Less than a month after Half Yours’ historic Melbourne Cup triumph, tragedy has struck with the death of his sire, St Jean.
The Teofilo stallion was humanely euthanised on Tuesday morning after suffering severe injuries in a paddock accident.
Brackley Park’s Grant Dwyer, who had stood St Jean since 2017 on behalf of a syndicate, confirmed the news in a statement released on Thursday.
“After covering a mare, Memory Lane, on Monday the 24th of November, St. Jean was returned to be fed in his paddock where he had lived happily and safely since the autumn of 2017,” Dwyer said.
“On the morning of 25th of November it was discovered, that for reasons unknown, St Jean had run into a fence post overnight, breaking it off at ground level and shattering his near-side front leg around the elbow region.
“Dr Duncan Pearce BVSc MVS MVSc attended to the stallion, X-Rays were taken, and we were advised that nothing could be done for the horse. The stallion was then humanely euthanised.”
St Jean’s death comes just three weeks after his son Half Yours became the first Victorian-bred winner of the Melbourne Cup in 52 years, following up his victory in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) only 17 days earlier.
The Irish-bred St Jean won six of his 19 career starts, including the Group 3 City Of Auckland Cup (2400m), and had been enjoying renewed attention at stud following Half Yours’ rise.
This was his ninth season standing at Brackley Park, and his service fee had recently risen from $3300 to $11,000.
“His death was very untimely as breeders were only starting to recognise what an incredible pedigree this stallion had,” Dwyer said.
“Bookings had started to pick up and he was due to cover a mare by Desert King that afternoon which would have given the same cross as Half Yours.
“He was due to cover five mares by Desert King this season and had bookings of 35 mares in total.
“I lament the fact that more breeders did not take the opportunity to breed to this stallion in the first few seasons at stud at an incredibly low price, when the opportunity was afforded to them.”
St Jean covered just five mares last season, and from his previous three years he returned 13 live foals from 21 covers. Half Yours, part of his third crop, is among 67 live foals, with 22 runners producing 12 individual winners.
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