“HE was a great character and will be much missed. He leaves some really good yearlings and foals; one can only hope there’s another Animal Kingdom amongst them.”

With those words last week Kirsten Rausing described Leroidesanimaux who died at the age of 16 at Lanwades Stud. Sire of the Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom, the stallion had been side-lined in recent times, but his untimely death robs European breeders of an ideal outcross for many mares currently at stud.