Twenty-three year old dual Group 1 and French classic winner Hernando has
died from a heart attack at Lanwades Stud in Newmarket, where he spent his
entire very successful stud career.
Conceived at Lanwades, Hernando was by Niniski. Bred and raced by the
Niarchos family, Hernando was trained by the late Francois Boutin, and after the
latter’s death, by John Hammond.
Hernando won 7 of his 21 races, including the Prix Lupin (10f) and the French
Derby, both Group 1s, the Group 2 Prix Niel and the Group 3 Prix Gontaut-Biron
twice. He was also second by a short head to Carnegie in the Group 1 Prix de
l’Arc de Triomphe, for which he started favorite, as well as in the Group 1
Irish Derby and the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Belmont Park. His winnings when
retiring from racing were just short of $3 million, and he was the highest
stakes-winning colt ever in Europe to that date.
Officially rated the champion 3-year-old in France in 1993, Hernando went on
to be the joint champion older horse in Europe in 1994.
At stud, Hernando sired the winners of over 1,230 races and more than £21
million, including six individual Group 1 winners — Sulamani, Going Somewhere,
Holding Court, Look Here, Casual Conquest and Gitano Hernando.
“Hernando had been retired from his stud duties since the close of the 2011
stud season, and his final produce are now yearlings,” said Kirsten Rausing,
owner of Lanwades Stud. “He was a most charming character, always kind and
co-operative, and he is very sadly missed by us all at Lanwades. I particularly
wish to thank the horse’s owner/breeders, the Niarchos family, for entrusting
him to us at Lanwades, and to his devoted handler, Steve McKeown, who has looked
after Hernando at Lanwades for 17 years.”
Hernando has been buried next to his stud companion, champion runner and sire
Selkirk, at Lanwades.
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