Rebel Dane walked through the front gate at Widden Stud ‘just five-minutes ago,’ and already he’s the Australian Champion Sire of 2YOs for this 2021-2022 season.
With his juvenile filly Fireburn winning the $5m Longines Golden Slipper Stakes and $1m Inglis Sires’ Produce Stakes as his only season winner, he’s finishing with $3.91m in progeny earnings.
In taking out the Longines Golden Slipper of 1200m on a Heavy 9 at Rosehill, he defeated Snitzel’s best season son Best of Bordeaux by 2½ lens., with the Written Tycoon filly Coolangatta in third.
Snitzel is finishing second with $3.52m on the Sires 2YO table with Best of Bordeaux winning the Silver Slipper Stakes, and Written Tycoon being third with Coolangatta the MM 2YO Classic.
In next winning the Inglis Sires’ Produce Stakes of 1400m at Randwick, Fireburn defeated the filly She’ Extreme, who is by Extreme Choice, the 2020-21 Champion 2YO Sire and First Crop Sire.
However, it was She’s Extreme defeat of Fireburn, in the following Champagne Stakes that robbed Fireburn of the Sydney 2YO Triple Crown, having previously won the Sweet Embrace Stakes.
Today Rebel Dane holds the Australian benchmark figure of 21.4% stakes performers to runners, and with 18 runners he has 8 winners with 18 wins and $4.71m in earnings plus 2 stakes winners.
Rebel Dane is also finishing third as Leading Second Crop Sire with earnings of $4.39m, chiefly to the courtesy of Fireburn, with the Japanese Horse of The Year Maurice leading with $7.37m.
As Group 1 winner of the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes over 1400m and Manikato Stakes of 1200m, Rebel Dane was also Group 1 placed in the Manikato Stakes, TJ Smith Stakes and Memsie Stakes.
In being unraced at two years, he took out the Royal Sovereign Stakes at three, before winning the AJC Shorts and Premier Stakes, and in all finished fourth in five Group 1 events.
In winning 8 races from 1100 to 1400m and $2.42m, plus 9 placings, he’s the best produce of his Danehill sire California Dane the winner of the AJ Moir Stakes and Norman Carlyon Plate.
With California Dane also siring the NZ Filly of The Year Platinum Witness, Rebel Dane is a bay/brown standing 16.0hh, from the winning More Than Ready mare Texarcana, the family of Bold Tie.
The Oakleigh Plate winning 3yo Portland Sky also retires to Widden having also won the Manfred Stakes and Red Anchor Stakes, both at 1200m, and second in the William Reid Stakes.
Also second in the Ian McEwen Stakes, and unraced at two years, he was purchased by trainer Matt Laurie for $85,000 at the 2019 Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale from Alwyn Park Stud.
In face it’s Matt Laurie who describes Portland Sky ‘as a particularly good looking horse and history says these colts, that excel in open company, have the ability to become great sires.’
In being the first Group 1 winner of his popular Group 2 winning sire Deep Field, who has now sired the winners of $42m in stakes with 67% winners, and is now Champion Sire in Hong Kong.
In addition, Deep Field has Al Muthana as the winner of the Greyville Gold Challenge and Sky Field the Honk Kong Sprint, plus this year his Capital Command yearling colt sold for $1 million.
A bay standing 16.0hh, Portland Sky is from the placed Shrewd Rhythm mare Sky Rumba, and is the family of LKS Mackinnon Stakes and Doomben Cup winner Scenic Shot and London Lane.
