Former European stallion Reliable Man has died in New Zealand, GaloppOnline reported on Thursday. The G1 Prix du Jockey Club-winning son of Dalakhani was 18.
Gestut Rottgen's Frank Dorff told the publication, “This morning we received the sad news from New Zealand about the death of the stallion Reliable Man. He had to be operated on, unfortunately he had to be euthanized as a result of complications after the operation.”
Bred by N. P. Bloodstock, the grey would win his first three starts in succession as a three-year-old, culminating in the 2011 edition of the Prix du Jockey Club. Third in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris, Reliable Man bounced back with a win in the G2 Prix Niel that September. Third in the G1 Prix Ganay first up at four, he wound up second in the G3 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte several starts later. Traveled to Canada and eventually Australia, his final victory was also his career finale, as he ran out a 2 1/2-length winner of the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in the April of 2013.
At stud, the son of On Fair Stage (Sadler's Wells) would spend several seasons at Gestut Rottgen in Germany and transfer to Haras du Thenney and Haras d'Annebault in France. He returned to Rottgen for the 2021 Northern Hemisphere breeding season and remained permanently in residence at Westbury Stud in New Zealand after the 2022 Northern Hemisphere breeding season where he shuttled beginning in 2013. His 29 stakes winners include 20 group scorers, among them G1 VRC Oaks heroine Miami Bound, G1 Railway Stakes victress Inspirational Girl, G1 Preis der Diana winner Erle, and G1 New Zealand Oaks scorer Miss Sentimental.
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