Former Shuttlers the Champion Sires of America and Europe

28-01-2012

Distorted Humor (by the Mr. Prospector sire Forty Niner), the leading North American sire of 2011 who traveled to Victoria in1999 and 2000, is the fourth to take their Champion sire title who has shuttled to Australia, the others being Thunder Gulch (on top in 2001) (Kentucky Derby winner by the Mr. Prospector sire Gulch), Elusive Quality (2004) (set world record for a mile; by Mr. Prospector sire Gone West) and Giant’s Causeway (2009 and 2010) (European Horse of the Year by Storm Cat).

The leading Australian juvenile sire of 2010-11, a year one of his runners was Sepoy, Elusive Quality supplied about 470 foals from six trips out to Darley Hunter Valley, 2003 – 2008, and Giant’s Causeway was at Coolmore for three seasons, 2002- 2004, leaving about 270 foals.  Giant’s Causeway had his American sired foals represented around the world in 2011 by 156 winners and earners of $8,506,849. He was the most successful by stakes winners, 28, and shared with Vinery’s popular visitor More Than Ready (USA) second spot by Group1 winners, three each. They were headed by still active 27-year-old sire Dynaformer, the source of five Group1 winners among 20 successful in stakes races.

The now 20-year-old Thunder Gulch is another Coolmore sire. He was a visitor the Hunter Valley for seven seasons from 1996 inclusive, resulting in over 500 foals.  In the latest American sales catalogue, Thunder Gulch is credited with 13 crops of racing age, 2138 foals, 1586 starters, 1025 winners ( 77 SWs, two American Champions) of 2681 races and USA$74,357,421.

Besides their success in America, sires who have shuttled to Australia or New Zealand have filled first and second places on European sires’ lists by earnings. The sequence has been Cape Cross (IRE) (by Green Desert) and Danehill Dancer (IRE) (Danehill) 2009, Galileo (IRE) (Sadler’s Wells) and King’s Best (by the Mr. Prospector sire Kingmambo) 2010 and Galileo and Montjeu (IRE) (Sadler’s Wells) 2011. Cape Cross and King’s Best are Darley sires and the others are all headquartered at Coolmore in Ireland.

 Courtesy of Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Service