Champion German racehorse and sire Samum passes away aged 21

Former champion German racehorse and sire Samum has died after suffering from a thrombosis condition at the age of 21.

Samum was bred to be a high achiever, as he was by legendary German stallion Monsun out of Gestut Karlshof's wonderful broodmare Sacarina, who produced three Classic winners – two Deutsches Derby heroes in Samum and Schiaparelli and a Preis der Diana winner (and Deutsches Derby second) in Salve Regina.

Trained by Andreas Schutz for Stall Blankenese, Samum also won the prestigious Grosser Preis von Baden and finished sixth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Hong Kong Cup at three to be crowned Germany's champion racehorse of 2000.

He was retired to stand at his birthplace of Karlshof after a less productive four-year-old season, and made hay in his second career.

Samum was Germany's champion sire of 2008 thanks to a remarkably fruitful season in which he supplied Deutches Derby and Grosser Preis von Baden winner Kamsin and Preis von Europa scorer Baila Me.

Those results sent his fee soaring to €25,000 in 2009 and 2010, and in 2011 he notched another two top-level winners as sire from his less expensively bred crops – Durban Thunder in the Grosser Dallmayr Preis and Be Fabulous in the Prix Royal-Oak.

However, Samum's stallion career inexplicably went into steep decline thereafter and he failed to capitalise on having covered better mares in the wake of his early success.

Indeed, Samum's stud fee at Karlshof had fallen all the way back down to €4,500 this year.

In a bid to refresh his career, and exploit his appeal to jumps breeders, he spent a season at Haras de Saint-Voir in France in 2015.

Samum has sired the Grade 1-winning hurdler Whiteout and features as the damsire of the classy handicapper Sternrubin in the National Hunt sphere.

“Samum's thrombosis came as a surprise and he went very quickly,” said Karlshof owner Holger Faust. “He was still in very good health at the start of the covering season a few weeks ago.

“Samum was champion racehorse in 2000 and champion sire in 2008. We are very proud to have bred such a great horse and are very grateful for the many great moments he brought us.”

Chances to use this branch of the great Monsun line are offered by Kamsin at Haras d'Etreham, Durban Thunder at Gestut Torna and another son of Samum, Sordino, at Gestut Martinushof.