Melbourne Cup winner Half Yours’ sire St Jean dies in freak accident

Tragedy has struck the breeding ranks with the news that St Jean, sire of this year’s Melbourne Cup hero Half Yours, has died following a paddock accident.

The Teofilo stallion was euthanised on Tuesday morning due to severe injuries suffered overnight.

Brackley Park’s Grant Dwyer, who stood St Jean for a syndicate since 2017, issued the confirmation in a statement shared with breeders.

“After covering a mare, Memory Lane, on Monday the 24th of November, St. Jean was returned to be fed in his paddock where he had lived happily and safely since the autumn of 2017,” Dwyer said.

“On the morning of 25th of November it was discovered, that for reasons unknown, St Jean had run into a fence post overnight, breaking it off at ground level and shattering his near-side front leg around the elbow region.

“Dr Duncan Pearce BVSc MVS MVSc attended to the stallion, X-Rays were taken, and we were advised that nothing could be done for the horse. The stallion was then humanely euthanised.”

The loss comes just three weeks after Half Yours became the first Victorian-bred Melbourne Cup winner since 1972, following close on the heels of his victory in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).

St Jean himself was a talented Irish import, winning six of 19 starts including the Group 3 City Of Auckland Cup, before establishing a solid stud career in Victoria.

He was midway through his ninth season at Brackley Park, with his profile rising significantly thanks to Half Yours’ emergence, leading to an increase in his service fee from $3300 to $11,000.

“His death was very untimely as breeders were only starting to recognise what an incredible pedigree this stallion had,” Dwyer said.

“Bookings had started to pick up and he was due to cover a mare by Desert King that afternoon which would have given the same cross as Half Yours.

“He was due to cover five mares by Desert King this season and had bookings of 35 mares in total.

“I lament the fact that more breeders did not take the opportunity to breed to this stallion in the first few seasons at stud at an incredibly low price, when the opportunity was afforded to them.”

His recent seasons returned modest numbers—five mares served last year and 13 live foals from 21 covers over the prior three seasons—yet his overall crop produced 12 winners from 22 runners, including his star performer Half Yours.

If you’re wagering on staying prospects influenced by St Jean’s bloodline, be sure to compare markets at the leading Australian betting sites.