Vale St Jean
St Jean (Teofilo), the previously unheralded sire of this year’s Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Half Yours, has died after a paddock accident at Brackley Park. The 15-year-old’s death on Tuesday morning comes less than a month after Half Yours ended a 52-year drought for Victorian breeding in the Cup.
Brackley Park principal Grant Dwyer, who had stood St Jean since 2017, confirmed the news in a statement.
“It is with great sadness that I wish to announce the passing of our beloved stallion St Jean, a mere 3 weeks after his gelded son, Half Yours, won the Melbourne Cup,” he said.
“On the morning of 25th of November it was discovered, that for reasons unknown, St Jean had run into a fence post overnight, breaking it off at ground level and shattering his near side front leg around the elbow region… nothing could be done for the horse. The stallion was then humanely euthanised.”
St Jean had covered a mare, Memory Lane, the previous afternoon and was in steady work during what loomed as his most commercially promising season.
“His death was very untimely as breeders were only starting to recognise what an incredible pedigree this stallion had,” Dwyer said. “I lament the fact that more breeders did not take the opportunity to breed to this stallion in the first few seasons at stud at an incredibly low price.”
Trained in Australia by Aaron Purcell, St Jean’s biggest on-track success came when the Irish import claimed the City Of Auckland Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) in 2017. Injury cut short his racing career and he stood modest books in his early seasons, covering just five mares last year.
Interest in the stallion accelerated after his first and only stakes winner Half Yours completed the Caulfield–Melbourne Cup double, resulting in his service fee rising from A$3,300 to A$11,000. He had secured bookings for 35 mares this season, including five by Desert King on the same cross as Half Yours.