SAXON Warrior was an unbeaten Group 1 star at two, a classic winner at three and he has been one of the most popular young stallions at stud since.
His first foals arrived in 2020 and they include a son of the Group 1 sprint star Gilt Edge Girl, a half-sister to last year’s juvenile Group 1 winner Shale out of the runaway Group 1 1000 Guineas heroine Homecoming Queen, plus half-brothers and sisters to other Group 1 winners such as Coronet, Deep Brillante, Fancy Blue, Halfway To Heaven, Meandre and The Revenant.
Saxon Warrior’s clear-cut debut success over a mile at the Curragh was followed up in similar style in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes at Naas, one month before he beat Roaring Lion by a neck in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.
That pair would meet six times, the final score two to four in favour of the sadly short-lived grey. It could perhaps have been three all had Saxon Warrior not injured a tendon in his final start.
Their first rematch was in the Group 1 2000 Guineas, which Saxon Warrior won in style, his rival only fifth. The final one was their memorable Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes battle where only a neck separated them at the line. Roaring Lion also won their Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes duel by a neck.
Saxon Warrior was a three-quarter-length third to Latrobe in the Group 1 Irish Derby – Roaring Lion did not run – and his only other races resulted in fourth-place finishes. He had stumbled leaving the stalls at Epsom, encountered traffic problems at a key stage in the race and so did well to finish fourth to Masar in the Derby, one place behind the grey. He also finished fourth in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York, which Roaring Lion won from Poet’s Word.
In addition to being the latest classic winner from a famous family, Saxon Warrior has the added attraction and rarity value of being a top-class son in Europe of the late Deep Impact (Sunday Silence), one of the great Japanese racehorses and the worthy successor to his dynasty-making sire.
His dam is the classic-placed juvenile filly champion Maybe (Galileo), who is out of the sprint stakes winner Sumora (Danehill), and that mare, a three-parts sister to the Group 1 Oaks and Group 1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) heroine and blacktype producer Dancing Rain (Danehill Dancer), is out of an unraced half-sister to Derby hero Dr Devious (Ahonoora) and notable sprinter Archway (Thatching), both the sire of Group 1 winners. One of their siblings produced last year’s Group 1 Irish Oaks winner Even So (Camelot).
Saxon Warrior’s potential is obvious, and it would not be a surprise to see him become the best stallion son of his much-lamented sire.
SAXON WARRIOR (JPN), Bay 2015. 2nd top rated 2yr old colt in Europe in 2017. Jt 2nd top rated 3yr old colt in Europe in 2018. Won four races, £1,112,466, over 1 mile, at 2 and 3 years including, Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, Racing Post Trophy Stakes, Doncaster, Gr.1, Juddmonte Beresford Stakes, Naas, Gr.2, also placed second in Coral Eclipse Stakes, Sandown Park, Gr.1, QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.1, and third in Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, Curragh, Gr.1.
Retired to Stud in 2019, first crop now yearlings
Stands at: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, E91 XK26, Ireland.
Contact: Christy Grassick, David O’Loughlin, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Maurice Moloney, Gerry Aherne, Jason Walsh, Tom Miller, Mark Byrne, Neil Magee, Kevin Buckley, or Hermine Bastide
Telephone: +353 (0)52 6131298
Email: sales@coolmore.ie
Web: www.coolmore.com
Fee: €20,000