AT the end of the year in which he covered Siskin’s dam Bird Flown at Juddmonte Farm in Kentucky, Grade 1 winner First Defence was sold to continue his stud career at Haif Stud in Saudi Arabia. A son of Unbridled’s Song (Unbridled), he was trained by Bobby Frankel on behalf of Juddmonte Farms. He went to stud in 2009 at a fee of $20,000, but this had dropped to $7,500 by 2016.

First Defence won six of 14 starts and was a top-class sprinter who was effective on both dirt and turf. He won the Grade 3 Jaipur Handicap at Belmont Park before turning in a brilliant performance to run out a near seven-length winner of the Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga. He also won the Long Branch Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Monmouth Park and ran second in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop Stakes and Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap.