Fastnet Rock, One of Australia’s Most Influential Stallions, Passes Away
- Turf Diario
- 10 hours ago
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The Danehill Son, Two-Time Champion Sire and Father of 44 G1 Winners, Euthanized at 24 at Coolmore Australia
NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia (Special for Turf Diario).- The global racing community bid farewell to one of its most influential figures. Fastnet Rock (Danehill—Piccadilly Circus, by Royal Academy) died Monday at the age of 24 after being humanely euthanized at Coolmore Australia due to an injury sustained over the past weekend that rapidly worsened.
“Fastnet Rock forged a legacy that places him among the best sires Australia has ever produced,” said Tom Magnier, director of Coolmore Australia. “He was born here, trained here, and spent the last 20 years of his life at home. Coolmore wouldn’t be what it is today without him, and we owe him an enormous debt.”
Bred by Linley Investments and withdrawn from public sale before his debut, Fastnet Rock became a star on the track under the care of Paul Perry. In 2005, he captured two Group 1s—the Oakleigh Plate and Lightning Stakes—and was crowned Australia’s top 3-year-old sprinter for the 2004/05 season. That same year, he entered stud at Coolmore, beginning a career that would become simply historic.
A Giant at Stud
Like his sire Danehill, Fastnet Rock was a two-time champion sire in Australia (2011/12 and 2014/15) and compiled staggering numbers: 1,145 winners in the Southern Hemisphere; 197 stakes winners overall; 44 Group 1 winners—a record for an Australian-born sire; and 140 stakes winners in the Southern Hemisphere alone.
His influence also extended to Europe, where he began shuttling in 2010, completing 11 seasons in Ireland, the last in 2021. Among his top international progeny is the recently crowned Australian Mare of the Year, Via Sistina, winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) and multiple other top-level contests.
His Legacy Through Daughters
Fastnet Rock’s impact was not limited to siring champions; he also excelled as a broodmare sire. His daughters have produced 150 stakes winners, including 16 Group 1 victors such as Lady Of Camelot, Zougotcha, and Warm Heart, the latter winning the Yorkshire Oaks (G1) and the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T).
His influence has been so profound that he led Australia’s broodmare sire rankings for two consecutive seasons, setting records for earnings accumulated.
“He was the kindest, most intelligent horse you could meet,” Magnier recalled. “Just two weeks ago, we showcased him on our Open Day, and he looked magnificent. It’s a very sad day for everyone who worked at Coolmore and were part of his life.”
Peter O’Brien, a Coolmore veteran, added: “Fastnet Rock did it all: champion sire, champion broodmare sire, sire of champions. Via Sistina is the perfect tribute to his enduring influence, a reminder to new generations of what he meant to breeding. He was truly a horse of the era.”
With Fastnet Rock, the world loses far more than a great sire: it says goodbye to a symbol that elevated Australian bloodstock to the pinnacle of global racing. Yet his influence will live on.
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