Kayf Tara (GB), who was three times crowned champion stayer on the Flat before forging a successful career as a National Hunt stallion, has died at Overbury Stud at the age of 28.
An announcement made by the Gloucestershire-based stud on Thursday stated that Kayf Tara “died peacefully in his paddock this morning following the routine he'd had since arriving at Overbury Stud”. He had been retired from covering duties in 2020 as his fertility waned.
Kayf Tara's first ever winner was noteworthy for being in the Listed Ballymacoll Stud S., a recognised Oaks trial, when Ruby Wine (GB) broke her maiden in that race for James Eustace and owner/breeder Rachel Wilson. However, it was in the world of jump racing that the son of Sadler's Wells really carved his reputation as a stallion, heading the sires' table in Britain a record 11 times.
His list of Grade 1 winners over fences and hurdles includes the King George hero and Horse of the Year Thistlecrack (GB), Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Special Tiara (GB), Edwulf (GB), Planet Of Sound (GB), Identity Thief (Ire), Tea For Two (GB), and the Overbury-bred Thyme Hill (GB). His current star performer and winner of last Saturday's G1 Tingle Creek Chase is Edwardstone (GB), bred by Robert Abrey and Ian Thurtle, and trained by Alan King to win nine of his 21 starts to date, including the G1 Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival.
A son of Colorspin (GB) (High Top {GB}) whose dam Reprocolor (GB) (Jimmy Reppin {GB}) was one of the outstanding foundation mares of the Weinfeld family's Meon Valley Stud, Kayf Tara was offered for sale by his breeder at the Tattersalls Houghton Sale of 1995, and was bought for 210,000gns by Darley Stud Management. He was sent into training initially with Sir Michael Stoute, who also trained his full-brother Opera House (GB) to win the G1 Coronation Cup, G1 Eclipse, and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. in the maroon-and-white colours of Sheikh Mohammed.
Having broken his maiden for Stoute as a 3-year-old at Ascot, Kayf Tara was later transferred to Godolphin and Saeed Bin Suroor. He became the pre-eminent stayer of his generation, twice winning the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and the G1 Irish St Leger, as well as posting victories in the G2 Goodwood Cup, G2 Yorkshire Cup, G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier and G2 Prix Kergorlay.
Paying tribute to the first stallion he stood on taking up the reins at Overbury Stud in 2000, Simon Sweeting said, “This is a very sad day for all of us at Overbury. Kayf Tara really put us on the map and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been with him through every step of what transpired to be an extraordinary career as a jump stallion, in which he won more championships than any other British National Hunt sire in history.
“I remain immensely grateful to Sheikh Mohammed and the Darley team for entrusting him to us. He's been such a great servant to the National Hunt game and to Overbury Stud, where he was looked after for most of his time by Dan Matty. We will miss him terribly.”
Darley's director of stallions Sam Bullard added, “We are all very grateful to Simon Sweeting and his team at Overbury for taking such great care of Kayf Tara for all these years, and we are very proud of the enormous contribution he has made to National Hunt racing and breeding in Britain and beyond during that time.”
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