Death of international star Falbrav aged 26 in Japan

Popular international jetsetter Falbrav has died at the age of 26, according to reports in Japan.

Trained first by Luciano d'Auria in Italy and then by Luca Cumani in Newmarket, he had the rare distinction of winning eight Group 1 races in five different countries.

Falbrav had been pensioned from stallion duties in Japan in 2015 after suffering from some health issues and had remained a distinguished guest at Shadai Stallion Station. He is said to have died on Friday morning.

Shadai manager Eisuke Tokutake, quoted by Nikkan Sports on Saturday, said: "He passed away around 11.30am yesterday. It was due to old age. He seemed to have been suffering from some colic, and he had been feeling a little unwell since the end of the year. 

"The offspring also did their best, and the dams and sire left behind some good horses."

Bred by Azienda Agricola Francesca, Falbrav was a son of Fairy King out of Gift Of The Night, a Slewpy mare who won in France. 

A winner and Group 2-placed as a juvenile, he went on to finish second in the Italian Derby before making a tremendous Group 1 breakthrough as a four-year-old in landing both the Premio Presidente della Repubblica and Gran Premio di Milano, and later being sent on a daring raid for the Japan Cup, which he won under Frankie Dettori.

Luca Cumani and Falbrav after winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in a magnificent 2003Credit: Edward Whitaker

Teruya Yoshida later bought into the powerful individual, who moved to Cumani and added the Prix d'Ispahan, the Eclipse and Juddmonte International before finishing a narrow second behind High Chaparral in the Irish Champion Stakes. 

He won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, was third to High Chaparral again in a blanket finish for the Breeders' Cup Turf and rounded off an exacting and glittering career by taking the 2003 Hong Kong Cup under Dettori.

He spent most of his stallion life in Japan, but had a brief tenure at Cheveley Park Stud and also shuttled to Arrowfield in Australia.

Falbrav had some good results, even if he proved largely unspectacular as a stallion. Fananulter won him the 2012 Summer Mile at Ascot, with Fravashi similarly a Group 2 winner down under, while the likes of I'm Yours, One Carat, A Shin Virgo and Transwarp had multiple Graded wins in Japan, just below the highest level. 

He has bigger achievements as a broodmare sire, notably through Japanese 1,000 Guineas winner Harp Star and Mile Championship scorer Stelvio.