Star mare Atlantic Jewel dies after giving birth to Justify foal

Multiple Group 1 winner Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock) died at Coolmore’s farm in Australia last night after giving birth to a foal by the brilliant US Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy).

The winner of ten of her 11 starts in a career which saw her amass over $1.5 million in prize-money with victories in the Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) in 2011, the following year’s All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), and then the Memsie Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and Caulfield Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) in 2013, Atlantic Jewel suffered a fatal haemorrhage. The colt foal survived. 

Breaking the news, Coolmore Australia’s Tom Moore told ANZ Bloodstock News: “Sadly we lost the brilliant Atlantic Jewel last night when she haemorrhaged after foaling. It is very sad news but she did leave behind a cracking Justify colt who is doing well.”

Purchased by Coolmore for $320,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2010, Atlantic Jewel was sired by Coolmore’s champion sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill), out of the winning Zabeel (Sir Tristram) mare Regard. 

Following her glittering racing career, Atlantic Jewel embarked on her career as a broodmare where her five coverings by multiple European champion Galileo produced three offspring of racing age. They included the stakes performer Pacific Ocean, a winner in Ireland for Aidan O’Brien, and stablemate Russian Emperor, successful in the Hampton Court Stakes (Gr 3, 1m 2f) at Royal Ascot in June before finishing in midfield in last month’s Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f).

The duo carried the colours of Laurie Macri, which Atlantic Jewel herself sported to so much success in her esteemed racing career in the care of Mark Kavanagh.