Danehill Dancer, champion sire in Britain and Ireland in 2009 and champion sire of 2yo’s three times, was euthanized due to the infirmities of old age, Coolmore announced last week, writes Sarah Whitelaw.
Danehill Dancer
The son of Danehill, who lived till age 24, had been pensioned from stud duties in 2014.
Danehill Dancer, bought for Ir£38k as a yearling, won the Gr1 Phoenix Stakes and Gr1 National Stakes to become the Irish Champion 2yo of his year.
He won the Gr3 Greenham Stakes as a 3yo, and was Gr1 placed in France before retiring to Coolmore, and shuttling to Australia. He started his career at a low studfee of Ir£4k, which rose to €115k in 2007 and 2008.
Danehill Dancer is among the very best sire sons of Danehill. He has 21 individual Gr1 winners including five champions (in both hemispheres), his progeny ranging from champion sprinter Choisir to dual Oaks winner Dancing Rain. His tally of 171 stakes winners compares favourably with Danehill stallions Redoute’s Choice (142), Dansili (116), Fastnet Rock (110) and Exceed And Excel (129). Understandably, he proved popular in the sales ring, his progeny fetching up to €1million.
Other notable Gr1 winners include Irish 2000 Guineas winner Mastercraftsman, Prix Ganay winner Planteur, 1000 Guineas winners Speciosa and Legatissimo, and Irish 1000 Guineas winner Again. His progeny have earned more than $170 million.
Danehill Dancer proved capable of siring high class runners of both sexes, as 13 of his 21 Gr1 winners were female.
The Gr1 Phoenix Stakes (over 6f) was Danehill Dancer’s ‘race’.
He won in 1995 (one of 4 winners of the race for his sire Danehill), and sired subsequent winners Mastercraftsman and Alfred Nobel. When the latter captured the 2009 Phoenix Stakes, he accounted for Air Chief Marshal and Walk On Bye to give Danehill Dancer a rare 1-2-3 finish in a Gr1 race.
Legatissimo
Danehill Dancer did well when mated to Sadler’s Wells line mares, producing multiple Gr1 winner Legatissimo, US G1 winner Ave, and Graded SW’s Chrysanthemum, Endowing, and Osaila.
Danehill Dancer was produced by Mira Adonde, a daughter of Gr1 Middle Park Stakes winner Sharpen Up. She was from a high class family, which includes successful US sire Mr. Greeley, (Gone West) and US champion and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense (Street Cry). A recent high class performer from the family is Gr2 Coventry Stakes winner Buratino (Exceed And Excel).
The best of Danehill Dancer’s sire-sons may be Choisir, sire of Gr1 producing sire Starspangledbanner. Choisir sired more than 70 stakes winners, including 10 individual Gr1 winners. Like Danehill Dancer, Choisir got runners who stayed better than he himself did – his son Kushadasi won the South Australian Derby (2500m).
Other sons of Danehill Dancer with Gr1 winners are Air Chief Marshal, Monsieur Bond, Mastercraftsman, and Lizard Island (the USA one standing in Argentina, not the Australian one in SA). Another son, Gr3 Acomb Stakes winner Fast Company is responsible for 2016 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Jet Setting.
Minding – a champion and Horse Of The Year
Danehill Dancer’s daughters fared particularly well in 2016, with Gr1 winners Minding, The Gurkha and Alice Springs – all sired by Galileo. Danehill Dancer is also damsire of current high class Australian 3yo Man From Uncle (Uncle Mo), and German 1000 Guineas winner Hawksmoor (Azamour).
From a small number of runners in South Africa, Danehill Dancer has Gr2 winning stayer Ovidio and Gr3 Final Fling Stakes winner Crimson Blossom, as well as multiple Gr1 placed Berry Blaze. A daughter, Aquavella, is dam of Gr1 2yo placed Dawn Calling (by Trippi, who also is sire of SW Brillant Crimson, out of a Danehill Dancer mare).
