DANEHILL                   

(Layout & Pictures to be added at later stage)

Danehill By Andrew O'Brien (Full List Of Progeny at bottom of page)

Danehill was foaled on 26th March 1986. He was a bay stallion by sire Danzig (Northern Dancer) He was bred in the United States. Trained by Jeremy Tree and owned by Khalid Abdullah.

Danehill made his racecourse debut on 7th July 1988. He finished second in a Newmarket maiden over 6 furlongs.

Danehill finished third in the 1989 2000 Guineas won by Nashwan, beaten one and a half lengths. His next race was the Irish 2000 Guineas, where he finished fourth, beaten four and a half lengths. At Royal Ascot he was stepped back in trip, and ran in the group 3 Cork and Orrery Stakes, now known as (Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes) He excelled at this trip and won comfortably by three lengths.

On his final start in September 1989, Danehill ran in the group 1 sprint cup at Haydock. He quickened in the final furlong to win by two lengths.

Danehill ran nine times, winning four races and only twice finishing unplaced. During his racing career he earned a total of £177,465.

Danehill was then retired to stud duties in 1990 at Coolmore Stud in Ireland.

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.

With his appeal to European breeders, he became the first high profile shuttle stallion, standing the northern hemisphere covering season at Coolmore's Irish stud. Coolmore subsequently became his sole owner after a £15 million deal, making him the most valuable thoroughbred in Australian breeding history.

Danehill's success in Europe was just as spectacular, exemplified by son’s such as horse of the year Rock Of Gibraltar and dual Classic winner Desert King.

Son Dylan Thomas Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Even more significantly, many of his sons are now emerging as top stallions and his bloodline looks sure to become a mainstay of thoroughbred pedigrees like that of his illustrious sire and grandsire. His son, the Australian  sire, Redoute’s Choice, stands at a fee of £50,000. In Europe, sons such as Danehill Dancer and Dansili are now established among the top class sires.

His progeny have won more than £200 million. 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.

Danehill is the paternal grandsire of Makybe Diva (Desert King), who won the Melbourne Cup three times. He has now also become a leading broodmare sire of, among a host of top-class horses, superstar miler Frankel, Danedream who won the Arc in 2011 in record time, dual Classic winner Golden Lilac, two-year-old champion Teofilo.

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

FULL LIST OF DANEHILL PROGENY