Sadler's Wells (horse)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Sadler's Wells (11 April 1981 – 26 April 2011) was an American-bred, Irish-trained champion
Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...
and outstanding sire. He was the 1984 European Champion miler after winning the
Irish 2,000 Guineas The Irish 2,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it ...
,
Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown ...
and Phoenix Champion Stakes in that year. He also finished second in the French Derby and the
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot ...
. Despite his success as a runner, it is as a sire that Sadler's Wells is best known. He was the
leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland The title of champion, or leading, sire of Horse racing, racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland is awarded to the stallion whose offspring have won the most prize money in Britain and Ireland during the flat racing season. The current (2023) cham ...
a record-setting 14 times, including 13 titles in a row. At the time of his death, he had sired 323 stakes winners. Only Danehill, who was operational across both hemispheres, sired more. Sadler's Wells was also a notable sire of sires, including
Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei ( , , ) or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a poly ...
and
Montjeu Montjeu (4 April 1996 – 29 March 2012) was an Irish-bred, French-trained thoroughbred horse racing racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from September 1998 to November 2000, he ran sixteen times and won eleven races, including ...
in Europe, and El Prado in the United States. He helped reverse a trend from the middle of the twentieth century where many of Europe's most successful racehorses were exported to stand in the United States and later Japan.


Background

Sadler's Wells was a bay horse with a broad white blaze and white
socks A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the Calf (leg), calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. ...
on his hind legs. He was bred in the United States by
Robert Sangster Robert Edmund Sangster (23 May 1936 – 7 April 2004) Towards the end of his life he spent much of his time in Barbados and Australia. Death Sangster died of pancreatic cancer in London, on 7 April 2004, aged 67. British Classic Race wins * 1, ...
's Swettenham Stud and raced under Sangster's name. His owner was part of the original Coolmore partnership team with Tim Vigors and trainer
Vincent O'Brien Michael Vincent O'Brien (9 April 1917 – 1 June 2009) was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history in a worldwide poll hosted by the ''Racing Pos ...
, later joined by
John Magnier John Magnier (born 10 February 1948) is an Irish business magnate. He is a leading thoroughbred stud owner and has extensive business interests outside the horse-breeding industry. Magnier was a senator in the upper house of the Oireachtas, ...
. They became active in the North American yearling auctions starting in the mid-1970s, purchasing and part-breeding notable horses like
The Minstrel The Minstrel (11 March 1974 – 3 September 1990) was a Canadian-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Bred in Ontario, he was sold as a yearling and exported to Europe, where he was campaigned in Ireland and the United Kingd ...
,
Alleged In law, an allegation is a claim of an unproven fact by a party in a pleading, charge, or defense. Until they can be proved, allegations remain merely assertions. Types of allegations Marital allegations There are also marital allegations: ma ...
, Golden Fleece and
El Gran Senor El Gran Senor (21 April 1981 – 18 October 2006) was an United States, American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, race horse. Foaled at Windfields Farm (Maryland), he was the best horse of his generation in Europe at both two and t ...
, and creating a high demand for the offspring of Northern Dancer and Nijinsky. By the early 1980s, they were noted for paying millions of dollars for the right yearling, entering in bidding duels with Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (; born 15 July 1949) is an Emirati politician and royal who is the current ruler of Dubai, and serves as the Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, vice president and Prime Minister of the United Arab ...
of
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
In 1976, Sangster, O'Brien and Magnier made one of their most important purchases for only $40,000 ($,000 inflation adjusted)—a yearling filly by the little-known stallion
Bold Reason Bold Reason (1968–1985) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland, Champion broodmare sire. Background Bold Reason was bred by Harry F. Guggenheim, Harry Guggenheim, and was si ...
. She was named Fairy Bridge and trained by O'Brien in Ireland, where she became the champion two-year-old filly of 1977. Fairy Bridge was closely related to a number of outstanding horses previously trained by O'Brien, including
Thatch Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, Phragmites, water reed, Cyperaceae, sedge (''Cladium mariscus''), Juncus, rushes, Calluna, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away fr ...
, Marinsky, Lisadell and
Apalachee The Apalachee were an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, specifically an Indigenous people of Florida, who lived in the Florida Panhandle until the early 18th century. They lived between the Aucilla River and Ochlockonee River,Bobby ...
. In 1980, Fairy Bridge was sent back to America and bred to
Northern Dancer Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred that, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. After being retired from racing, he became one of the most successful Stallion, sires of the 2 ...
, the most successful sire of his era. Sadler's Wells was her first foal. She would later also produce
National Stakes The Vincent O'Brien National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 me ...
winner
Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...
and successful breeding stallion Fairy King. The colt was sent into training with
Vincent O'Brien Michael Vincent O'Brien (9 April 1917 – 1 June 2009) was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history in a worldwide poll hosted by the ''Racing Pos ...
at
Ballydoyle Ballydoyle is a racehorse training facility located in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is a sister thoroughbred facility to Coolmore Stud, and both are owned by John Magnier, son in law to the racehorse trainer Vincent O'Brien. The current trai ...
. Throughout his racing career, Sadler's Wells had a characteristic running style, galloping with his head at an unusually high angle. He was a well-balanced horse with good tactical speed standing high. Even as a sire, he was noted for his laid-back, good-natured temperament, a trait he passed on to many of his offspring.


