“IT is with great sadness that we announce the death of ‘The Iron Horse’ Giant’s Causeway, who passed away last night [Monday, April 16th] aged 21 at his Kentucky birthplace Ashford Stud, after a brief illness.”

With these words the Coolmore organisation informed the world that one of their stalwarts had gone. The sire of 31 Group or Grade 1 winners, and the broodmare sire of 16 winners at the highest level, the stallions’ impact will be felt for many years to come. This year he stood for a fee of $75,000, having once commanded $300,000 after the start made by his first runners.

Trained by Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle, Giant’s Causeway was an unbeaten Group 1 winner at 2 and the following season he deservedly became known as ‘The Iron Horse’ following five consecutive Group 1 wins.

His final start was an epic battle with Tiznow in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on dirt.

He was never worse than second in 13 starts.

Giant’s Causeway stood a single season at Coolmore for IR100,000gns before unprecedented demand from US breeders saw him relocate to Ashford where he spent the rest of his life.

His first crop included dual European champion Shamardal, unbeaten 2000 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand, Coronation Stakes winner Maids Causeway and North American Grade 1 winners Aragorn and My Typhoon. He became the first horse since Danzig to top the General Sires’ list in the USA on three occasions.

“To foal, raise and race a horse of Giant’s Causeway’s calibre is every owner/breeder’s dream, so for him to stand as a stallion at his birthplace, and go on to be a three-time champion sire is nothing short of sensational,” commented Coolmore America manager Dermot Ryan.

“Giant’s Causeway was a once in a lifetime horse, and I would like to thank the owners, the Magnier and Tabor families, for entrusting us with his stud career. I would also like to extend my gratitude to all of the stallion handlers at Ashford past and present for providing the highest level of care for ‘Giant’, in particular Blaise Benjamin and Richard Barry. “He will be a huge loss not just to us, but to the industry as a whole.”