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The popular five-time Group 1 winner has left Coolmore after being sold to Drakenstein Stud. He has sired 23 stakes horses, but no winners beyond Group 3 level. Venus De Milo was also placed in the Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks.
He was never going to be a stallion to produce precocious horses, so I guess Coolmore have lost patience now it is also clear that he won’t be churning out middle distance classic contenders either.
Coolmore is pretty ruthless when a horse doesn’t do the track or at stud. They usually get it right and the likes of master craftsman,war front and fastnet rock are doing fantastic at stud at the moment. Dom was one of my fav horses and could have been even better but for an injury plagued 3yo career.
Only sired about 25 foals last year, clearly the breeders weren’t supporting him. If a stallion doesn’t get a heap of 2yr old winners or a stakes performer in their first 2yr old season, its going to be a hard slog to become fashionable again.
Look at Dylan Thomas, virtually transferred the the NH shed (also only about 25 foals last year), yet had a G1 and G2 winner at the weekend.
The market to buy flat horses that won’t mature until 3 or even 4 is unfortunately selective and virtually restricted to the big hitters looking for the Derby winner.
The loss of Furner’s Green really hit Dylan Thomas, I think.
I thought Rock Of Gibraltar might be on the way out until he had a good season last year. Alex Ferguson might have a say in those matters, though.
Hopefully the Ferdinand Agreement keeps all of these horses safe. Does anyone know how Hawk Wing has been doing in Korea?
Ferdinand was a Kentucky Derby winner, later send to stud in Japan. Once his commercial value or fertility declined, he was slaughtered for meat.
Now, a ‘Ferdinand Fee’ is a common clause when stallions are sold from Europe or the US to Asia or Africa. This allows the previous owners to buy the horse back for a pre-agreed fee once they are no longer wanted by the stud. It protects champions from being slaughtered. Roses In May was one of the first stallions to be protected by the Ferdinand Fee.
By the way, Coolmore announced the retirement of Danehill Dancer from stud duties today. They must be in the market for some new sires now…
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