Dansili (GB)

Dansili was the first foal out of the Listed winning mare Hasili, who went on to become one of Juddmonte's most important blue hen broodmares as the dam of five Group/Grade 1 winners. Dansili was not one of these, but he made up for it by going on to be one of the leading British-based sires and broodmare sires of his generation.

Trained in France by André Fabre, Dansili won his first and only race as a two-year-old, and his racecourse debut at three, making him a leading contender for the Gr.1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) in 1999. 15 runners went to post - one of the highest numbers in the race's history - and Dansili found only Sendawar too good. He ran four more times that season, winning the Gr.3 Prix Messidor and placing in the Gr.1 Prix Jacques le Marois (won by Dubai Millennium) and Gr.1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.

A tough and consistent campaigner, Dansili returned for a four-year-old season in which he won both the Gr.3 Prix Edmond Blanc and Gr.2 Prix du Muguet and placed four further times at the highest level, including running second to the 'Iron Horse' Giant's Causeway in the Gr.1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and third to War Chant and North East Bound in the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Mile by a neck and a nose, the fastest closing quarter in Breeders’ Cup history. Soon afterwards, Dansili was returned to his birthplace at Banstead Manor Stud to start a new chapter as a stallion.

Dansili went on to sire 22 Group 1 winners, starting at a fee of £8,000 and rising to a peak of £100,000 thanks to some outstanding horses such as Flintshire, Harbinger, Rail Link, Proviso, Queen's Trust, Dank and The Fugue. He was pensioned from stud duties in 2018 at the age of 22, with Stud Director UK Simon Mockridge paying the following tribute: “With the support of loyal breeders, Dansili rose from modest beginnings to become one of Europe’s leading sires. He has established himself as an incredibly consistent sire of high-class performers. His influence will be felt at Juddmonte for many years to come through his daughters in the broodmare band and via his exciting son Bated Breath, whose career has closely echoed that of his sire to date.

“Dansili will now enjoy a well-deserved retirement at Banstead Manor Stud.”