El
Condor Pasa, the Japanese champion who ran second to the great Montjeu
in the 1999 Arc, has died.
The
seven year old son of Kingmambo died following colic surgery. He was
twice Horse of the Year in Japan and raced in France following a win in
the 1998 Japan Cup. He won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and Prix Foy
(beating star filly Borgia), following a second in the Prix D’Isaphan
to Croco Rouge.
But
perhaps his greatest hour came in the Arc when he made almost all of the
running in heavy ground to run second to Montjeu. His D’Isaphan
conqueror, Croco Rouge was well beaten in third.
His
success in Europe earned him a controversial Horse of the Year title in
Japan. Following Special Week's Japan Cup, many felt that son of Sunday
Silence deserved the award.
A
lot has been expected of his career at stud and his first yearlings sold
well at this year’s Japanese Select Sale.
The highest priced was a colt out of Prayer Wheel who was
purchased for US$500,000 (60,000 yen). The colt is a half brother to
Matron Stakes winner Strategic Maneuver, a daughter of Cryptoclearance.
Strategic Maneuver is dam of Group 3 winner Ishiguru.
From
the family of Sadler’s Wells, Nureyev and his close relative Jade
Robbery, El Condor Pasa was out the Sadler’s Wells mare, Saddlers Gal.