Prominent sire Hennessy has died. The 14 year old had
a heart attack shortly prior to his beginning his covering
stint in Argentina.
A brilliant two-year-old, the handsome chestnut won the
Hopeful, Sapling and Hollywood Juvenile Championship in
scintillating fashion for D Wayne Lukas.
He ran second to Unbridled' Song in the Breeders Cup Juvenile,
thus ending his chances of being named champion two-year-old
colt. Interestingly enough the 1-2-4 home in the 1995 Breeders
Cup Juvenile have all sired Breeders Cup winners.
Unraced at three, Hennessy was retired to Ashford Stud,
where he proved to popular throughout his stud career. Hennessy
was one of Storm Cat's most successful sire sons, and is
responsible for a leading sire son in Johannesburg.
Champion sire of juveniles in 2001, Hennessy was second
on the juvenile sires list in 2005. The sire of over 50
stakes winners, Hennessy was known as a sire of fast, precocious
stock. He did however sire a Derby winner in the form of
Half Hennessy, who won the Queensland Derby. Hennessy's
best runners included Johannesburg, Henny Hughes, Harmony
Lodge, Madcap Escape and champion Australasian runner Grand
Armee.
A half brother to Gr1 winner Pearl City, Hennessy's dam,
the Gr1 placed Island Kitty, was a daughter of SA champion
Hawaii.