Each breeding season brings its disappointments. Devastating occurrences unable to be avoided by human intervention. Many can lead to loss of valued bloodstock. Never is the news easy to break…

Resident Riverdene Stud stallion Half Hennessy was humanely destroyed in September following complications from multiple leg fractures.

An established member of the Riverdene Stud stallion roster, Half Hennessy suffered a freak paddock accident that required immediate and intensive surgery.

Acclaimed veterinary surgeon Dr Nick Kannegietter was flown into Wagga Wagga to perform a radical operation that required the insertion of eight screws in one foreleg and another three in the other.

Post surgery treatment witnessed Half Hennessy placed into two casts. Unfortunately, the prognosis for the former Group 1 winning racehorse was more hopeful than optimistic.

The condition of the stallion deteriorated to such a degree that a decision was made to euthanase him nine days after the accident.

Stud proprietor Dr Kevin Pendergast described Half Hennessy as “a magnificent type with a wonderful temperament and a kind nature. He was a very brave and tough horse much loved by all at Riverdene”.

It had been hoped that the horse’s stable disposition and bravery would help him get over the trauma of his injury and subsequent surgery. Alas, this wasn’t to be the case.

Half Hennessy will be best remembered for his seven-length victory in the Group 1 QTC Queensland Derby as a 3-year-old. His stud career had begun in promising fashion, with the likes of Hangover Henry and Lavished featuring in Sydney metropolitan company.

Half Hennessy’s oldest progeny are still only 4-year-olds of the current racing season.

BON HOFFA was such an easy stallion to introduce, it is possible that we did not do his sire, Belong To Me (USA), justice. A significant son of the celebrated sire-of-sires Danzig, if Belong To Me is not a major drawcard for broodmare owners already, he should be!

Evidence of Belong To Me’s ability to sire a top-class horse was again for all to see when his world-class daughter Forever Together recently took out the US Grade 1 Diana Stakes at Saratoga. A 5-year-old mare that has been at the top of her division for the past couple of racing seasons, Forever Together was winning the same race for the second consecutive season.

In addition to twice winning the Diana Stakes (G1), Forever Together proved successful in last year’s $US2 million Breeders’ Cup Fillies & Mares Turf, stamping herself as one of the leading female performers raced either side of the equator.

Much closer to home, Belong To Me can again be expected to have offspring perform with great distinction during the domestic spring carnivals. The latest Saturday metropolitan programs in Sydney and Melbourne saw the return to racing of All Silent and Belong To Many, representatives of the breed well established in Group company.

When one also considers that Belong To Me sired the Group 1 winners Bulla Borghese (VRC Oaks-G1), Proprietor (AJC The Galaxy-G1) and our very own BON HOFFA, it is fair to say that this son of Danzig has never received the credit he deserves as one of the more successful shuttle stallions of our time.

Anyone still looking at BON HOFFA for 2009 should not under-value his sire.

Pedigree of the Month: RADIOHEAD

The pedigree of a star 2-year-old of the current European flat racing season has relevance for clients of Riverdene Stud as his breeding would be relatively easy to replicate with stock bred on our farm in recent seasons.

Radiohead is the juvenile colt’s name, and he first came to prominence when winning the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in extraordinary circumstances — he was virtually knocked over at the furlong post yet still won! Notably, the very same 2-year-old has since placed in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York against the fastest open-age sprinters in the northern hemisphere.

Radiohead is a grandson of Hennessy from a daughter of Belong To Me, influences which would have been readily available at Riverdene Stud this season had it not been for the very sad demise of HALF HENNESSY.

However, broodmare owners with daughters of HALF HENNESSY to place at stud could do a great worse than to consider using BON HOFFA this season, or sometime in the future, considering the emergence of Radiohead.