Silvano (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}-Spirit of Eagles, by Beau's Eagle), a globetrotting Group 1 winner and champion sire in South Africa, has been pensioned from stud duty at Maine Chance Farms aged 25.
Home-bred by the Jacobs family's Gestut Fahrhof in Germany-as his sire Lomitas had been-Silvano won the G2 Oppenheim-Colonia-Union-Rennen for trainer Andreas Wohler at four and added the G2 Grosser Preis der Wirtschaft at five. He headed off on a global campaign thereafter, finishing fifth in the G1 Hong Kong Vase that season before taking the Singapore Cup the following March at six. He was third in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic before returning to Hong Kong to take the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup. He ventured to the U.S. later that year to take the GI Arlington Million and finish second in the GI Man O' War S.
Silvano began his stud career at Gestut Fahrhof in 2002, the same year that Andreas Jacobs purchased Maine Chance Farms in South Africa. Silvano's journey South to Maine Chance during the second half of 2003 was meant to be a shuttle trip, but an outbreak of African Horse Sickness during his trip made travel plans much more complicated. Aside from a brief sojourn back to Germany in 2009, Silvano stayed in South Africa for good.
Silvano has thus far sired 25 Group 1 winners, headed in earnings by the current champion and five-time Group 1 winner Hawwaam (SAf). Others of note include the globetrotting Vercingetorix (SAf), G1 Durban July winners Marinaresco (SAf), Heavy Metal (SAf), Bold Silvano (SAf) and Power King (SAf) and G1 Deutsches Derby winner Lucky Speed (Ger), a product of Silvano's 2009 German crop. Silvano has been champion sire in South Africa five times.
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