Fast Company Dies At 15

Fast Company (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}-Sheezalady {GB}, by Zafonic), whose first 2-year-olds conceived at Kildangan Stud hit racetracks this year, has died aged 15 at the Darley stud. The G3 Acomb S. winner and G1 Dewhurst S. runner-up had an existing medical condition that had caused his health to deteriorate.

Bred by Limetree Stud and Aerial Bloodstock, Fast Company was a smart pinhook for Glenvale Stud, which purchased him for 54,000gns as a foal and resold him the following year for 140,000gns. Fast Company broke his maiden by three lengths on debut at Salisbury and took the Acomb by 3 1/2 lengths in the colours of Earle Mack for trainer Brian Meehan, after which he was sold privately. Fast Company ran in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamdan in the Dewhurst, where he split fellow future Darley stallions New Approach (Ire) and Raven's Pass.

Fast Company stood his first five seasons at Rathasker Stud, and his first runners in 2014 included the G2 Norfolk S. winner Baitha Alga (Ire). Fast Company made the move in 2016 to Overbury Stud in Britain, and at the tail end of the breeding season he struck big when his second-crop daughter Jet Setting (Ire) took the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. So it was back to Ireland and to Kildangan Stud the following year, and the past two seasons Fast Company had stood for a career-high €12,000.

In addition to Jet Setting he has left four-time Chilean Group 1 winner and GI Arlington Million victor Robert Bruce (Chi) from a shuttling stint, and domestically he has been represented by the likes of G2 Ridgewood Pearl S. winner Devonshire (Ire), G3 Ballyogan S. winner Penny Pepper (Ire) and G3 John of Gaunt victor Safe Voyage (Ire).

Sam Bullard, Darley's director of stallions, said, “Fast Company has been a great servant and will be greatly missed by the team at Kildangan Stud. He has been a reliable source of winners for breeders and with his first Darley-sired runners hitting the track this year, he was a stallion with his best years in front of him.”

Eamon Moloney, nominations manager at Kildangan Stud, said, “It is very disappointing to lose Fast Company, who had been so well supported since moving to Kildangan Stud. A remarkably good-looking individual with a wonderful personality, he will be sorely missed at the stud.”