Prominent Irish Stallion Indian Ridge Dead

Indian Ridge, sire of Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) winners Domedriver and Ridgewood Pearl, died Oct.17 after suffering an apparent heart attack at the Irish National Stud near Tully, Ireland, according to The Racing Post. The 21-year-old son of Ahonoora had covered 70 mares this season.

"Indian Ridge has left a wonderful legacy behind," said John Clarke, director of the Irish National Stud, where Indian Ridge had stood for the last 12 years. "He was one of our greatest stallions here at the Irish National Stud, and he was a real old friend to everyone here."

Indian Ridge, who stood the last two years for €75,000, has sired 74 stakes winners. Among his 11 stakes winners this year are six group winners, including Indian Ink, who won the Sky Bet Cheveley Park Stakes (Eng-I).

Ridgewood Pearl, a filly, was a group I winner in England, Ireland, and France, and a champion in the latter two countries. She was voted 1995 Cartier Horse of the Year the year of her Breeders' Cup score.

Domedriver also was a French champion. His Mile triumph came in 2002.

Indian Ridge is the sire of English champion Compton Place; Irish champions Aretha, Caumshinaun, and Namid; and Italian champions Bardonecchia, Cameron, Indian Mary, and Pappa Reale. Another of his European runners, Relaxed Gesture, spent the latter part of his career in North America and won the 2005 Pattison Canadian International (Can-IT) and placed in five U.S. grade I grass stakes.

Indian Ridge's runners have earned $40 million.As a broodmare sire, Indian Ridge is represented by 2004 Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup (gr. I) winner Wilko.

An Irish-bred produced from the Swing Easy mare Hillbrow, Indian Ridge was a three-time group winner for Anne Coughlan, winning the sprint stakes King Stand (Eng-II), Jersey (Eng-III), and Duke of York (Eng-III) Stakes.