This year marks what would have been the 35th year of deceased legendary sire Danehill. He was born on 26 March, which means last Friday marked his 35th ‘birthday’, so to speak.
One of the greatest stallions of the modern era, Danehill achieved staggering heights as a sire, sire of sires and broodmare sire, and his legacy looks set to continue for decades to come.
Danehill
The sire of 347 stakes winners, and a further 235 black type horses, Danehill’s numerous sires titles included nine in Australia and a further four in Britain/Ireland.
Danehill’s descendants continue to make their presence felt across the globe, with his legacy particuarly strong in Australasia.
His grandson Snitzel was Australia’s Champion Sire for a third straight year in 2019-2020, while Snitzel’s sire Redoute’s Choice, broodmare sire of among others top Australian sire Zoustar, was Australia’s Champion Broodmare Sire last season.
Redoute’s Choice’s now pensioned son Not A Single Doubt currently heads the General Sires List in Australia this season.
Danehill’s son Fastnet Rock, sire of more than 40 Gr1 winners, has enjoyed a tremendous year in 2020-2021, with the dual Australian champion sire supplying a second consecutive winner of the Gr1 New Zealand Derby courtesy of his son Rocket Spade.
Fastnet Rock enjoyed more success on Saturday when his son Packing Rockstar won the Gr2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy, while fellow Danehill champion sire, Exceed And Excel, is the sire of Saturday’s Gr2 Godolphin Mile hero Secret Ambition.
‘Secret Ambition lands the Godolphin Mile for Tadhg O’Shea and UAE-based trainer Satish Seemar (Credit – DRC & Erika Rasmussen)
The Danehill influence also continues to be felt in the Northern Hemisphere through his sire sons Dansili, Danehill Dancer, Exceed And Excel, Fastnet Rock, Kodiac – who had 3 sire sons finish in the top ten in last year’s Leading First Season Sires List in Great Britain – and their numerous high-class descendants, while his son Darci Brahma is the sire of recent Hong Kong Derby victor Sky Darci.
While critics of inbreeding to Danehill point out the number of times it has been done without success, there remains a large, and growing, number of top-class gallopers inbred to the mighty son of Danzig.
The latest example of Danehill inbreeding can be seen in Saturday’s Gr1 LONGINES Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside. Sired by Danehill’s great grandson Extreme Choice, Stay Inside’s granddam Nothin’ Leica was sired by Danehill’s multiple Gr1 winning son Nothin’ Leica Dane.
Stay Inside was not the only horse closely inbred to Danehill to capture a Gr1 race in Australia on Saturday -tough as teak mare Verry Elleegant claimed her eighth Gr1 success when scoring a thrilling win in Saturday’s Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill.
Verry Elleegant’s sire Zed (Zabeel) is out of Danehill’s Gr1 winning daughter Emerald Dream, while her dam Opulence was sired by Danehill’s Gr2 winning son Danroad.
Saturday’s impressive Gr2 Dubai Gold Cup victor Subjectivist is yet another inbred to Danehill, with his sire Teofilo (Galileo) out of the Danehill mare Speirbhean and Subjectivist’s own dam Reckoning a daughter of Danehill’s top class sire and broodmare sire son Danehill Dancer.
Saturday’s Gr3 TAB Birthday Card Stakes winner Seasons is another inbred to Danehill -her sire Sebring out of a mare by Danehill’s Golden Slipper winner Flying Spur and her dam a daughter of Danehill’s Gr1 winning son Al Maher.
In South Africa, Danehill’s sons include proven Gr1 sources Duke Of Marmalade and Oratorio, while Rafeef, a grandson of Danehill, currently heads South Africa’s Leading First Season Sires list for 2020-2021.
Rafeef (photo: hamishNIVENPhotography)
This coming weekend’s Triple Tiara bidder War Of Athena is out of a mare by Danehill’s Gr2 winning son Requiem, while Horse Of The Year Legislate, who made such a promising start to his stud career, is out of a mare by Danehill’s son Restructure. While Legislate was sired by Dynasty, War Of Athena was sired by Dynasty’s son Act Of War.
Danehill has also become an influential broodmare sire of successful sires, with his daughters having already produced the likes of Frankel, Siyouni and Teofilo, to name but three.
One can but wonder what the modern day stud book would look like without the impact of Danehill!