Racing career


1983: two-year-old season

Sadler's Wells made his first appearance in September at
Leopardstown Racecourse Leopardstown Racecourse is a horse-racing course in Leopardstown, approximately south of Dublin city centre, in Ireland. Like the majority of Irish courses, it hosts both National Hunt and Flat racing. Built by Captain George Quin and modell ...
in a seven-
furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...
maiden race. Ridden by Pat Eddery, the colt started the 1/2 favourite in a field of sixteen runners and won by six lengths from Cyrano. Three weeks later, he was moved up in class for the Group Three Beresford Stakes at the
Curragh The Curragh ( ; ) is a flat open plain in County Kildare, Ireland. This area is well known for horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is on the edge of Kildare town, beside the Japanese Gardens. Pollardstown Fen, the larges ...
over one mile on soft ground. The horse led from the start and won by six lengths from Cerussite. In the International Classification, he was given a rating of 78, ten pounds behind the top-rated two-year-old, his stable-mate
El Gran Senor El Gran Senor (21 April 1981 – 18 October 2006) was an United States, American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, race horse. Foaled at Windfields Farm (Maryland), he was the best horse of his generation in Europe at both two and t ...
.


1984: three-year-old season

Sadler's Wells met
El Gran Senor El Gran Senor (21 April 1981 – 18 October 2006) was an United States, American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, race horse. Foaled at Windfields Farm (Maryland), he was the best horse of his generation in Europe at both two and t ...
on the racecourse for the only time when he finished second to him in the seven-furlong Gladness Stakes at the Curragh. Frank McNulty, head of BBA Ireland, later commented: "I remember seeing him at the Gladness Stakes—when he walked into the ring I thought he looked absolutely magnificent, even though he was only the second string." Sadler's Wells next won the ten-furlong
Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial The Leopardstown Derby Trial, currently run as the Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial, is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of ...
and was then brought back in distance for the
Irish 2,000 Guineas The Irish 2,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it ...
over one mile, where he was ridden by George McGrath. In a closely contested finish, he won from the French-trained Procida and the favourite
Secreto Secreto (1981–1999) was an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that consisted of only four races, he won three times. His most important success came in June 1984 when he won the Derby. Background Se ...
. The O'Brien-trained Capture Him, whom Eddery chose to ride in preference to Sadler's Wells, finished fourth. Instead of going for the one-mile
St James's Palace Stakes The St James's Palace Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts. It is run at Ascot Racecourse, Ascot ...
at
Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, about 25 miles west of London. Ascot is used for thoroughbred horse racing, and it hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 races and three Gra ...
, the colt was moved up in distance for the French Derby, a race O'Brien had won the previous year with
