Champion Sire Flying Spur Dead

[Wandering Eyes]

Champion sire Flying Spur (Aus) (Danehill-Rolls, by Mr. Prospector) has died aged 25 at Arrowfield Stud. The 1995 G1 Golden Slipper winner had been pensioned since 2012.

Bred by Arrowfield and raced by them in partnership and trained by Lee Freedman, Flying Spur finished second in the G1 Blue Diamond S. and third in the G1 VRC Sires’ Produce S. before winning the Golden Slipper over Octagonal (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}). He would go on to add the G1 Australian Guineas in the autumn of his 3-year-old campaign, and he closed out his career with a win over older horses in the G1 All Aged S. Flying Spur played a pivotal role in his sire, Danehill, winning his first of nine Australian champion sire titles that year. Arrowfield’s John Messara had pioneered the shuttling of Danehill to Australia in 1989.

Flying Spur got off to a flying start at stud, earning the champion first season sires’ title in 1999/2000, and in 2007 he was champion sire and champion 2-year-old sire. He was also New Zealand’s champion 2-year-old sire in 2001. Flying Spur has left 99 stakes winners, 13 of those Group 1 winners including Randwick Guineas, Champagne S. and George Main S. scorer Mentality (Aus) and Forensics (Aus), who emulated her sire with a win in the Golden Slipper. His most recent Group 1 winner was last year’s G1 Caulfield Cup upsetter Boom Time (Aus), and his sons at stud include Group 1 winners Casino Prince (Aus) and Magnus (Aus). The former has left the four-time Group 1 winner and young sire All Too Hard (Aus).

Flying Spur has also made a mark as a broodmare sire, his daughters having left thus far 76 stakes winners and seven Group 1 winners including the G1 Golden Slipper winner and leading sire Sebring (Aus), the Classic-winning four-time Group 1 winner Preferment (NZ) and the G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner Headway (Aus).

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