Emotions stirred at Windsor Park Stud recently when their team said their final goodbyes and paid tributes to their old mate and resident sire Falkirk.
Succumbing to the infirmities of aging, 20-year-old Falkirk was laid to rest at Windsor Park, the farm where he was born and raised and where he had enjoyed a successful stallion career following equally successful exploits on the racetrack.
Falkirk was an unbeaten Group winner in four New Zealand starts before embarking overseas to win further Group races in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
His confirmation among Australia’s best sprinters secured him an invitation to Royal Ascot where he finished fourth in the Gr.1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) prior to his final start in the Gr.1 July Cup (1200m) and retirement to Windsor Park.
At stud Falkirk has sired winners in excess of $20 million, including numerous stakes winning gallopers headed by Hong Kong Derby (2000m) winner and $2 million earner Fay Fay.
“Falkirk is an integral part of Windsor Park’s success story”, Windsor Park co-owner and studmaster Rodney Schick said.
“We purchased and raced his grandmother, bred and raced his Group winning dam Madam Valeta with our good friend Alan Burnet, with whom we also bred and raced Falkirk.
“Falkirk has been very special to us for many years and we will miss having him around. We are fortunate to have a few of his daughters to breed on with now including Supreme, the dam of this seasons leading two-year-old filly Play That Song.” -NZ Racing Desk
