The St Jean fairytale that captured racing fans during the spring has turned nightmare with the sire of Cups hero Half Yours humanely euthanised on Tuesday after a freak paddock accident.
Brackley Park’s Grant Dwyer, who has stood the unheralded stallion since 2017, has been left devastated only weeks after Half Yours put the stallion on the map.
Dwyer said his “beloved stallion” was discovered with a serious injury on Tuesday morning, having run through a fence in the paddock overnight. Following scans and on veterinary advice, he was put down.
“His death was very untimely as breeders were only starting to recognise what an incredible pedigree this stallion had,” Dwyer said in a statement via Breednet.
“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.”
From only 35 named foals, St Jean has produced 22 runners and 12 individual winners.
Half Yours’ dam La Gazelle died several weeks after he was born, leaving the young colt to be raised by a foster mare.
