Tweenhills announces death of Havana Gold

The leading UK-based first-season sire of 2017 Havana Gold has died after suffering a fatal pelvic injury. He was 13. Winner of five of his 11 races, the son of Teofilo was a very smart two-year-old of 2012.

Having been successful on his debut over 6f in a Newmarket July course maiden he stepped up in trip for his second start winning a 7f Ascot Novice race over 7f. Sent to France in search of black-type he was hugely unlucky when his saddle slipped unshipping Ryan Moore having taken the lead inside the final furlong of Deauville’s 7f Listed Prix Francois Boutin.

Back in the UK, he subsequently won over a mile in Haydock’s Ascendant Stakes (LR) prior to his first Group success in the Somerville Tattersall Stakes (G3) back at Newmarket. He finished his two-year-old campaign with a head second placing in the highly-valuable £500,000 Tattersalls Millions 2-y-o Trophy.

At three, Havana Gold ran second to Toronado in the Craven Stakes (G3) and followed that with a fine fifth-placing in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains when beaten only three-quarters of a length. His next start was also in a Classic, this time when fourth to Magician in the Irish 2,000 Guineas (G1) before taking Group 1 glory over 7f and securing a stallion career at Chantilly in the Prix Jean Prat.

At stud, Havana Gold was sire of four Group winners, including Tabdeed (theGroup 3 Hackwood Stakes), Treasuring (the Group 3 Curragh Stakes, the Senorita Stakes Group 3), El Caballo (the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes) and, of course, the first-season sire sensation of 2022 Havana Grey, who won the Flying Five  (G1), the Sapphire Stakes (G2) and the Molecomb Stakes (G3)

In total, Havana Gold has sired 27 stakes horses so far

By Teofilo he was out of the Desert Style mare Jessica’s Dream who won seven of her 20 starts, including a pair of Group 3s, namely the Premio Omenoni at San Siro and Cork’s Ballyogan Stakes both over the minimum distance.

At the sales, Havana Gold was bought back by his breeder Crimbourne Stud at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale of 2010 before returning to that venue the following year selling to Amanda Skiffington for 80,000gns in Tattersalls Book 1.

Havana Gold’s fee for 2023 was £10,000. He started his second career at £8,500 and  stood at a career-high of £15,000 in 2018 and 2019.