Derby Winner North Light Dies At 23

Derby winner North Light (Ire) (Danehill) was euthanized on Mar. 20 due to complications from laminitis, The Stronach Group announced on Thursday. The 23-year-old stallion had been pensioned since 2020 and will be laid to rest at Adena South in Ocala Florida.

Bred and raced by Ballymacoll Stud and trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the son of G1 Prix du Cadran heroine Sought Out (Ire) (Rainbow Quest) won one of two starts at two, and added the G2 Dante S. and G1 Derby in succession during the spring of 2004. A half-brother to multiple group winner Cover Up (Ire) (Machiavellian), he then found only Grey Swallow (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}) too good in the G1 Irish Derby and ended his season with a fifth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. At four, he was second in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S., and ended his career with a mark of 7-3-3-0 and $1,989,577 in earnings.

Upon retirement, a majority interest in North Light was purchased by Frank Stronach, who stood the bay at his Adena Springs in Kentucky beginning in 2006. Moved to Adena North in Canada for his fifth season in 2010, he was leased to Kirsten Rausing's Lanwades Stud in England for one season in 2014. Repatriated to Canada beginning in 2015, he was pensioned in October of 2019 and lived out the rest of his days at Adena South.

 

Among his nine worldwide stakes winners were G1 St Leger hero Arctic Cosmos, who also was placed in three other group races, GII Del Mar H. hero Celtic New Year, Grade III winners Chips All In and Go Forth North, and Brazilian Group 2 winner Gol Tricolor (Brz). His daughters have produced five stakes winners, three of them Grade/Group 1 scorers–triple top-level winner War Like Goddess (English Channel), G1 Coolmore Classic heroine Lighthouse (Mizzen Mast), and Olympic Jolteon (Brz) (Elmustanser {GB}).

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Le Havre Dies Weeks After Being Pensioned

The Prix du Jockey Club winner and Classic sire Le Havre (Ire) has died at the age of 16. The son of Noverre was euthanised at Sumbe's Haras de Montfort et Preaux in Normandy just three weeks after his retirement from stud duties had been announced.

Le Havre's owner Gerard Augustin-Normand told TDN at that time, “He has been the most important horse of my life. He was the beginning and it's very emotional for me. I wouldn't have been in the breeding business if he had not been there. Everything began with Le Havre and I wouldn't have started breeding horses without him.

“It has not been easy but it is the right thing to do. We love him so much and he has given us the biggest emotions. I hope he will stay with us as long as possible.”

Sadly, Le Havre was not granted a long retirement but in his 12 full seasons at stud he has to date been represented by 20 group winners and 30 listed winners. They are headed by two dual Classic-winning daughters. Avenir Certain (Fr), a member of his first crop bred by Elisabeth Vidal, became Le Havre's first Classic winner in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and swiftly followed up in the Prix de Diane. Two years later the Augustin-Normand-bred La Cressonniere (Fr) completed the same Classic double. Both fillies were campaigned in partnership by Augustin-Normand and Antonio Caro and trained by Le Havre's former trainer Jean-Claude Rouget.

Augustin-Normand said last month, “When Le Havre went to stud I wanted to give him the best chances, everything he needed to succeed. I was so grateful to him for what he had given me, and that has not stopped. To have won two Poules and the Prix de Diane twice [with his daughters] is incredible.”

Le Havre was bred by Jan, Maja and Anna Sundstrom under their Team Hogdala banner and was the first foal of his dam Marie Rheinberg (Ger) (Surako {Ger}), a half-sister to the Group 1-winning sprinter Polar Falcon (Nureyev). Bought by Rouget for €100,000 at Arqana's August Sale, he became the first major winner in Thoroughbred racing for his prolific owner Gerard Augustin-Normand, who had previously been involved with racing trotters.

A dual winner at two, Le Havre won the Listed Prix Djebel on his 3-year-old debut, beating the previous season's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Naaqoos (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) into second. He was then runner-up to Silver Frost (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}) in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains before his dominant victory in the  Prix du Jockey Club on what would transpire to be Le Havre's final start.

His retirement to what was then known as Haras de la Cauviniere in 2009 sparked a significant venture into the Thoroughbred breeding world by Augustin-Normand, who invested heavily but shrewdly in broodmares to support his young stallion.

The owner was soon rewarded with the aforementioned Avenir Certain, and Suedois (Fr) later became the second Group/Grade 1 winner from Le Havre's first crop when landing the GI Shadwell Turf Mile. La Cressonniere, Villa Marina (Fr), winner of the G1 Prix de l'Opera, and Wonderful Tonight (Fr), victrix of the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and the G1 Prix de Royallieu, followed on the roll call of top-level winners.

In a role in which we are likely to see him become more prominent in the years to come, Le Havre is the broodmare sire of G1 Coronation Cup winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}). A number of his daughters have been exported to Japan, including both his French Classic winners. Avenir Certain, who died after producing just two foals, is the dam of Des Ailes (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the winner of last year's G2 Hanshin Himba S. as well as the G3 Aichi Hai in February. Le Havre's daughter Sea Front (Fr) is the dam of the Grade 2-winning juvenile Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}).

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