From his first crop to run in 2012 which were conceived in America, Henry supplied two individual Group 1 winners in Ireland & America .
HenryTheNavigator's first Group 1 winner was the stoutly bred Pedro The Great. This colt is out of Glatisant, making him a half brother to unbeaten classic winner Footstepsinthesand. HenryTheNavigator also had smart juvenile Cristoforo Columbo. He had been 3rd in the Coventry stakes.
That year also saw promising 2yo's Infanta Branca 3rd in the Listed MarbleHill stakes, & Afonso De Sousa a half brother to KY derby winner Big Brown. He was a 9 length winner of his maiden at Leopardstown & followed up with a 3rd in the Group 3 Acomb stakes. HenryTheNavigator also got promising American juvenile Amerigo Vespucci 2nd in the Listed James F Lewis stakes & the Marylander Stakes & 3rd in the Grade 2 Jerome Stakes.
The Breeders Cup in 2008 was where the Americans first got a glimpse of HenryTheNavigator. By the time he arrived to run for the first time on dirt in the Breeders Cup Classic he had been a 4x group 1 winner in Europe. He ran a superb race only finding his old nemesis Ravens Pass too good for him in the closing stages. After that race Coolmore announced he would retire to their Ashford Farm in Versailles KY.
Four years later at the same venue it was the turn of HenryTheNavigator's progeny to give their sire more glory and in the Breeders Cup juvenile turf his son George Vancouver slammed the field with an explosive run securing his sire with his 2nd individual Group 1 winner.
After an amazing first year with his first crop especially the success in Europe. Irish & British breeders were crying out for HenryTheNavigator for their mares. In December 2012 HenryTheNavigator left Ashford Stud to head back to Tipperary to Coolmore's main base in Fetherd. His first Irish fee was announced at €30,000.
Breeders in Europe were very excited for the first classic crop of HenryTheNavigator he himself won four of Europes top Group 1 races as a 3yo beating Derby winner & Champion freshman sire New Approach in both the 2,000 Guineas & the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
However it was not to be the year that was hoped Cristoforo Columbo & George Vancouver disappointed in the guineas where the winner was the top class Dawn Approach by Henry's rival New Approach. Neither colts have been seen out since & Afonso De Sousa has yet to race since his 2yo days. Infanta Branca has disappointed severely since her promising juvenile days. Things were not looking too well for HenryTheNavigator.
Breeders felt HenryTheNavigator needed a 3yo black type winner. This summer he again sired some smart looking juveniles Sir John Hawkins a son of Irish Oaks heroine Peeping Fawn, won a Curragh maiden before running a good third too stable mate War Command in the Group 2 Coventry stakes at Royal Ascot, but he has since let that form down. However on Irish Derby weekend in the Group 2 Railway Stakes the smart looking Sudirman showed guts & determination to beat old foe Big Time who had beat him on his debut. Sudirman became his sires first black type winner of 2013.
Sudirman has since followed that up winning the Group 1 Pheonix stakes for the 2nd successive year for his sire. He again showed determination to beat Big Time with hot favourite War Command disappointing in 3rd.
Sudirman is trained by David Wachman and is part owned by Coolmore with Mrs Fitri Hay who also part owned Cape Blanco & Fame & Glory with Coolmore. Sudirman may now step up in trip to 7Furlongs with connections looking at the best 2yo races in Britain & Ireland for this talented colt.
Sudirman's win came at a good time for HenryTheNavigator. I personally felt he needed the boost to keep his reputation going. I also feel though that he needs to sire a 3yo black type winner & I question whether Sudirman would be a potential Guineas candidate for next year. His sires current disappointing record with his classic crop is a negative. However HenryTheNavigator is doing very well with his juvenile's & his number of individual Group 1 winners is higher then some of his other peers that retired to stud in 2009.
HenryTheNavigator's first Irish bred crop will be foals in 2014. With some stoutly bred youngsters expected to be auctioned next year as foals. His American bred crop have not fired as 3yo's in Europe so it is highly interesting to see how his first European bred foals fare.
HenryTheNavigator is expected to be well represented at the upcoming yearling & foals sales. Among the yearlings by him set to sell at Tattersalls is a full brother to Sudirman.
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