Promising young sire Jakkalberry dies at 12

The New Zealand breeding industry is mourning the death of promising young sire Jakkalberry at the age of 12.

The son of Storming Home, a top-level winner in Italy and later victorious in the Group 2 City of Gold at Meydan for Marco Botti and Ryan Moore, was a foundation stallion for Luigi Muollo's Novara Park Stud in Waikato and his first crop are southern-hemisphere two-year-olds.

“He got a gut infection and that was that, it was pretty quick and we had to put him down early in the morning,” stud manager Ray Knight told NZ Racing Desk.

“To say it was premature is an understatement; the signs couldn’t have been more encouraging for the horse. He’s only had two to the races and they’ve both gone well.”

One of the two runners is Thomas Aquinas, runner-up on debut and sixth in the Karaka Million, and viewed as a leading chance in the Group 2 Reid & Harrison Ltd Slipper at Matamata on Saturday.

Jakkalberry was one of five stakes winners out of the Barathea mare Claba Di San Jore, along with Italian Derby heroes Awelmarduk and Crackerjack King.

His sire Storming Home is by Machiavellian, another of whose sons, Street Cry, has achieved outstanding feats as a stallion in both hemispheres.

Another Machiavellian stallion, No Excuse Needed, also tasted significant success in New Zealand.

“I feel so sorry for Luigi, who had gone out of his way to give Jakkalberry every chance to succeed at stud. It just seems so unfair,” Knight added. “He put so much time and enthusiasm into it.

“He was such a good racehorse and he was making every post a winner with good results in the sales ring. It’s a big blow, he was a special horse.”

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