Champion sire Deep Impact dies

Japanese stud farm Shadai Stallion Station, which stands the son of Sunday Silence, announced yesterday that Deep Impact was euthanised after a fracture of the cervical spine was found.

Deep Impact was removed from stud duties in April this year by Shadai Stallion Station, who announced the horse was suffering from non life-threatening neck pain.

Deep Impact had been serving mares since the start of the Northern Hemisphere breeding season in February but stopped in March.

He was given the rest of this year to improve his physical condition ahead of next year’s breeding season.

Deep Impact underwent neck surgery on July 28 and the operation was successfully completed with his postoperative condition considered “stable”.

The following day Deep Impact’s condition deteriorated with the horse struggling to stand up. When x-rays were done on July 30, the fracture was located in his cervical spine.The decision to euthanise was taken as there was no hope of recovery.

Deep Impact entered stud duties in 2007 and has been the leading sire in Japan for the past seven years. He is expected to have around 20 foals from his 2019 crop.

Deep Impact was a champion on the racetrack and has continued his success in the breeding barn. He won 12 of 14 starts and suffered his first defeat when runner-up in the 2005 Arima Kinen (2500m).

His racetrack career ended on a sour note. He was third in the 2006 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe but later disqualified for returning a positive swab to the banned substance Ipratropium, which is generally used to treat respiratory problems.

Deep Impact is the sire of three Australian Stakes winners: Tosen Stardom (2017 G1 Toorak Handicap and 2017 G1 Cantala Stakes), Real Impact (2015 G1 George Ryder Stakes) and Fierce Impact (2018 G3 Summer Cup).