Starspangledbanner – the next Danehill?

By Declan Rix

Starspangledbanner’s brave victory in last Friday’s Darley July Cup has left a sour taste in the mouths of those at the Coolmore/Ballydoyle operation. Winning jockey, Johnny Murtagh, picked up a six day ban which will see him miss the King George at Ascot and the first two days of the Glorious Goodwood meeting. Unfortunately this means the Meath man will miss the rides on Cape Blanco and also Rip Van Winkle in the Sussex Stakes. Connections have decided against an appeal today which means Murtagh will definitely miss out on these high profile rides. Short-term this is a huge blow for Aidan O’Brien and the Ballydoyle team. Murtagh’s big race record speaks for itself and an able deputy will be sought after in the next week or so.  But Coolmore must be happy with the bigger picture.

2003 saw one of the biggest losses to the bloodstock world when Danehill, a son of Danzig, was killed in a freak accident when rearing up and fatally injuring himself on the 13th of May. Bred and owned by Khalid Abdulla before being sold to Coolmore and co, the horse left quite a legacy. Champion sire in two hemispheres and four different countries, Danehill, along with Sadler’s Wells, were the two hottest sires this side of the Atlantic.

Just glancing at Danehill’s progeny gives one an idea of the huge affect he had on the thoroughbred racing game. He sired Group One winners from five to twenty furlongs. Dylan Thomas, George Washington and Rock Of Gibraltar are just some of the ill-fated sire’s progeny to grace the track. These are modern day superstars of the racing game and obtained half their genetic make-up from one of the world’s greatest ever sires.

Danehill himself wasn’t a huge success on the race track after nine career starts. He was third in Nashwan’s 1989 Guineas win but found his niche when dropped to sprinting. He took the 1989 Haydock Sprint Cup in taking fashion and this was to be his last race track appearance before a glittering stud career. Many top and well respected bloodstock figures didn’t think Danehill would be a huge success in the covering shed. Questions were asked about his confirmation especially concerning his front legs. Coolmore’s Australian Stud manager, Peter O’Brien, has even gone on record as saying “Danehill was a very good looking horse, strong, but he didn’t have the best-looking front legs”. This was a trait he passed on to many of his progeny but his tranquil temperament, class and sheer quality always came out on top.

Since his death in 2003 the Coolmore operation has been adversely affected. They have struggled to replace a stallion that may even turn out to be irreplaceable. Ballydoyle have since struggled to produce a top class sprinter/miler since the likes of Rock Of Gibraltar (2002) and George Washington (2006), both of whom were sons of Danehill. Henrythenavigator was top class but he was by Kingmambo, a sire belonging to Lane’s End Farm. However, Rip Van Winkle is an exception in recent years.

Since Danehill’s passing many of Ballydoyle/Coolmore’s top class horses have seen success over middle distance trips but Starspangledbanner’s recent arrival may spark more sprinting and mile glories in years to come. The Australian import, who reportedly cost £6.5 million, has a similar profile to Danehill. Both found their best form over sprinting trips after showing quality over a mile and both have bloodlines that had/have potential. If anything, Starbangledbanner, a son of Choisir, has more potential than Danehill had at this time in his career.

For a start, he’ll be at least a year older going to stud meaning a more mature stallion in every sense of the word. Physically, Starspangledbanner is a fine specimen. He’s a big, imposing, strong type that is conformed correctly. He’s also tough and hardy with a nice temperament. His race track record already betters that of Danehill being a four time Group One winner. Furthermore, one of those Group Ones was over a mile and he’s also shown form of all types of ground.

Everything is in place for Starspangledbanner to be a success at stud. With a consistent good book of mares he may even surpass the great Danehill as a sire. He has an awful long way to go but he has the makings of a top stallion. Things looked quite bleak for Coolmore in years gone by but Oratorio has made a bright start to his stud career. First season sires, Aussie Rules and Holy Roman Emperor, both sons of Danehill, have made highly encouraging starts too which is another testament to the great Danehill. Starspangledbanner is another to be added so after a recent lull by Coolmore standards, the future looks bright.

By Declan Rix