Albert's Vigilance - first for Albert Hall
Albert Hall was credited with his first success as a sire when colt Alberts Vigilance won at the third time of asking over 1000m at Kenilworth on Wednesday.
Albert Hall won four races between 1600m and 2000m in a career which saw him compete in Ireland, the UK, and South Africa. He achieved his biggest success at the age of two, when he won the Gr 2 Beresford Stakes over 1600m in Ireland before going on in the same season to finish second in the Gr 1 Racing Post Trophy in England. He won twice from six starts when trained by Charles Laird before being retired to stud.
Albert Hall is by Danehill, the superb sire-of-sires whose stallion sons have included the very successful likes of Danehill Dancer, Dansili, Rock Of Gibraltar, Redoute’s Choice, Flying Spur, Desert King, and Exceed And Excel. He is out of the once-winning Roberto mare Al Theraab, dam also of French Stakes winner Barsine. Albert Hall’s third dam Golden Trail left a strong legacy. Although only the winner of two minor races herself, she produced three Stakes winners and was the ancestress of almost countless other Black Type performers including the successful sires Dynaformer and Brian’s Time, the multiple Gr 1 winner Sunshine Forever, American champion turf mare Ryafan, dual Gr 1 winner Memories Of Silver, and Gr 1 winner Offlee Wild. Other stallions who are direct descendants of Albert Hall’s third dam are Darby Creek Road, Supremo, and Russian Revival (the sire of Imbongi), who now stands at stud in Kenya.
Albert Hall was retired to Klawervlei Stud in the Western Cape in 2007. The nine-year-old stallion stood the 2010 season at an advertised fee of R8000,
