Bloodstock expert Nancy Sexton ranks the stallions who have left the most indelible mark in the last 100 years, starting with numbers 6-10
6. HYPERION (1930-1960)
Gainsborough – Selene (Chaucer)
Stood: Woodland Stud, Newmarket, Britain
Hyperion was famously so small that a special feed trough had to be constructed for him as a yearling. Yet despite his stature – Lord Derby’s homebred stood 15.1 hands high at full maturity – he won the Derby and St Leger and later became a six-time champion British and Irish sire. He was also among the top ten leading sires on 16 occasions, a record at the time surpassed by only St Simon.
Naturally, much of Hyperion’s success was achieved in Britain, where he sired the brilliant Sun Chariot, the Fillies’ Triple Crown winner of 1942, alongside Owen Tudor (won the 1941 Derby), Godiva (1940 1,000 Guineas and Oaks) and Aureole (1954 King George and a champion sire).
Yet Hyperion’s influence was also keenly felt in America. His first-crop Classic-placed son Heliopolis headed to the US where he became a champion sire while St James’s Palace Stakes winner Khaled left behind the outstanding Swaps and the unraced Alibhai sired 54 stakes winners.
Aristophanes also went to Argentina where he sired South American sensation Forli, who later stood with success in Kentucky.
Once powerful on both sides of the Atlantic as well as Australasia through his champion grandson Star Kingdom, Hyperion’s sire line has sadly dwindled in recent years. However, he was an exceptional influence through his daughters, most notably in his role as the damsire of Northern Dancer’s sire Nearctic, meaning that he remains ever present within the backgrounds of many high-profile horses today.
In acknowledging Hyperion, tribute must also be paid to his dam Selene, who also foaled Sickle (the great-grandsire of Native Dancer) and Pharamond II (the grandsire of Tom Fool, sire of Buckpasser etc).
7. DANZIG (1977-2006)
Northern Dancer – Pas De Nom (Admiral’s Voyage)
Stood: Claiborne Farm, Kentucky, USA
Danzig showed brilliant speed during his brief career on the track, never challenged to win each of his three starts by daylight for Woody Stephens. Knee problems brought an early curtain down on his career but such was his blatant talent that Seth Hancock was still inclined to given the stocky colt a chance on his Claiborne Farm roster in Kentucky – a decision that was rewarded many times over.
From an early stage, Danzig proved he could throw major runners on both dirt and turf, siring multiple G1 winner Chief’s Crown out of a first crop of 29 and top European sprinter Green Desert out of a similarly small second crop. Big names such as Dayjur, Danehill, Polish Precedent, Anabaa and Elnadim would follow in Europe while the likes of Lure, Langfuhr, Dispute, Hard Spun, Dance Smartly and War Front kept his name in lights in the US.
In all, he left behind approximately 200 stakes winners and led the North American champion sires’ list on two occasions, in 1991 and 1992.
Regarded as a fine source of speed, the Danzig sire line has become particularly commercial in Europe, where Danehill and Green Desert in particular have forged their own sire lines; Danehill became a remarkable force across both hemispheres while Green Desert is an important influence primarily through sons Oasis Dream and Invincible Spirit. In Kentucky, Danzig’s place has been ably assumed at Claiborne by War Front, to date the sire of 23 G1 winners.
8. DANEHILL (1986-2003)
Danzig – Razyana (His Majesty)
Stood: Coolmore, Ireland; Arrowfield Stud, Australia, Coolmore, Australia
For all the successful sire sons that Danzig left behind, he flows particularly strong through Danehill.
Danehill was an outstanding stallion in the northern hemisphere, where he sired 40 G1 winners ranging from the champion sprinter Mozart and miler Rock Of Gibraltar to Derby hero North Light.
But it is in the southern hemisphere where he truly dominated; indeed, he altered the breeding industry to such an extent in Australasia that today stallions with no or little Danehill in their background are marketed positively as such.
Out of a close relation to Northern Dancer, Danehill was raced by his breeder Prince Khalid Abdullah and trained by Jeremy Tree, for whom he won the 1989 Cork and Orrery Stakes and Haydock Sprint Cup. At that time, Abdullah’s stallion operation was in its infancy and Danehill was sold to stand at Coolmore in Ireland. From the start, he was a regular shuttler to Australia, initially to Arrowfield Stud, and it was there that his stud career took flight, with an army of early good horses led by three consecutive winners of the Golden Slipper.
Danehill came to be placed on a similarly exalted pedestal in Europe. He went on to win three British and Irish sires’ championships, to go with the nine achieved in Australia. He is the most successful sire in history with 349 stakes winners to his credit, 89 of them at the highest level, and possesses a number of G1-producing sons, among them the Australian-bred Fastnet Rock and Exceed And Excel, both of whom followed their sire’s example by transcending the different hemispheres. Others include Danehill Dancer, Dansili and Kodiac in Europe and Redoute’s Choice and Flying Spur in Australia.
9. NASRULLAH (1940-1959)
Nearco – Mumtaz Begum (Blenheim)
Stood: Barton Grange Stud, Britain; Brownstown Stud, Ireland; Claiborne Farm, Kentucky
There is a famous image in Phil Bull’s Best Racehorses of 1943 of a bay colt behaving in obstinate fashion. Under it is the caption ‘Nasrullah impersonating a mule’.
The Aga Khan’s colt possessed a wealth of ability but with racing restricted to Newmarket during wartime Britain, had taken a dislike to running consistently in his home location. His temperamental behaviour most likely compromised his career – jockey Sir Gordon Richards learned the hard way that Nasrullah stopped in front – but as it is, he still won half his ten starts including the Champion and Coventry Stakes.
Nasrullah first stood in Suffolk before heading to Ireland, where he left behind the Classic winners Musidora, Nearula and Belle Of All as well as the top-flight American runner Noor. In later 1949, he was resold to stand in Kentucky at Claiborne Farm as the property of a high-powered syndicate.
And it was under that management that he became a stallion of real influence, not just as a five-time American champion but as the sire of Never Bend (sire of Mill Reef), Red God (sire of Blushing Groom) and Bold Ruler (eight-time champion stallion, sire of Secretariat and great-grandsire of Seattle Slew). Today, his sire line is at its most powerful through Seattle Slew, notably thanks to his son A.P. Indy. There also remain several remnants descending from Never Bend, Blushing Groom and Grey Sovereign, the latter primarily in France.
10. SUNDAY SILENCE (1986-2002)
Halo – Wishing Well (Understanding)
Stood: Shadai Stallion Station, Japan
Despite his outstanding race record, Sunday Silence was shunned by American breeders when it came to retire him to Stone Farm in Kentucky. The Halo colt had famously been a $17,000 yearling, which explained several perceived conformational flaws, and had an underwhelming female line.
Yet all that seemingly meant little to the Yoshida family; already owner of 25% of the horse, they offered owner Arthur Hancock $250,000 per share and thus Sunday Silence was on his way to Japan where he sired 171 stakes winners and became a 13-time champion sire. So dominant was Sunday Silence that today it is estimated that at least 70% of broodmares based in Japan have him somewhere in their female lines.
In time, he became a catalyst for Japan’s rise as a global force, with his stock key in attracting international investors into the country. And that has been a mantle assumed by his best son Deep Impact, to date the sire of almost 60 G1 winners and a ten-time champion sire who now has G1-winning sons at stud in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia in addition to Japan.
Sunday Silence, a representative the Hail To Reason branch of the Royal Charger/Nearco line, also left behind major sires Heart’s Cry, Daiwa Major and Stay Gold. Quite often dark in colour, it’s a versatile line which has won respect for its toughness, both physical and mental.
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