Early September brought sad racing news from Australia with the announcement that one of the nation’s leading sires had passed away. Born and raised at Coolmore Australia, and later returning to the beautiful Hunter Valley site to stand at stud, Fastnet Rock died on Monday, 9th September at 24 years of age. The stallion’s death came following the rapid deterioration of an injury sustained over the previous weekend.
Breaking the news to the racing community, Principal of Coolmore Australia, Tom Magnier, stated:
“Sadly, earlier today our much-loved champion sire Fastnet Rock was humanely euthanised at Coolmore, his place of birth and home for the past 20 years. In that time, Fastnet Rock forged a legacy that will see him recognised as one of the greatest stallions Australia has ever produced.”
Talented at the Track
Sired by Danehill, who was the most successful sire of all time before the emergence of Galileo, Fastnet Rock made his racecourse debut at the New South Wales track of Rosehill in 2004. Second in four of his first nine outings, the sprinter finally broke his duck at the ninth time of asking in a Group 2 event at Warwick Farm.
Building on the promise of his juvenile campaign, the consistent colt took his form to another level at three – picking up Group 1 wins in the Lightning Stakes and Oakleigh Plate. Those victories were enough to see Fastnet Rock crowned Australia’s Champion 3yo Sprinter for 2004/05.
Retired at the end of that three-year-old season, Fastnet Rock ended his time at the yard of Paul Perry with six wins, seven runner-up efforts, and two third-place finishes from 19 starts. An impressive record, but the good-looking bay would go on to scale even greater heights at stud.
Fastnet Rock’s Racing Record
| Date | Race | Course | Distance | Race Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24/1/04 | Handicap | Rosehill | 5½f | 5th |
| 7/2/04 | Handicap | Rosehill | 5½f | 2nd |
| 21/2/04 | Silver Slipper Stakes (G2) | Rosehill | 5½f | 4th |
| 13/3/04 | Skyline Stakes (G3) | Canterbury | 6f | 2nd |
| 27/3/04 | Pago Pago Stakes (G2) | Rosehill | 6f | 2nd |
| 3/4/04 | Golden Slipper Stakes (G1) | Rosehill | 6f | 4th |
| 10/4/04 | Sires Produce Stakes (G1) | Randwick | 7f | 3rd |
| 7/8/04 | San Domenico Stakes (G2) | Randwick | 5f | 2nd |
| 21/8/04 | Up And Coming Stakes (G2) | Warwick Farm | 6f | 1st |
| 4/9/04 | Roman Consul Stakes (G3) | Warwick Farm | 6f | 1st |
| 19/9/04 | Guineas Prelude (G3) | Caulfield | 7f | 2nd |
| 2/10/04 | Concept Sports Stakes | Flemington | 7f | 3rd |
| 9/10/04 | Caulfield Guineas (G1) | Caulfield | 1m | 8th |
| 30/10/04 | Danehill Stakes (G3) | Flemington | 6f | 1st |
| 4/11/04 | Lexus Stakes (G2) | Flemington | 6f | 1st |
| 5/2/05 | Lightning Stakes (G1) | Flemington | 5f | 1st |
| 26/2/05 | Oakleigh Plate (G1) | Caulfield | 5½f | 1st |
| 12/3/05 | Newmarket Handicap (G1) | Flemington | 6f | 2nd |
| 26/3/05 | TJ Smith Stakes | Randwick | 6f | 2nd |
Group Winners Galore
Beginning life as a stallion in 2006, Fastnet Rock shuttled between the Coolmore operations in Australia and Ireland between 2010 and 2021. Pensioned in 2024, he ended his second career as one of the most successful Australian sires of all time.
At the time of his death, Fastnet Rock had sired 1,145 southern hemisphere winners, including 35 who scored at Group 1 level. When adding his northern hemisphere exploits to his tally, those numbers increase to over 1,500 individual winners and 44 Group 1 successes – the most of any Australian sire in history.
What a performance! Via Sistina lands the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley for @mcacajamez and @cwallerracing… pic.twitter.com/fQxl8QFces
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 26, 2024
Unsurprisingly, given that phenomenal record, the stallion picked up several notable accolades during his stud career. Like his father before him, Fastnet Rock was a two-time winner of the Australian Champion Sire award – claiming the title in 2011/12 and 2014/15.
Fastnet Rock produced many talented colts but was particularly noted for his success with fillies. Crowned Champion Broodmare sire in 2023/24 and 2024/25, his legacy lives on through his squadron of talented daughters.
Four of the Best
With so many top-level winners to his name, selecting the best of Fastnet Rock’s progeny isn’t a straightforward task. Catchy, Irish Lights, and Unforgotten all merit a special mention, but the following quartet stand out from the talented crowd.
- Avantage – Brilliant over trips ranging from six furlongs to 1m2f, Avantage won nine Group 1 events between 2018 and 2021
- Atlantic Jewel – Beaten only once in eight starts, Atlantic Jewel won four Group 1 contests, including the Australian 1,000 Guineas and Caulfield Stakes
- Sea Siren – One of the stars of the 2012 season, with Group 1 wins in the BTC Cup, Doomben 10,000, and Manikato Stakes. Ended her career with Aidan O’Brien in Ireland and went on to produce Warm Heart, who claimed the Yorkshire Oaks, the Prix Vermeille, and the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes
- Via Sistina – The reigning Australian Horse of the Year. Initially based in Britain, Via Sistina won the 2023 Pretty Polly Stakes for George Boughey. Joining the Australian yard of Chris Waller in March 2024, she progressed to become one of the greatest mares of recent times. Announcing herself with a win in the 2024 Ranvet Stakes, her triumph in the 2025 Winx Stakes represented a ninth Australian Group 1
Tributes Pour In
Following the sad news, tributes poured in for the much-loved star. Peter O’Brien, who witnessed Fastnet Rock’s conception, birth, and stud career during 35 years with Coolmore, summed up his legacy when stating:
“He’s already been champion broodmare sire twice, champion sire twice – he’s done everything.”
He went on to note the poignancy that Via Sistina should be crowned Horse of the Year in the year of his passing:
“It’s a beautiful, fitting tribute to him that, at 24 years of age, his daughter Via Sistina was horse of the year in Australia.”
Tom Magnier, meanwhile, highlighted that Fastnet Rock was the horse on which the recent success of Coolmore Australia was built:
“Coolmore Australia would not be what it is today without Fastnet Rock, and we owe him so much.”