champion Sprinter of 2001, and winner of both the Gr1 July Cup and Gr1 Nunthorpe Stakes, Mozart was another brilliant performer who died too soon. By one of history’s greatest sires in Danehill, Mozart (who ran second to SA sire Black Minnaloushe in the 2001 Irish 2000 Guineas) is out of a daughter of Broodmare Of The Year Glowing Tribute. Sadly, the champion died of colitis, after completing just one season at Coolmore Stud. This crop of 86 foals included 58 winners, with Mozart’s eight stakes winners including Gr1 Middle Park Stakes winner Amadeus Wolf, and three other group/graded winners. Mozart’s son Dandy Man is the sire of Gr1 Hong Kong Sprint winner Peniaphobia, and Mozart is also broodmare sire of young sire and Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Magician (Galileo).
NORTHERN METEOR (Encosta De Lago – Explosive)
Northern Meteor
A Gr1 winning sprinter who won the Ascot Vale Stakes, Northern Meteor (also his sire’s best sire son) is a son of Fairy King’s best sire son Encosta De Lago and from the same family as Sadler’s Wells and Fairy King himself. Sadly, the stallion, who spent his stud career at Widden Stud in Australia, died after completing just a few seasons at stud. A former Leading First Crop Sire in Australia, the ill-fated Northern Meteor’s 19 stakes winners include no fewer than six Gr1 winners, including young Australian sires Shooting To Win and Zoustar. Another son Deep Field, a full brother to Shooting To Win, covered over 150 mares during his first season at stud.
COLORADO (Phalaris –Canyon)
Out of a mare who won the 1000 Guineas, the talented Colorado is regarded as one of the finest sons of the great sire Phalaris. His wins included both the 2000 Guineas and Eclipse Stakes, with Colorado’s seven other victories also including the Coventry Stakes at two. Sadly, the blue blooded Colorado died after just two seasons at stud, but his offspring included Hyperion’s Gold Cup conqueror Felicitation and Eclipse Stakes winner Loaningdale. A son of Colorado, Furrokh Siyar sired Queen’s Plate hero Arabian Night II.
BOLD REASONING (Boldnesian – Reason To Earn)
Winner of both the Jersey Derby (once a Gr1 race) and Withers Stakes, the ill-fated Bold Reasoning (who also set a track record over 1200m) had just a couple of seasons at Claiborne Stud before his premature death (due to an accident in the breeding shed). However, he ensured his own immortality by siring US Triple Crown winner and US Champion Sire Seattle Slew, whose own numerous high class sire sons include champion sire A P Indy and champion 2yo sire Capote. Another important son of Bold Reasoning was French G1 winner Super Concorde (won Gr1 Prix Morny, Gr1 Grand Criterium), who, ironically, himself also died young. Super Concorde also made his mark on the breed, siring top sprinter, and Gr1 July Cup runner up, Big Shuffle, who was champion sire in Germany and who sired fellow German champion sire Areion and former leading first crop sire Auenadler.
