Montjeu (Ire)

So sad, so young but I'll be keeping tabs on his final crops

World-class stallion Montjeu dies aged 16

from the Racing Post:
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse...6/1007506/top/

BY JON LEES 11:49AM 29 MAR 2012

MONTJEU, the outstanding middle distance racehorse who as a sire produced three Derby winners, has died aged 16 after a short illness, Coolmore Stud announced on Thursday.

Coolmore said the stallion, whose offspring include Epsom heroes Motivator (2005), Authorized (2007) and Pour Moi (2011), had suffered complications from an overwhelming septicaemia.

A statement from Coolmore on Thursday read: "Montjeu, the highest-rated racehorse ever by the great Sadler’s Wells, has died this morning at Coolmore Stud after a short illness, which was due to complications from an overwhelming septicaemia.

"The sire of three Epsom Derby winners including last year's brilliant winner Pour Moi, as well as Camelot, the favourite for this year’s edition, Montjeu was one of the best stallions in the world and in 2011 he sired 15 individual Group/Graded winners in the northern hemisphere, which was the equal of Galileo.

"Montjeu will best be remembered for his incredible wins in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes as well as his runaway victories in the French and Irish Derbies."

CLICK TO PLAY
Watch Montjeu winning the King George in 2000

On the racecourse Montjeu, who was trained in France by John Hammond for Michael Tabor, won 11 of his 16 starts capturing the Prix du Jockey Club, Irish Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1999 and the following season produced one of the most impressive victories ever seen in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Mick Kinane, who rode Montjeu in nine of his races, said: "At his best hewas one of the best I've ever ridden. He was definitely in the top five because at his height he was a truly remarkable racehorse.

"The day he won the King George he was imperious. He treated his rivals with pure contempt.

Kinane was not the only jockey to be wowed by Montjeu. After his five-length win in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in 2000, jockey Cash Asmussen said: "The last time I went so fast, I was landing in a Concorde at New York!"

Montjeu went on to establish himself among the world's best stallions siring the likes of Hurricane Run, winner of the Irish Derby, Arcand King George.

Last year Fame And Glory (Ascot Gold Cup), St Nicholas Abbey (Breeders' Cup Turf) and Masked Marvel (St Leger) added to that haul, while Montjeu made his presence on jump racing as the sire of Champion Hurdle winner Hurricane Fly.

Having overcome question marks about his ability to produce high-class fillies, Montjeu's daughter Wading is favourite for this year's Investec Oaks.

Great horse, top of the class and great memories. :thumbs

Two Group One's - not a bad day at the office? & can he make it 5, there must be a chance?

Fourth Derby winner
for outstanding Montjeu From:

http://bloodstock.racingpost.com/new...ntjeu/1045415/

BY NANCY SEXTON 4:24PM 2 JUN 2012

Epsom: Investec Derby (Group 1), 1m4f, 3yo colts

CAMELOT (c Montjeu - Tarfah by Kingmambo)

Bred by Sheikh Abdulla Bin Isa Al-Khalifa in Britain

MONTJEU became the first stallion for over 75 years on Saturday to add a fourth Epsom Derby winner to his stud record when his son Camelot ran out an impressive five length scorer of the race under Joseph O'Brien.

Camelot's dominant victory was recorded in a similar manner to two of the stallion's previous Derby winners, Motivator and Authorized. It also means that the late Montjeu joins an elite list of stallions - namely Sir Peter Teazle (born 1784), Waxy (b.1790), Cyllene (b.1895) and Blandford (b.1919) - to have sired four Derby winners. The last-named of that quartet, Blandford, achieved the feat when Bahram won the Derby en route to sweeping the Triple Crown in 1935.

No stallion has yet sired five Epsom Derby winners.

Camelot's victory further highlights the great loss that Montjeu will be to the European breeding industry. The son of Sadler's Wells, himself the winner of six Group 1 races including the Arc and King George, died at Coolmore earlier this year at the relatively early age of 16. From eight crops aged three and above, he is the sire of 25 Group/Grade 1 winners including St Nicholas Abbey, who was successful in the Diamond Jubilee Coronation Cup earlier on the Epsom card.