Caerleon Caerleon ( ; ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in Newport, Wales. Situated on the River Usk, it lies northeast of Newport city centre, and southeast of Cwmbran. Caerleon is of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable ...
. Sadler's Wells took the lead in the straight but was overtaken in the closing stages and beaten one and a half lengths by Darshaan, with Rainbow Quest in third. In July, Sadler's Wells was the only three-year-old in a field of nine runners for the
Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown ...
at
Sandown Park Sandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, located in the outer suburbs of London. It hosts 5 Grade One National Hunt races and one Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Stakes. It regularly has horse racin ...
. He held off the challenge of the mare
Time Charter Time Charter (6 April 1979 – 7 July 2005) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won several major middle-distance races between 1982 and 1984. After winning twice as a two-year-old in 1981, she developed ...
to win by a neck. The winner was praised for his "battling" and "determined" performance against more-experienced rivals. Later that month, Sadler's Wells ran a strong second to
Teenoso Teenoso (7 April 1980 – 4 October 1999) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. After showing moderate form as a two-year-old, he improved in the spring of 1983 to win the Group Three Lingfield Derby Trial and the Epsom ...
in the
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot ...
at
Ascot Ascot, Ascott or Askot may refer to: Places Australia * Ascot, Queensland, suburb of Brisbane * Ascot, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a locality * Ascot Park, South Australia, suburb of Adelaide * Ascot (Ballarat), town near Ballarat in Victoria ...
. Sadler's Wells failed to reproduce his best form when fourth in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup at York. Two weeks later he ran in the inaugural Phoenix Champion Stakes, the most valuable race ever in Ireland. The colt held off a late challenge from Seattle Song to win by three-quarters of a length. That success took his prize money for the season to £384,114. At the time, this was the fourth-highest single-season total for any horse trained in Britain or Ireland, behind
Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...
(£408,424 in 1979), Tolomeo (£400,000 in 1983) and Shergar (£386,410 in 1981). On his last appearance, Sadler's Wells was sent to Longchamp in October for the
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe () is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris over a distance ...
, where he finished eighth behind
Sagace Sagace (1980–1989) was a French Thoroughbred champion horse racing, racehorse. His sire Luthier (horse), Luthier had been the Leading sire in France in 1976. Trained by Patrick Biancone and ridden by Yves St. Martin for prominent owner/bree ...
.


Assessment

Sadler's Wells was given a rating of 90 by the International Classification, making him the sixth-best European horse in 1984. He earned a Timeform rating of 132 for his victory in the Eclipse Stakes. British breeder Bob McCreery would later say, "I was absolutely convinced Sadler's Wells was the real deal. I always admired his guts. He was a very tough horse, and that's one thing I've really always tried to go for, courage. He was absolutely ideal, the ideal horse."


