St. Leger Winner Shantou Dies at 28

Shantou , the 1996 Pertemps St. Leger (G1) winner who became one of the leading National Hunt sires of recent times, has died at the age of 28. 

The son of Alleged , who was retired last December after sterling service at Burgage Stud, supplied high-class talents such as stakes winners The Storyteller, Death Duty, Briar Hill, and Morning Assembly, along with Cheltenham Festival winners Ballynagour, Polly Peachum, and Beware The Bear. 

Shantou lost his maiden status at the third attempt for John Gosden as a 3-year-old before finishing third behind Shaamit in the Vodafone Epsom Derby (G1). He then provided his trainer with a first classic success in the St. Leger, carrying the famous maroon and white silks of Sheikh Mohammed, and went on to land the Gran Premio del Jockey Club (G1) later that year.

The Darley-bred colt added further top-level success at 4 in the Gran Premio di Milano (G1), before a final career win in the Princess of Wales's Stakes (G2), in which he saw off gallant globetrotter Swain  by a neck in an exciting finish. 

He retired with six victories from 14 races and earnings of more than £800,000.

Shantou was out of the grade 2-winning Shaima, a daughter of the great Oh So Sharp and a Shareef Dancer half sister to Prix Saint Alary (G1) scorer Rosefinch and the group 2-placed Savoire Vivre. 

He stood at stud in Italy before commencing a remarkable 16-season career at Burgage Stud in County Carlow, Ireland, standing initially at €4,000. His fee rose steadily as a result of his progeny's evident talents, and he spent his last three seasons standing for €10,000. 

His best progeny on Racing Post Ratings, at 167, are festival winners Ballynagour, also second to Sizing Europe and Silviniaco Conti in group 1s, and The Storyteller, whose group 1 wins have come in the Growise Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown and Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Shantou finished seventh in last season's National Hunt sires championship, with Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices' Chase winner Shan Blue and Ascot group 2 scorer Allart also among those chipping in. 

His progeny continued to be popular at the sales, with Gigginstown's Run Wild Fred fetching £225,000 (US$298,868) and Sometime Soon going for that same price ($302,175) in 2018 and 2017, respectively, while last autumn's Lisronagh maiden winner Jim Key sold to Hamish Macauley for £215,000 ($284,312) at the Goffs UK November Point-to-Point Sale. 

The farm's Victor Connolly said at the time of his retirement: "We're just delighted that Shantou came our way. So many pedigrees that we're involved in have improved thanks to him and it just goes to show you that a good stallion does so much for a stud.

"He never covered loads of mares, we never went down that road with him, but he proved he could still be a very good sire, and his percentage of quality winners was always high.

"When a trainer finds a stallion that gives them everything, they just want more of them and Shantou's size eventually became irrelevant as it was about what he put into his runners. That's what good stallions do."