IT is only nine months or so since Victor Connolly announced the retirement from stud duties of Shantou. Now comes news of the bay’s passing, at the great age of 28. The classic winner, and multiple Grade 1 sire, has been a major success story for Connolly and his Burgage Stud.

Such is the longevity of the 1996 classic winner’s career that he was the first classic winner for John Gosden. Shantou won the St Leger at Doncaster in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed, Frankie Dettori sporting the maroon silks.

Less than a fortnight after winning his maiden, Shantou was third to Shaamit and Dushyantor in the Derby at Epsom. He beat the latter by a neck in the St Leger, Dettori and Pat Eddery providing a thriller. He was the first of the classic generation home in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Woodbine, behind such racing luminaries as Pilsudski, Singspiel and Swain.

He warmed up for that race with a trip to Italy where he won the Group 1 Gran Premio del Jockey Club, and at four he returned to open his four-year-old season with victory in the Group 1 Gran Premio di Milano, beating Needle Gun, Taipan, Luso and Strategic Choice.

Shantou’s final career victory, one of six in all, was a defeat of Swain in the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket. He first went to stud in Italy for five years, and those crops included Sweet Stream who won the Group 1 Prix Vermeille.

Highly-talented

Shantou stood his first season at Burgage in 2003, and the emergence of the highly-talented Da Valira vindicated the decision to bring him to Ireland. His Grade 1 National Hunt winners include Airlie Beach, The Storyteller, Death Duty, Briar Hill, Morning Assembly and, in 2021, Shan Blue. Connolly was also attracted to Shantou’s pedigree, being a son of the dual Arc winner Alleged (Hoist The Flag), sire also of Flemensfirth and Montelimar.

Brought to Burgage as a result of Bob Back’s advancing years, Shantou matched that stallion’s feat in retiring from stud duties at the age of 27. At the time of his retirement, Connolly paid tribute to Shantou, saying: “Good stallions have many qualities, but what sets some apart from the rest is that X-factor, that special ingredient. Shantou was what I would call a street fighter; he never lost his ‘attitude’. I am very glad we got the last few seasons with him. He has been a good story”.

Shantou crossed incredibly well with mares by Bob Back (Roberto), and such as Shan Blue, The Storyteller, Grade 1 bumper and hurdle winner Briar Hill, in addition to Grade 2 winners Ashdale Bob, Drop The anchor and Shantou Flyer, testify to its potency.