Multiple Italian champion sire Mujahid pensioned from stud duty

Mujahid, a multiple champion sire in Italy, has been pensioned from covering duty at Allevamento di Besnate at the age of 22.

The Shadwell-owned son of Danzig retires at the peak of his powers, having led all sires in Italy by progeny earnings for the past four seasons.

He is the source of 11 Group winners and 18 Listed winners headed by Cleo Fan, who struck in the Premio Presidente della Repubblica, and Danleigh, conceived during his spell shuttling to Widden Stud in Australia and triumphant in four Group 1 races for Chris Waller.

Mujahid's other high-achieving offspring include Group 2 Jebel Hatta scorer Balius and Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap victor Starlarks, as well as Baddam, who won twice at Royal Ascot in 2006, in the Ascot Stakes and Queen Alexandra Stakes.

He has made his mark through his daughters as well, featuring as damsire of Prix de la Nonette winner Tasaday, English and Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up Lightning Thunder and classy juvenile filly Baileys Jubilee.

Several of his progeny made successful crossovers to the jumps sphere, most notably Grade 1-winning hurdler Khyber Kim.

“Mujahid will turn 23 in January and is in good health, but he covers fewer mares now as he has been extensively used by Italian breeders from 2007, when he was relocated here,” said Allevamento di Besnate's Paolo Crespi.

“We also think that in future his fertility could reduce; in 2018 he still achieved more than 50 per cent, but that has already slightly declined from previous seasons.

“There is no better time to retire Mujahid. Two weeks before the end of the racing season, he is firmly in position to become leading sire in Italy once again. It will be the fourth year in a row that he’ll be champion here, and he was also the champion Italian-based sire in the three previous years, when he finished second to an Irish-based sire overall.

“Once again in 2018 he sired a Classic winner [Act Of War in the Italian 1,000 Guineas], a Group winner [Dirk] and the usual flow of stakes horses such as Perego, Close Your Eyes, Penalty and Menuhin.”

In his own racing career, Mujahid won his first two starts for John Dunlop and Hamdan Al Maktoum before disappointing when fifth as favourite in the Gimcrack Stakes. He bounced back to form when taking the Dewhurst at odds of 25-1 on his next start.

He never won again but was a fine third behind Island Sands and Enrique in the 2,000 Guineas at three.

“Mujahid has been a great servant for Shadwell and for the Italian breeding industry as well,” said Crespi. “You have to go back many decades to find a stallion with such a long dominance in Italian racing, so he certainly deserves the happy retirement that he is going to enjoy here in Besnate.”

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