South African breeding and racing awoke on Wednesday to the sad news that Maine Chance Farms flagbearer and multiple SA Champion Sire Silvano has been euthanized after a serious bout of colic.
He had retired a year earlier and was 25 years old.
The son of Lomitas, a five times champion sire in South Africa, originally stood at stud in Germany.
Silvano and Monty Roberts (Pic – Jeremy Nelson)
In a twist of fate that was to change the landscape in South African racing and breeding for decades, Silvano shuttled here in 2003 and was forced to stay, due to an outbreak of African Horse Sickness.
A half-brother to Gr1 Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap winning sire Sabiango (Acatenango) and a full-brother to the dam of Hemel ‘n Aarde’s Gr3 winning Dynasty sire Horizon, Silvano is one of ten winners produced by 11 time winning mare Spirit Of Eagles – America’s and Germany’s Broodmare Of The Year of 2001.
A champion globetrotting racehorse of his time, Silvano won seven races, while earning more than $4 000 000 in prize money, tasting success in all of Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore and the USA. He scored his most notable victory when landing the 2001 Gr1 Arlington Million
At the virtual Equus Awards in 2020, Silvano claimed his fifth South African General Sires title. It was his fourth consecutive national title, having also been Champion Sire in South Africa back in 2012/13.
Silvano also enjoyed success with his German conceived runners including champion, and Gr1 Deutsches Derby winner, Lucky Speed and group/graded stakes winners Fair Breeze, Proudinsky and German classic winner Mi Emma.
Silvano, whose SA Horse Of The Year daughter Summer Pudding was crowned Champion Older Mare at Equus on the same evening, has a current tally of stakes winners that stands at over 100.
With 25 Gr1 winning progeny, he is the best German stallion ever, ahead of legendary Monsun.
The legend of the stallion barn is also making his mark as a sire of sires, with his Gr1 Daily News 2000/Gr1 Jebel Hatta winning son Vercingetorix already showing championship aspirations.
Silvano’s younger son Hawwaam has just joined the Wilgerbosdrift stallion roster.
The champion’s dominance extended to the sales ring where his progeny were always sought after.
He holds the South African record for a top-priced yearling, set in 2019 when his colt Masaki sold for R9 million.
In a press release published today, Maine Chance Farms said that Silvano was the last great Sire from the Nijinsky II male line – this legacy will continue with his incredible son Vercingetorix, a future champion sire.
A key reason to acquire Maine Chance Farms in the beginning was Silvano – he had all the attributes to fit South Africa as a Sire. We would like to thank all the great breeders who supported him in the first years – a horse from Germany with a strange pedigree and an owner they didn’t know!
From all of us at Maine Chance Farms, his loyal carers and everyone who supported him over the years, we say goodbye! Silvano will lie peacefully under the trees in his paddock where he will be laid to rest.
Our thoughts are with the Jacobs family and the Maine Chance team today.
South African racing has lost a legend.
Please enjoy the video clip by Andrew Bon:
