Michael Kirwan, Coolmore Australia’s general manager has confirmed that their champion mare
Atlantic Jewel (by Fastnet Rock) is to be retired immediately.
Atlantic Jewel
On Tuesday morning in trackwork Atlantic Jewel damaged a tendon which has caused an immediate retirement to a limited but highly successful racing career that produced 11 starts: 10 wins, including 4 wins at Gr1 level and once second to It’s A Dundeel.
Michael Kirwan - General Manager COOLMORE STUD Australia
"We’ve decided this is the time to retire her so this is what we’re doing,” Kirwan announced.
"It is a very difficult decision but one you have to make, that’s it.”
Kirwan said the five-year-old mare was likely to "spend the next couple of weeks" convalescing at Kavanagh’s Flemington stables before being sound enough to be transported back to Coolmore’s Hunter Valley base to prepare for her trip to Ireland.
"She’ll do 30 days quarantine here at Coolmore before she leaves for Ireland, which will probably be in December,” he said.
"She will be served by Galileo in February."
"She deserves to be covered by the best stallion in the world and I think he’s proven to be that.”
Galileo is the “Best Sire” in the Northern Hemisphere and the stallion has an incredible affinity with Danehill line broodmares that has already produced 28 individual stakes winners including 9 Gr1 winners. The most recognisable of these was the superstar
Frankle – the winner of 10 Gr1 races.
Frankel - bred on the Galileo/ Danehill cross
Kirwan also confirmed another of Coolmore Stud’s top class racemares
Sea
Siren, yet another daughter of Fastnet Rock, has also been retired and
will be covered by Galileo. Sea Siren won three Gr1 races.
Sea Siren 3 x Gr1 Winner by Fastnet Rock
"They are Fastnet Rock mares and Danehill works very well with Galileo,” he said. “He (Galileo) likes fast Danehill line mares, they work with him.”
Michael Kirwan had all our team in stitches of laughter when he stated in his typical laid back style "With their pedigrees they are well suited to this stallion.”
That must surely earn our mate Michael Kirwan the award for the understatement of the year !
Dynamic Syndications have two Fastnet Rock fillies. The first "
Al Julhara" is a 3yo with Gerald Ryan and the other is "
Dynamic Rock" a 2yo filly with Chris Waller .