# Danehill (horse)

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. 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.
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.
Danehill's success in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France was slow to develop as connections had convinced themselves the Danehill's 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 Obriens 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 (T133 achieved G1 Sussex Stakes Goodwood 2002) George Washington (T133 achieved QEII Stakes Ascot 2006)
Dylan Thomas (T132 achieved G1 King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Ascot 2007) Duke Of Marmalade (T132 achieved Prince of Wales's Stakes G1 Ascot 2008)
Mozart (T131 achieved July Cup G1 Newmarket The July Course 2001)
Westerner (T130 achieved Gold Cup Ascot (at York) 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), South Africa Fillies Sprint(2001,2002), Computaform Sprint(2002) |
| 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.
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

Pedigree of Danehill (USA), bay stallion, 1986 :
| Sire Danzig (USA) 1977 | Northern Dancer (CAN) 1961 | Nearctic (CAN) | Nearco |
| Sire Danzig (USA) 1977 | Northern Dancer (CAN) 1961 | Nearctic (CAN) | Lady Angela |
| Sire Danzig (USA) 1977 | Northern Dancer (CAN) 1961 | Natalma (USA) | Native Dancer |
| Sire Danzig (USA) 1977 | Northern Dancer (CAN) 1961 | Natalma (USA) | Almahmoud |
| Sire Danzig (USA) 1977 | Pas de Nom (USA) 1968 | Admiral's Voyage | Crafty Admiral |
| Sire Danzig (USA) 1977 | Pas de Nom (USA) 1968 | Admiral's Voyage | Olympia Lou |
| Sire Danzig (USA) 1977 | Pas de Nom (USA) 1968 | Petitioner (GB) | Petition |
| Sire Danzig (USA) 1977 | Pas de Nom (USA) 1968 | Petitioner (GB) | Steady Aim |
| Dam Razyana (USA) 1981 | His Majesty | Ribot (GB) | Tenerani |
| Dam Razyana (USA) 1981 | His Majesty | Ribot (GB) | Romanella |
| Dam Razyana (USA) 1981 | His Majesty | Flower Bowl | Alibhai |
| Dam Razyana (USA) 1981 | His Majesty | Flower Bowl | Flower Bed |
| Dam Razyana (USA) 1981 | Spring Adieu (CAN) | Buckpasser | Tom Fool |
| Dam Razyana (USA) 1981 | Spring Adieu (CAN) | Buckpasser | Busanda |
| Dam Razyana (USA) 1981 | Spring Adieu (CAN) | Natalma (USA) | Native Dancer |
| Dam Razyana (USA) 1981 | Spring Adieu (CAN) | Natalma (USA) | Almahmoud (Family: 2D) |
Danehill is inbred 3 x 3 to Natalma. This means that Danehill is inbred 4 x 4 to both Native Dancer and Almahmoud.