Dane Shadow has kicked off the 2014/15 racing season in good fashion, following on from a 2013/14 season that saw him finish as one of the Leading Sires of 2YOs in Australia.

He sired 8 individual 2yo winners last season – more than Mossman (7), Exceed and Excel (7), Encosta de Lago (6), More Than Ready (6), Commands (5), Redoute’s Choice (5), etc. Two of those 2yo winners, the promising Chris Waller-trained Harrier Jet, and the unbeaten Michael Nolan trained Night Rituals, have gone on and won their 3yo debuts in the past week. Dane Shadow continues to prove himself a consistent source of winners – he churned out 88 individual winners in Australia last season, and has already sired 6 winners in Australia in the first ten days of the new season. 

On Friday night the 4yo Flak Jacket, who is a full-brother to Dane Shadow’s G1 winners Red Tracer and Shellscrape, won the Kranji Stakes in Singapore by 4 lengths. His win followed on from Boomerang Deluxe’s 3 length victory in Kranji at the beginning of the month, leaving Dane Shadow the current #1 Leading Sire in Singapore by number of winners this season.

With a 60% winners/runners strike rate, Dane Shadow (Danehill), who entered stud in 2005, has already sired the G1 winners Red Tracer (Tatts’ Tiara and Myer Classic), Shellscrape (The Galaxy), Hurtle Myrtle (Myer Classic), and Shadows In The Sun (S.A. Derby). Dane Shadow’s yearlings this year sold for up to $185,000 and averaged over $60,000, nearly four times his 2011 fee of $16,500.

In terms of profit, only five stallions had greater returns on their 2010 service fees (Northern Meteor [now deceased], Snitzel, Not A Single Doubt, Magic Albert, and Blackfriars). Both Dane Shadow and his stable-mate Duporth have had the Equinome Speed Gene test, and both stallions are C:C type, meaning they are most likely to produce fast, speedy, sprint types that are best suited to short distances (1000m to 1600m) and their progeny are likely to be a fast, early maturing type, that perform well as two year olds.

Dane Shadow (Danehill) stands at Kitchwin Hills in 2014 for $11,000, alongside Duporth (Red Ransom), $16,500.