War Chant dies
War Chant (Danzig), a longstanding resident at Yarradale Stud, died on Thursday. He was 27.
The son of Danzig (Danehill), who after succumbing to the infirmities of old age, called the Gidgegannup nursery home for over a decade having began stud duties at Robert Clay’s Three Chimney’s Farm in Kentucky in 2001 and his shuttling career took him to Chile and Western Australia.
In 2011, after prolonged negotiations, the late Ron Sayers managed to secure the Southern-hemisphere breeding rights for War Chant for the next three years and in 2014, War Chant relocated permanently to WA.
He is the sire of 46 individual stakes winners, with 12 of them coming in Australia, including 2017 William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Silent Sedition – one of the stallion’s three global top-flight winners.
In his later years War Chant had been used to educate young staff in the breeding barn. His professional manner when covering mares meant that he was the perfect teacher for the younger generation who were keen to perfect their handling skills.
“He had the three Ps – performance, pedigree and physique,” Yarradale stud manager Davy Hanratty said.
“His movie star good looks hit you first. He was a quirky devil at times but taught me to be a better horseman. We are very lucky he has built a terrific reputation as a broodmare sire, and rest assured, we haven’t seen the last of his name in the record books.”
In his career on the track, War Chant’s five victories from seven starts were headed by his triumph in the 2000 edition of the Breeders’ Cup Mile (Gr 1, 8f).
Out of multiple Grade 1-winning mare Hollywood Wildcat (Kris S), War Chant was a three-quarter brother to Group 2 winner Ivan Denisovich (Danehill), while he counted stakes winners Minister’s Wild Cat (Deputy Minister) and Double Cat (Storm Cat) among his half-siblings.