Death of Group 1 winner turned leading sire Havana Gold at 13

Leading sire Havana Gold, whose own sire-son Havana Grey was champion first-season sire in 2022, has died aged 13.

David Redvers' Tweenhills Stud in Gloucestershire reported the sad news on Thursday. Havana Gold had stood there since 2014.

"It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our stallion Havana Gold, aged 13, after sustaining a fatal pelvis injury this afternoon," a statement on their website read. 

"Havana Gold was the leading UK-based first-season sire in 2017 and the leading UK-based sire of two-year-olds in 2021.

"His first son to stud, Havana Grey, was crowned leading UK-based first-season sire in 2022 and Havana Gold was also the sire of numerous stakes winners including El Caballo, Tabdeed, Treasuring, Chipotle, Fearby, Chateau and last season’s unbeaten two-year-old Streets Of Gold."

The son of Teofilo was bred by Sir Eric Parker out of the Group-winning sprinter Jessica’s Dream, by Desert Style.

Havana Gold was bought during his two-year-old campaign by Qatar Racing and went on to win the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat as a three-year-old for Qatar Racing and CSH before retiring to stud at Tweenhills in 2014, "where he will be much missed".

Havana Gold was a 50,000gns vendor buyback at the foal sales when consigned by his breeders Crimbourne Stud, and cost 80,000gns at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale in 2011, when Amanda Skiffington was the successful buyer. 

He was quickly out of the blocks as a two-year-old, winning on his debut for Richard Hannon in the silks of Carmichael Humber, and followed up at Ascot. Misfortune then struck at Deauville, where a slipped saddle unseated Ryan Moore, but, in his new owners' colours, Havana Gold made up for that in the Listed Ascendant Stakes at Haydock and then the Group 3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes at Newmarket.

Effectively his first defeat came in a valuable sales race at Newmarket next time, though he went down by only a head to Ghurair.

He was second in the Craven next spring to Toronado before a fine effort in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, in which he finished a close fifth to Style Vendome.

 Havana Gold was then fourth in the Irish 2,000 Guineas behind Magician, before his day of days in the Jean Prat at Chantilly, in which he battled to win by a short neck over Silverfield.

Havana Gold and Richard Hughes winning the Somerville Tattersall Stakes at NewmarketCredit: Alan Crowhurst

The curtain came down on his racing career with a fifth-placed effort at Deauville in the Prix Guillaume D'Ornano.

Havana Grey, who stands at Whitsbury Manor Stud, is his only Group 1 winner to date but El Caballo, Treasuring and Tabdeed have flown his flag well too as stakes winners, while he has numerous Listed winners to his name.