Delegator Loss A Blow To Overbury

Overbury Stud has announced the death of their promising stallion Delegator (GB) (Dansili {GB}–Indian Love Bird {GB}, by Efisio {GB}). The 10-year-old was found dead in his paddock on Thursday having apparently suffered a heart attack. Paying tribute, Simon Sweeting, manager of Overbury Stud, said, “Delegator was a horse with a lovely manner and a delight to have around. He's made a wonderful start [at stud] and we all had very high hopes for his future. I'm especially sorry for Dan Matty, who has looked after him since he arrived here in the autumn of 2012, all the many mare-owners who have booked to him for next spring and the team at Darley and Godolphin – I am deeply indebted to them for entrusting Delegator's stallion career to us.”
Bred by Poilin Good and originally trained by Brian Meehan, Delegator won a maiden from three juvenile starts and began his 3-year-old campaign with a win in the G3 Craven S. followed by an excellent second to Sea The Stars (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. Subsequently purchased by Godolphin and transferred to Saeed Bin Suroor, Delegator then added the G2 Duke Of York S. to his track CV while he also finished first in the G2 Celebration Mile before being disqualified on a technicality. Retired to Overbury Stud as the highest rated sprinter or miler by Dansili, his first crop hit racecourses in 2016. Nazik (GB), his first runner, was a winner in early May and since then a total of eight of his first runners have been successful. His highest achiever to date is the Bryan Smart trained Delectation (GB), unbeaten in two starts including the G3 Firth Of Clyde S. at Ayr. Another smart performer is Accidental Agent (GB), trained by Eve Johnson Houghton to win the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes at Newmarket in October.
Given Delegator's own improvement as a racehorse from two to three Simon Sweeting lamented, “If his stock progress as well from two to three as he did, he'll be a sizeable loss to British breeders.”