Danehill (26 March 1986 – 13 May 2003) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who was the most successful sire of all time with 349 stakes winners and 89 Grade 1 winners. He was the leading sire in Australia nine times, the leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland three times and the leading sire in France twice.
Background Danehill was a bay stallion by leading sire Danzig (by Northern Dancer) out of Razyana (by His Majesty). Danehill was inbred twice to Natalma in the third generation (3x3) of his pedigree. He was a brother to a stakes winner, Eagle Eyed, and two other stallions, Anziyan and Nuclear Freeze.ASB – Razyana (USA) Retrieved on 2009-8-13 Danehill was owned during his racing career by Khalid Abdullah, who also bred him.
Racing career Trained by Jeremy Tree, Danehill ran nine times, winning four. As a three-year-old, following a third placing in the 2,000 Guineas behind Nashwan and a fourth place in the Irish equivalent, Danehill was switched to sprinting, winning the Cork and Orrery Stakes at Ascot and the Haydock Sprint Cup. During his racing career he earned a total of £177,465 and ran to a peak Timeform rating of T126.
Stud record Danehill retired to stud duties in 1990 at the Coolmore Stud in Ireland and made his greatest impact as a stallion.
Sold by his owner under advice to the partnership of Arrowfield Stud of Scone, New South Wales, Australia, and Ireland's Coolmore Stud, he came to Australia as a shuttle stallion in 1990. At the end of the stud season, he returned to Coolmore Stud in Ireland. He was an immediate sensation at stud in Australia, where he was leading sire on many occasions. Danehill returned to Australia ten more times and also served one season at stud in Japan during 1996.ASB – Migration Retrieved on 200-8-12
With his appeal to European breeders, he became the first high-profile shuttle stallion, standing the Northern Hemisphere covering season at Coolmore's Irish facility. Coolmore subsequently became his sole owner after a $24 million deal, making him the most valuable Thoroughbred in Australian breeding history.Champion Danehill dies in accident Retrieved on 200-8-12
Danehill's success in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France was slow to develop as connections had convinced themselves the Danehills required wet tracks and light work. After winning 3 Golden Slippers in his first 3 crops in Australia the opposite was proven true and Ballydoyle who had the majority of the NH Danehills adjusted their training methods which yielded Aidan O'Brien's first G1 success when Desert King, from the 4th crop of Danehill, won the G1 National Stakes for 2yos at The Curragh in 1996 under Walter Swinburn.
Danehill's highest rated racehorses were Rock Of Gibraltar (Sussex Stakes 2002), George Washington (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes 2006), Dylan Thomas (Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 2007 and King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2007), Duke Of Marmalade (Prince of Wales's Stakes 2008), Mozart (July Cup 2001) and Westerner (Ascot Gold Cup 2005).
Group 1 winners sired c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding, n = Northern Hemisphere, s = Southern Hemisphere
Foaled Name Sex Major wins 1991n Danish f Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes 1991n Kissing Cousin f Coronation Stakes 1991s Danarani f Toorak Handicap, Flight Stakes 1991s Danasinga c Stradbroke Handicap 1991s Danewin c Mackinnon Stakes, Caulfield Stakes, Doomben Cup, Spring Champion Stakes, Rosehill Guineas 1991s Danzero c Golden Slipper 1991s Joie Denise f Queensland Oaks 1992s Daney Boy g Karrakatta Plate 1992s Flying Spur c Golden Slipper, Australian Guineas, All Aged Stakes 1992s Nothin' Leica Dane c Spring Champion Stakes, Victoria Derby 1993n Danehill Dancer c Phoenix Stakes, National Stakes 1993s Dane Ripper f Stradbroke Handicap, W. S. Cox Plate, Australian Cup, Manikato Stakes 1993s Danendri f Australian Oaks, Vinery Stud Stakes 1993s Dashing Eagle f The Thousand Guineas, Flight Stakes 1993s Magic of Sydney f Spring Champion Stakes 1993s Merlene f Golden Slipper, AJC Sires' Produce Stakes 1994n Desert King c National Stakes, Irish 2,000 Guineas, Irish Derby 1994s Special Dane c C F Orr Stakes 1995n Tiger Hill c Grosser Preis von Baden, Bayerisches Zuchtrennen 1995s Arena c Canterbury Guineas, Victoria Derby 1995s Camarena f Queensland Derby 1995s Danelagh f Blue Diamond Stakes 1995s Danske c New Zealand 2000 Guineas 1995s Miss Danehill f Queensland Oaks 1996n Indian Danehill c Prix Ganay 1996n Wannabe Grand f Cheveley Park Stakes 1996s Blackfriars c Victoria Derby 1996s Catbird c Golden Slipper Stakes 1996s Emerald Dream f New Zealand International Stakes 1996s Redoute's Choice c Blue Diamond Stakes, Caulfield Guineas, Manikato Stakes, C F Orr Stakes 1996s Laisserfaire f Cape Flying Championship (2001, 2002),Winning Horse for Cape Flying Championship South Africa Fillies Sprint (2001, 2002),Winning Horse for South Africa Fillies Sprint Computaform Sprint(2002)Winning Horse for Computaform SprintLaisserfaire(AUS) 1997s Asia f