Five-time Group 1 winner Duke of Marmalade (Ire) (Danehill–Love Me True, by Kingmambo) has been pensioned from stallion duty on veterinary advice, Drakenstein Stud announced via Twitter on Wednesday.
Bred by Southern Bloodstock, the bay raced for Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor. A winner at two for Aidan O'Brien, Duke of Marmalade was also second in the G2 Vintage S. At three the colt did not win, but placed three times in Group 1 company when second in the St. James's Palace S. and the Irish Champion S. and third in the Queen Elizabeth II S.
Kept in training at four, the half-brother to G1 Derby winner Ruler of the World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) reeled off five consecutive Group 1 wins from seven starts-the Prix Ganay, the Tattersalls Gold Cup, Royal Ascot's Prince of Wales's S., the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. and finally the G1 Juddmonte International S. Unplaced in his final two runs–the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the GI Breeders' Cup Classic–his record at retirement stood at 16-6-4-1 and $2,777,768 in earnings.
“Duke of Marmalade has been retired from the breeding shed on veterinary advice,” the stud tweeted. “He will live out his days at Drakenstein Stud and watch from his paddock his every growing influence as a broodmare sire around the world.”
Retired to Coolmore Stud in Ireland where he covered mares from 2009 through 2013, Duke of Marmalade moved to South Africa's Drakenstein Stud for the 2014 season. The bay sired a total of 46 black-type winners internationally, 26 at the group level. His best runners were a septet of Group 1 winners led by G1 St Leger winner Simple Verse (Ire), G1 Gold Cup hero Big Orange (GB), and G1 Prix de Diane heroine Star of Seville (GB). As a broodmare sire, his six of his seven black-type winners were at the group level.
Also a half-brother to group winners Norway (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Annus Mirabilis (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), Duke of Marmalade's female family traces to the prolific producer Lassie Dear (Buckpasser) as his third dam, responsible for Group 1 winner and sire Wolfhound (Nureyev) and dual Grade III winner and GI La Canada S. second Weekend Surprise (Secretariat). The latter foaled American Horse of the Year and top sire A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew).
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