LUCKY Speed was a leading performer in Germany before crossing the Atlantic to perform well on the graded circuit in the USA and Canada.
He was a Group 3 runner-up to Vif Monsieur over 10 furlongs at Frankfurt before beating Flamingo Star by half a length in a similar contest at Munich a month later, and then he put his name into the history books as winner of Germany’s premier classic, the Group 1 Deutsches Derby over 12 furlongs at Hamburg.
His first pattern success came on very soft ground, his classic victory on good, and his final big win came on firm turf at Arlington. Many horses are not as effective over such a wide range of underfoot conditions.
Lucky Speed was not seen out again until the following summer when he finished third to Almandin and fourth to Protectionist in Group 2 contests at Baden-Baden and Hamburg, but he picked up another top-level placing when running a two-length third to Sirius in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten. That was a year before his defeat of Panama Hat in the Grade 3 American St Leger Stakes over 13 and a half furlongs at Arlington, a performance sandwiched between a pair of fourth-place finishes at Woodbine.
The first of those was in the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes over just nine furlongs on firm ground, whereas the latter was behind Interpol in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes over a mile and a half on yielding turf.
Like many notable National Hunt sires of recent decades, Lucky Speed represents a branch of the Nijinsky (Northern Dancer) sire line. He is a son of German Horse of the Year and dual top-level winner Silvano (Lomitas). who like many successful flat sires got some talented jumpers. Proud Boris was a Grade 1 winner over hurdles in Italy, Morning Star was a Grade 1-placed Grade 3 scorer there, whereas Bellvano landed the Grade 3 Grand Annual Chase at Cheltenham.
However, Silvano is a top flat sire and Lucky Speed is among 25 of his progeny who won at least once at the highest level. The others are from his South African crops and in addition to classic winners and other celebrities there, they include the Group 1 Jebel Hatta victor Vercingetorix, sire of this year’s Cape Derby winner Pomp And Power. Silvano is among that select group of stallions around the world who have supplied more than 100 stakes winners.
Lucky Speed’s eldest are only five years old, he has had just a handful of runners, so it’s a matter of time before the winners start to flow, though he is already off the mark in the point-to-point sphere. Top Speed (dam by Presenting) is one of the season’s most impressive winners and will now race from Henry de Bromhead’s yard.
Lucky So And So (dam by Oscar) was third over hurdles at Exeter and Hereford in February and the Gordon Elliott-trained Laffite (dam by Villez), a Goffs Land Rover Sale graduate, was runner-up on his hurdles debut at Wexford a month ago, whereas Speed Gang (dam by Old Vic) was a neck second in a Kirkistown point-to-point in February and fourth on his hurdle debut at Limerick last month.
LUCKY SPEED (IRE), Bay 2010. Top rated 3yr old in Germany in 2013 (11-13f.). Won four races, £452,732, from 1 mile 2 furlongs to 1 mile 5½ furlongs, 3 to 5 years including, Sparda Deutsches Derby, Hamburg, Gr.1, American St Leger Stakes, Arlington, Gr.3, onextwo.com Bavarian Classic, Munich, Gr.3, also placed second in Fruhjahrs-Preis des Bankhauses Metzler, Frankfurt, Gr.3, and third in Grosser Preis von Berlin, Berlin-Hoppegarten, Gr.1, G. P. der Badischen Unternehmer Rennen, Baden-Baden, Gr.2.
Retired to Stud in 2016, first crop now 5 year olds
Stands at: Sunnyhill Stud, Kilcullen, Co Kildare, R56 NP97, Ireland.
Contact: Michael Hickey
Telephone: +353 (0)87 2500686
Email: sunnyhillstud@gmail.com
Web: www.sunnyhillstud.com
Fee: on application