NEWS
Distinguished sire Rainbow Quest dies at 26
Posted: Monday, July 09, 2007 11:30 AM
RAINBOW QUEST
Photo courtesy of Juddmonte Farms
Rainbow Quest, a multiple champion and distinguished sire for Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms in England, died on July 7 from complications related to colic surgery. He was 26.
The Blushing Groom (Fr) horse out of I Will Follow, by *Herbager, had completed his 21st season at Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket.
Complications arose after Rainbow Quest underwent emergency surgery for colic caused by strangulation of his small intestine by a fatty tumor, Juddmonte General Manager Philip Mitchell said.
Despite never covering more than 75 mares in a season, Rainbow Quest sired 499 winners and 103 stakes winners (10.5% from foals) through Sunday.
“We have lost both a very good friend to us and a stallion of international renown,” Mitchell said.
Fiji (GB), the 1998 Eclipse Award recipient as champion turf female, is one of Rainbow Quest’s 60 group or graded stakes winners, along with ’96 Japanese Horse of the Year Sakura Laurel, French classic and multiple Grade 1 winner Raintrap (GB), and English classic winner and Grade 1 winner Quest for Fame (GB).
Rainbow Quest also sired 1990 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) winner Saumarez (GB), ’95 Prix Royal Oak (Fr-G1) (French St. Leger) winner Sunshack (GB), ’98 Pertemps St. Leger (Eng-G1) winner Nedawi, and 2000 Rothmans Royals St. Leger winner Millenary. His progeny earned $49,638,833 through Sunday.
Rainbow Quest was England’s leading broodmare sire of 2003 and ’04. He sired the dams of Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) winners North Light and Kris Kin, Grade/Group 1-winning siblings Meteor Storm (GB) and Polish Summer, and multiple Grade/Group 1 winners Rakti and Powerscourt (GB).
James Delahooke purchased Rainbow Quest on Abdullah’s behalf for $950,000 in the 1982 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July select yearling sale from the consignment of his breeder, Alan Clore.
Rainbow Quest finished second in the 1984 Joe McGrath Irish Sweeps Derby (Ire-G1) and third in the Prix du Jockey Club (Fr-G1) (French Derby) before scoring in the 1985 Coronation Cup (Eng-G1) and in the Trusthouse Forte Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on the disqualification of Sagace (Fr).
The champion older horse in both England and France in 1985, Rainbow Quest won six of 14 career starts and earned $592,716.