Stud record

In 1985, Sadler's Wells was syndicated by Coolmore for €800,000 a share (total value of €32m) and stood for an initial fee of IR£125,000. He was an immediate success when his first crop reached racing age in 1988, led by In the Wings and
Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...
. Two other colts from that crop, Scenic and Prince of Dance, dead-heated in the 1988
Dewhurst Stakes The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mi ...
. In 1989 with only two crops of racing age, he set a world record by having 11 stakes winners in one year, an exceptional achievement at a time when foal crops were much smaller than today. For 1990, his stud fee increased to £150,000 with a book of 65 mares. Eamonn Phelan of Coolmore commented, "Very few stallions get offspring like themselves, but this fellow does. He's so tough and very well bred as well as being very sound." In 1990, his daughter Salsabil won the
1000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile ...
,
Epsom Oaks The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 ya ...
and
Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a dista ...
, which helped propel Sadler's Wells to his first champion sire title. He went on to be Champion Sire in Great Britain & Ireland a record 14 times, including 13 years in a row from 1992 to 2004. The previous record of 13 titles was set by
Highflyer Highflyer, highflier or high flyer may refer to: * Highflyer (horse), a British Thoroughbred racehorse * High flyer (fishing), a vertical floating pole used to locate fishing lines * HMS Highflyer, HMS ''Highflyer'', various Royal Navy ships * Yamh ...
in the 18th century. Sadler's Wells has been called one of the most influential sires of all times, especially based on his record in the
English Classic Races The British Classics are five long-standing Group races, Group 1 horse racing, horse races run during the traditional flat racing season. They are restricted to three-year-old horses and traditionally represent the pinnacle of achievement for r ...
. He is the sire of 12 English Classic winners, a number comparable with leading sires
Stockwell Stockwell is a district located in South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. It is situated south of Charing Cross. History The name Stockwell is likely to have originated from a local well, with "stoc" being Old Englis ...
and St Simon from the 19th century. His English Classic winners are: Salsabil (1000 Guineas, Oaks), Intrepidity (Oaks), Moonshell (Oaks),
Entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entreprene ...
(2000 Guineas),
King of Kings King of Kings, ''Mepet mepe''; , group="n" was a ruling title employed primarily by monarchs based in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Commonly associated with History of Iran, Iran (historically known as name of Iran, Persia ...
(2000 Guineas), Imagine (Oaks),
Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei ( , , ) or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a poly ...
(Derby),
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
(St Leger),
High Chaparral High Chaparral (1 March 1999 – 21 December 2014) was an Irish Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. In a career that lasted from September 2001 to October 2003, he ran 13 times and won 10 races. His w ...
(Derby),
Brian Boru Brian Boru (; modern ; 23 April 1014) was the High King of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. He ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill, and is likely responsible for ending Vikings, Viking invasio ...
(St Leger),
Refuse to Bend Refuse To Bend (17 March 2000 – 10 February 2012) was a Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and sire (horse), sire. Background Refuse To Bend was a bay horse with a white star (horse marking), star and white sock (horse marking), socks o ...
(2000 Guineas) and Alexandrova (Oaks). In 2001, his daughters swept the top three positions in the Oaks. He also sired 14 winners of the Irish Classics. In 1999, his sons finished one-two-three in the Irish Derby. By 2001, his stud fee had increased to £200,000 with a book of roughly 200 mares each year. With the increased number of offspring each year, his number of stakes winners began to rapidly accelerate. Sadler's Wells briefly held the all-time record for the number of stakes winners when Roman Saddle become his 177th stakes winner in July 2001. Mr. Prospector had held the previous record with 176 stakes winners. Sadler's Wells sired his 200th stakes winner in 2002, becoming the first stallion to achieve that landmark. However, Danehill then passed him, reaching the 300 stakes winner mark in 2005, a level Sadler's Wells would achieve in 2008. At the time of his death in 2011, Sadler's Wells had sired 323 stakes winners, including 73 individual Group 1/
Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
winners on the flat. He also sired several
National Hunt National Hunt Racing, also known as Jump Racing, is a form of horse racing particular to many European countries, including, but not limited to: France, Great Britain and Ireland. Jump Racing requires horses to jump over fences and ditches. In ...
winners, most notably
Istabraq Istabraq (23 May 1992 – 25 July 2024) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who was most famous for his hurdling. He won the Champion Hurdle on three consecutive occasions. He was trained by Aidan O'Brien and owned by John Patrick McManus. Joc ...
.


