Dual Group 1 winner turned sire Gladiatorus dies aged 19

Group 1 Dubai Duty Free and Premio Vittorio di Capua winner Gladiatorus has died at Windmill View Stud in County Galway, where the 19-year-old had stood for the final four years of his stallion career.

The winner of seven stakes races had been receiving treatment for laminitis for a period of time, but the decision to euthanise the son of Breeders' Cup Mile winner Silic was taken at the weekend by stud owner John Lynch in conjunction with his veterinary team.

"We were trying to keep him going for six months but he wasn't getting any better and we had to make the sad choice," reported Lynch, who will miss the gentle and kind-natured stallion.

"He was an absolute dote; I sat my grandchildren up on him he was that quiet and kind, he never turned a hair at anything. He was such a lovely horse to have and we will miss him greatly."

Gladiatorus was bred by Azienda Agricola Le Ferriere Di Raponi Giampolo and began his racing career in Italy as a juvenile, where he won six of his nine starts including four Listed races. He ended the season with second place in the Group 1 Gran Criterium under Frankie Dettori.

He was then purchased by Godolphin but injury kept him off the track as a three-year-old. Transferred to Dubai, he ran three times at four for Mubarak bin Shafya, for whom he was unbeaten. Those victories included the Dubai Duty Free and the Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort.

Gladiatorus under Ahmed Ajtebi wins the 2009 Dubai Duty FreeCredit: Edward Whitaker (photos.racingpost.com)

After his top-level triumph, he returned to Europe and the yard of Saeed bin Suroor to contest the Queen Anne Stakes, in which he finished down the field. His second Group 1 came back in Italy for Godolphin, and he was retired at the end of the 2009 season after contesting the Breeders' Cup Mile.

"His best year was the same year as Sea The Stars, and Gladiatorus earned a rating of 119 for his Group 1 win in Dubai, where he beat Archipenko, Vodka and Paco Boy," said Lynch.

He began his stud career in Italy in 2010, where he remained until 2018 and he sired the dual Listed winner and Group-placed Pressly, the best performer by Gladiatorus.

After that he moved to Withyslade Farm in Wiltshire before his acquisition by Lynch precipitated his arrival in Galway.

His dam, Gmaasha, was an unraced Kris half-sister to the 2,000 Guineas and Champion Stakes winner Haafhd and to Munir, successful in the Greenham and Challenge Stakes. 

Gmaasha's half-sister Almaaseh, by Dancing Brave, was the dam of Hong Kong champion Military Attack and second dam of Group 1 winners Red Cadeaux and Big Orange.

That means Gladiatorus is a grandson of the 1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes winner Al Bahathri.

"Marie Sullivan at Godolphin helped me to source Gladiatorus, and it's through her that I found other stallions such as New South Wales, who stood here previously, along with Island House and Gatewood," Lynch explained of how Gladiatorus came to be in Galway.

Lynch, along with neighbour Sean Whelan, bred Island House's best performer: the Grade 3 Bet365 Gold Cup winner Just A Par.

Gatewood, a Group 3 winner by Galileo and bred by George Strawbridge, also stood at Windmill View Stud until his untimely demise but still has a number of young National Hunt representatives.

Lynch added: "Gavin Cromwell has two nice horses by Gatewood: Addragoole, who has been second in both his bumpers, and On My Bike, who won over hurdles last night [Tuesday] at Punchestown. Alan King has Ski Lodge, who won his bumper this year too. 

"Gladiatorus, like Gatewood, covered only a handful of mares and his oldest Irish-breds are three-year-olds, but I think they will show how good he could have been."

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