Within the space of 18 days, German breeders have lost two important stallions. Following closely behind the death of Monsun at Gestut Schlenderhan, Gestut Fahrhof’s stallion Tiger Hill (Danehill—The Filly, by Appianni II) has died in circumstances eerily similar to those surrounding the death of his own sire, Danehill. Both died as a result of paddock accidents at the untimely age of 17. Even with a life cut short in his prime, Danehill has left a legacy of riches: leading sire of stakes winners (347), leading broodmare sire on multiple continents, and a ubiquitous sire of sires. While Tiger Hill will never fill Danehill’s gigantic shoes, he has proved to be a valuable addition to the bloodstock world.
He was purchased out of the 1996 Baden-Baden yearling auction for $74,360 and raced for Georg Baron von Ullmann, winning three group Is and the group II Mehl-Muelhens-Rennen (German Two Thousand Guineas) among his 10 wins from 17 starts. His four placings included a third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He was twice highweighted horse in Germany. As a runner, he had an average winning distance of 9.5 furlongs, making him a sold middle-distance performer.
Retired from racing, Tiger Hill first did stallion duty at Haras du Val Henry in France before moving to Ullmann’s Gestut Schlenderhan, Germany’s oldest privately owned stud. Although inbred to blue hen Natalma 4 (Northern Dancer) x 4 (Spring Adieu) in the Danehill side of the pedigree, Tiger Hill has a very continental female family that is free of the most common names found in today’s pedigrees. Bred in Ireland by Gestut Wittekindshof, Tiger Hill was out of the unraced mare The Filly, whose sire Derby Italiano winner Appiani II was a champion in Italy and a leading sire in Germany. (Appiani II’s sire was French champion Herbager who brought a strain of stamina to the U.S. when he was imported to Claiborne Farm where he established a very successful career as both sire (64 stakes winners) and broodmare sire.) Tiger Hill’s female family (3-e) traces directly to La Fleche (St. Simon—Quiver, by Toxophilite), who won the English Triple Crown for fillies (One Thousand Guineas, Epsom Oaks, and St. Leger Stakes) in 1892. As a broodmare, she produced the outstanding stallion John O’Gaunt, the sire of Swynford. Tiger Hill’s dam is a daughter of Tigress Silver, an unraced half sister to three stakes winners, whose dam Templeogue is a full sister to German champion 3-year-old filly Tigerin.
Tiger Hill is an outcross until the sixth generation, which finds him linebred to leading stallion Hyperion 6x6x5x6 and Felstead 6x6. He also carries crosses of the outstanding producer Nogara 6x6 through the half brothers Nearco (by Pharos) and Niccolo Dell’Arca (Coronach).
Tiger Hill’s first crop produced nine black-type winners, three of them group. While subsequent crops failed to match the quantity of added-money winners, they often surpassed them in quality. From Tiger Hill’s second crop came only six stakes winners, but two were group-I caliber: Preis der Diana (German Oaks) winner Iota and Gran Criterium (Ity-I) winner Konigstiger, who has assumed Tiger Hill’s mantle at Gestut Fahrhof. The best of Tiger Hill’s offspring and his most promising possible sire son was the star-crossed Rewilding, a multiple group I-winning half brother to three other group I winners including 2009 champion mare Dar Re Mi (Singspiel), who broke down in the 2011 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. His progeny’s AWD of 9.75 shows their proclivity for middle distances.
Sire of 47 stakes winners and two champions, Tiger Hill crossed with a variety of broodmare sires, but his favorite nick was with fellow German-based stallion Monsun (Konigsstuhl), From 30 foals of racing age, Tiger Hill has sired six black-type winners from Monsun mares (20%). As a relatively young broodmare sire, Tiger Hill has already sired five stakes winners and two of them, including group II winner Atempo, have been by Monsun.
Tiger Hill has eight yearlings cataloged for the upcoming Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
Breeders will miss this representative of the Danehill branch of the Danzig line that has proved so valuable in European pedigrees.
Tiger Hill has eight yearlings cataloged for the upcoming Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