Notable progeny

''c = colt, f =
filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States ...
, g =
gelding A gelding (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɛldɪŋ/) is a castration, castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated Camelidae, camels. By compa ...
, '' Sadler's Wells was also a highly successful broodmare sire, leading that category in Great Britain and Ireland from 2005 to 2010, and the United States from 2008 to 2010. By 2010, his daughters had produced more than 250 stakes winners, including 30 in 2010 alone. He is the maternal grandsire of such notable horses as: *
Conduit Conduit may refer to: Engineering systems * Conduit (fluid conveyance), a pipe suitable for carrying either open-channel or pressurized liquids * Electrical conduit, a protective cover, tube or piping system for electric cables * Conduit cur ...
(St Leger). * Gust Of Wind (2015
Australian Oaks The Australian Oaks is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies at set weights run over a distance of 2,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in the autumn during the ATC Championships series. The Aus ...
) *
Henrythenavigator Henrythenavigator (foaled February 28, 2005) is an American-bred and Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He won the 2000 Guineas, the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the St. James's Palace Stakes and the Sussex Stakes in 2008. After he finished second i ...
(2000 Guineas) * Sakhee (Arc de Triomphe) * Taghrooda (Epsom Oaks), Peeping Fawn (Champion Filly) *
Workforce In macroeconomics, the workforce or labour force is the sum of people either working (i.e., the employed) or looking for work (i.e., the unemployed): \text = \text + \text Those neither working in the marketplace nor looking for work are out ...
(Epsom Derby, Arc de Triomphe), In November 2007, a Sadler's Wells daughter, Playful Act, out of the
mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equidae, equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more th ...
Magnificient Style, was sold at the Keeneland breeding stock sale for a world-record price of US$10.5 million.


Sire of sires

Sadler's Wells was originally considered a disappointment as a sire of sires, despite some early success by In the Wings in particular. This assessment was decisively overturned by the performance of several sons from his later crops. Sadler's Wells eventually sired 32 sons who themselves sired at least one group I or grade I winner, with 10 of them becoming the leading sire in nine different countries. Most notably, Galileo became the leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 2008, then won 11 titles in succession from 2010 to 2020. Montjeu was the leading sire in France for 2005, El Prado became
Leading sire in North America The list below shows the leading Father, sire of Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the year. It is restricted to Stallio ...
in 2002, Fort Wood was a leading sire in South Africa, Opera House achieved success in Japan and High Chaparral became a notable sire in New Zealand and Australia. His sons have already produced important sires themselves, ensuring Sadler's Wells legacy will continue for years to come. Galileo's sire sons include
Frankel Frankel is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Benjamin Frankel (1906–1973), British composer * Bethenny Frankel (born 1970), American chef and reality television personality * Charles Frankel (1917–1975), American philoso ...
, Teofilo,
New Approach New Approach (foaled 18 February 2005) is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and active stallion. In a racing career which lasted from July 2007 to October 2008 he ran eleven times and won eight races. He was undefeated in five races as a tw ...
and
Nathaniel Nathaniel is an English variant of the biblical Hebrew name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. ...
(sire of two time
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe () is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris over a distance ...
winner Enable). Montjeu sired Motivator (sire of two time
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe () is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris over a distance ...
winner Treve) and
Camelot Camelot is a legendary castle and Royal court, court associated with King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described ...
(the leading 2nd Crop sire in Europe in 2018 and 3rd Crop Sire in Europe in 2019). El Prado sired Medaglia d'Oro (sire of
American Horse of the Year The American Award for Horse of the Year, or simply Horse of the Year, one of the Eclipse Awards, is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. Because Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has no governing body to san ...
Rachel Alexandra Rachel Alexandra (foaled January 29, 2006) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse and the 2009 Horse of the Year. When she won the 2009 Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, she became the first filly to win the race in ...
) and Kitten's Joy, the
leading sire in North America The list below shows the leading Father, sire of Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the year. It is restricted to Stallio ...
in 2013 and 2018.