South Australian Oaks 1997s Keeper c Goodwood Handicap 1997s Mr Murphy g Futurity Stakes, Australian Guineas, Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 1998n Aquarelliste f Prix de Diane, Prix Vermeille, Prix Ganay 1998n Banks Hill f Coronation Stakes, Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Prix Jacques Le Marois 1998n Mozart c July Cup, Nunthorpe Stakes 1998n Regal Rose f Cheveley Park Stakes 1998s Danestorm c Brisbane Cup 1998s Ha Ha f Golden Slipper 1998s Magical Miss f The Thousand Guineas, VRC Oaks 1998s Viking Ruler c Spring Champion Stakes 1999n Dress To Thrill f Matriarch Stakes 1999n Fine Motion f Shuka Sho, Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup 1999n Landseer c Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes 1999n Rock of Gibraltar c Grand Critérium, Dewhurst Stakes, 2000 Guineas, Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James's Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes, Prix du Moulin 1999n Westerner c Prix du Cadran, Prix Royal-Oak, Ascot Gold Cup 1999s Larrocha f South Australian Oaks 1999s Lucky Owners c Hong Kong Mile 1999s Platinum Scissors c Spring Champion Stakes, Doomben Cup 1999s The Duke g Hong Kong Mile 2000n Clodovil c Poule d'Essai des Poulains 2000n Intercontinental f Jenny Wiley Stakes, Just A Game Handicap, Matriarch Stakes 2000n Light Jig f Yellow Ribbon Stakes 2000n Spartacus c Phoenix Stakes, Gran Criterium 2000s Elvstroem c Victoria Derby, Caulfield Cup, Underwood Stakes, C F Orr Stakes, Dubai Duty Free Stakes 2000s Exceed And Excel c Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, Newmarket Handicap 2001n Artiste Royal c Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship Stakes, Charles Whittingham Stakes 2001n Cacique c Man o' War Stakes, Manhattan Handicap 2001n Grey Lilas f Prix du Moulin 2001n North Light c Epsom Derby 2001n Punctilious f Yorkshire Oaks 2001s Al Maher c Australian Guineas 2001s Aqua d'Amore f Futurity Stakes 2001s Fastnet Rock c Lexus Classic, Lightning Stakes, Oakleigh Plate 2001s Shinzig c C F Orr Stakes 2001s Zipping g Turnbull Stakes, Australian Cup 2002n Echelon f Matron Stakes 2002n Luas Line f Garden City Handicap 2002n Mountain High c Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud 2002n Oratorio c Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, Eclipse Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes 2002s Darci Brahma c The T J Smith, New Zealand 2000 Guineas, Otaki-Maori Weight for Age, Waikato Sprint, Telegraph Handicap 2003n Aussie Rules c Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes 2003n Champs Elysees c Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes, Northern Dancer Turf Stakes, Canadian International Stakes 2003n Dylan Thomas c Irish Derby, Irish Champion Stakes, Prix Ganay, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 2003n George Washington c Phoenix Stakes, National Stakes, 2,000 Guineas, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes 2003n Horatio Nelson c Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère 2003n Rumplestiltskin f Moyglare Stud Stakes, Prix Marcel Boussac 2003s Arlington Road g All Aged Stakes 2004n Duke of Marmalade c Prix Ganay, Tattersalls Gold Cup, Prince of Wales's Stakes, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, International Stakes 2004n Holy Roman Emperor c Phoenix Stakes, Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère 2004n Peeping Fawn f Pretty Polly Stakes, Irish Oaks, Nassau Stakes, Yorkshire Oaks 2004n Promising Lead f Pretty Polly Stakes 2004n Simply Perfect f Fillies' Mile, Falmouth Stakes
Also: Scintillation (3 × Hong Kong local G1), Fairy King Prawn (4 × Hong Kong local G1,1 x Japan G1). Fairy King Prawn won local G1 in Hong Kong and a local G1 in Japan but neither was a race listed in Part 1 of the International Cataloguing Standards, which means they counted for listed status only.
His total of 84 International G1 winners was a world record until June 2020 when Peaceful won the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas in Ireland, thereby making her a new world-record 85th G1 winner for her sire, Galileo.
Danehill was the sire of 2,485 foals, of which 347 were black-type winners (209 Group winners and 138 Listed winners). Danehill's last foal crop, which comprised 96 live foals, were born in 2004.
Danzig and his son, Danehill, were dominant bay sires along with Danehill's sons. This meant that they would not produce chestnut progeny and only a grey if the foal's dam was grey.Racetrack Sires 2009, June/August, 2009, Australian Stud Book's Database, Michael Ford
On 13 May 2003, Danehill died in a paddock accident at Coolmore Stud. He was being hand-led in his paddock when he reared playfully and landed awkwardly, breaking a hip. Even with some of the world's best veterinary practitioners on hand, it was decided there was no alternative but to put the horse down. Coolmore received £36 million from their insurance upon his death.
Pedigree
Danehill is inbred 3 x 3 to Natalma. This means that Danehill is inbred 4 x 4 to both Native Dancer and Almahmoud.
See also List of racehorses
References