Stay Gold (Jpn) (Sunday Silence–Golden Sash {Jpn}, by Dictus {Fr}), a Group 1 winner and sire of Japanese Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year Orfevre (Jpn), has died at age 21, according to Racing Post.
Stay Gold placed at Group 1 level six times through his five-year career before capping his record with his first Group 1 win in the 2001 Hong Kong Vase in his final start. He also won that year's Dubai Sheema Classic, when it was a Group 2 at Nad Al Sheba, by a nose over Fantastic Light, and he recorded a further three group victories for Shadai.
Stay Gold was retired to Big Red Farm in 2002, and his second crop included the G1 Arima Kinen victor Dream Journey (Jpn). Another son, Nakayama Festa (Jpn), won the G1 Takarazuka Kinen and came a head short of winning the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when second to Workforce (GB) (King's Best) in 2010. Two years later, Orfevre would record his first of back-to-back Arc seconds, and the temperamental chestnut retired as one of Japan's all-time leading earners with six Group 1 wins and more than $18.5 million in the bank. Orfevre will cover his second book at Shadai this year.
Stay Gold has also sired the versatile and consistent Gold Ship (Jpn), winner of the G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas, St Leger and Arima Kinen as a sophomore. Gold Ship added back-to-back Takarazuka Kinen's in 2013 and 2014, and was third behind Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in December's Arima Kinen.
Stay Gold's sextet of Group 1 winners is completed by dual G1 Tenno Sho Spring victor Fenomeno (Jpn) and 2013 G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies scorer Red Reveur (Jpn).
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