Brief Truce, damsire of Fallen For You and The Last Lion, dies aged 29

Veteran Victorian-based stallion Brief Truce - whose daughters produced the Coronation Stakes heroine Fallen For You and Middle Park Stakes scorer and sire The Last Lion - has died aged 29.

Originally trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld, Brief Truce was one of the best of his generation as proven by his win in the 1992 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Upon retirement, Brief Truce originally stood at Woodlands Stud in New South Wales but it took a while for his progeny to fire on the track and he didn't return to the Hunter Valley.

Brief Truce ended up standing at stud in Switzerland before being discovered by Stockwell Thoroughbreds' Mike Becker and making his way to Victoria, standing at the Diggers Rest property before being retired from stud duties in 2011.

A versatile stallion, Brief Truce's progeny included Caulfield Cup winner Diatribe and Blue Diamond Stakes winner True Jewels, giving the stallion the rare double in the 2000-01 season.

The passing of Brief Truce comes after a short battle with illness, but Becker looks back on his stallion's legacy with pride.

"He could terrorise and put chills into your blood, if you let him, but at the same time was an old softy," Becker explained.

"He was a great horse to work with and he taught a lot of young fellas who are now working at studs around the world what it is like to handle a stallion because if you didn't learn quick, he was going to teach you quick.

"Over the past couple of weeks, old age, infirmity and arthritis hit him and we knew he was on a downward spiral.

"We were going to have to make that tough decision in 24 hours and then last night he just laid down peacefully and passed away.

"He has gone well, and he has had a great life."

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