Coolmore calls time on stud career of champion sire Fastnet Rock
The active stallion career of Fastnet Rock has come to a close, with Coolmore Australia confirming that the two-time champion sire has been retired.
In a statement, Tom Magnier paid tribute to the veteran stallion, noting that his impact will still be felt for generations to come.
“Fastnet Rock has been a once-in-a-lifetime horse, and we are immensely grateful for the incredible journey he has taken us on. I hope he will enjoy a long and happy retirement here at Jerrys Plains,” he said.
“His legacy will endure for generations to come, and we look forward to seeing his influence continue to shape the future of the sport.
“His son Acrobat was the fastest 2YO ever at Randwick over 1000m and if his first foals are anything to go by, we’ll be hearing a lot more about him in the future.”
Before embarking on his stallion career, Fastnet Rock was a star sprinter, capturing two Group 1 successes, the Lightning Stakes and the Oakleigh Plate, for trainer Paul Perry in 2005.
The strength of his efforts against the older horses saw him crowned Champion three-year-old sprinter for the 2004/05 racing season, before retiring to stand at Coolmore for an initial fee of $55,000 (inc GST).
Since his first crop hit the track in the 2008/09 racing season, the legacy of the son of Danehill has been right amongst the elite stallions around the globe, with 193 individual stakes winners, 43 individual Group 1 winners and over $261 million in prizemoney from his progeny.
Fastnet Rock’s Progeny Record
His initial crop produced 13 individual stakes winners, three of which won races at Group 1 level. Irish Lights won the Thousand Guineas as a spring three-year-old, while Rock Classic captured the VRC Australian Guineas in the autumn.
But it was his most expensive yearling from his debut crop, Wanted, that commanded the most attention, winning the Newmarket Handicap before embarking on a stallion career of his own.
It was his third and fourth crops that would elevate Fastnet Rock to a new level, with no less than eleven Group 1 winners spread across the 2008/09 and 2009/10 crops.
His success would see Coolmore shuttle him to Ireland, where his success would continue, siring elite-levels winners such as Via Sistina, Qualify and Pizza Bianca.
The 2023/24 racing season looks set to give Fastnet Rock another accomplishment amidst a stellar career, with a $5 million lead on the Champion broodmare sire title with just over three months to go.
He is already a broodmare sire of 12 individual Group 1 winners, including the Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot, star sprinters Santa Ana Lane and Gytrash, as well as the globetrotting stayer Warm Heart.
With a number of world class racemares beginning their careers in the breeding barn, such as Avantage, Shoals and Personal, the legacy left by Fastnet Rock looks set to be carried well into the future.
Related Articles
The Tron Bolt effect – Two-year-old traders up stakes at Inglis Ready to Race Sale
The Inglis Ready to Race Sale has attracted a record 321-Lot catalogue and a 33 per cent rise in the average yearling cost, with vendors betting on the emergence of another Tron Bolt to justify their increased investment.
🔒 🔒 Messara’s quarantine headache gives way to a new-season Glow
Despite basking in the glorious return of Autumn Glow, it has been an anxious few weeks for Arrowfield principal John Messara, with Japanese star Maurice stuck in quarantine and Vandeek suffering a season-ending injury.
Rowe On Monday – On parade – Highlights from the Hunter
Tim Rowe gives his impressions from the Hunter Valley after the annual stallion parades. He chatted to Andy Makiv about American sires and the festival impact on the region, plus Tim reveals unusual musical and political influences on the parades and adds a Queensland flavour to round it off.