Retirement

On 13 May 2008 Coolmore announced that Sadler's Wells was retiring from breeding due to declining fertility. Bill Oppenheim, a columnist with Thoroughbred Daily News, wrote that Sadler's Wells "singlehandedly restored the reputation of Europe as a place where you could stand world-class stallions after European stallion ranks had been decimated by the Americans in the 1970s and 1980s." In 2009, Sadler's Wells was the first horse to be entered into the Irish Thoroughbred Breeder Association's Hall of Fame. Sadler's Wells died peacefully on 26 April 2011 due to natural causes at the age of 30 at Coolmore Stud. Breeding industry expert Andrew Caulfield stated: "Superlatives are greatly overused in the world of sport, but no-one could begrudge their being used about Sadler's Wells, with his phenomenal record of 14 sires' championships in the space of 15 years. No stallion has come close to such dominance in Britain and Ireland – not even the legendary stallions which operated during the much less competitive eras of the 18th and 19th centuries. He was also dominant in that it was usually easy to spot one of his progeny. A dominant bay who sometimes passed on his prominent blaze and a sock or two, he also became synonymous with soundness and dependability." The horse's skeleton is on display in Fethard Horse Country Experience museum, which is located in Fethard Town Hall, not far from Coolmore Stud.


Pedigree

Sadler's Wells was sired by Northern Dancer, who has been called the dominant progenitor of the breed in the twentieth century. In his second crop foaled in 1967, Northern Dancer sired Nijinsky, who would win the English Triple Crown and become an outstanding sire. This made Northern Dancer the focus of a bloodstock boom in the 1970s and 1980s, where his progeny would sell for millions of dollars. Northern Dancer's other important offspring included Derby winners
The Minstrel The Minstrel (11 March 1974 – 3 September 1990) was a Canadian-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Bred in Ontario, he was sold as a yearling and exported to Europe, where he was campaigned in Ireland and the United Kingd ...
and
Secreto Secreto (1981–1999) was an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that consisted of only four races, he won three times. His most important success came in June 1984 when he won the Derby. Background Se ...
and the brilliant
El Gran Senor El Gran Senor (21 April 1981 – 18 October 2006) was an United States, American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, race horse. Foaled at Windfields Farm (Maryland), he was the best horse of his generation in Europe at both two and t ...
and Nureyev. Sadler's Wells was out of Fairy Bridge, who was sold as a yearling in 1976 at the Keeneland Sales to Sangster for $40,000 and became the Irish champion two-year-old filly of 1977. Sadler's Wells was her first live foal, followed by his full siblings Fairy King (who also became a successful sire despite injuring himself in his only race) and stakes winners Tate Gallery, Fairy Gold and Puppet Dance. Her final foal was Perugino, by Danzig, who became a sire in Australia. Fairy Bridge was the second foal of the mare Special, a full sister to European champion sprinter/miler
Thatch Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, Phragmites, water reed, Cyperaceae, sedge (''Cladium mariscus''), Juncus, rushes, Calluna, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away fr ...
and Lisadell, who won the
Coronation Stakes The Coronation Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlong and 213 yards (1,603 metres), and it is sche ...
at Royal Ascot, and a half-sister to Grade 1 winner, King Pellinore, and the brilliant but ill-fated Marinsky, who finished first in the 1977
July Cup The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 me ...
at Newmarket. Special later produced Nureyev, the 1980 French champion miler and an outstanding sire, and the stakes winning fillies Number and Bound, who would themselves became successful producers.


See also

*
List of racehorses This list includes racehorses that exist in the historical record. Racehorses For competition horses, such as show jumping, show jumpers and dressage, dressage horses, see . A * Ace Impact: Undefeated winner of the 2023 Prix de l'Arc de Tri ...


References

{{Reflist 1981 racehorse births 2011 racehorse deaths British Champion Thoroughbred Sires Champion Thoroughbred Sires of France Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in Ireland United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires American Champion Thoroughbred broodmare sires British Champion Thoroughbred broodmare sires Irish Classic Race winners Thoroughbred family 5-h Chefs-de-Race