From Racing post...
Rest in peace.
Dual 2,000 Guineas winner Tirol dies of colic aged 20
by Nancy Sexton
TIROL, winner of the 1990 2,000 Guineas, has died from colic at the age of 20 at Capricorn Stud Farm in India. The son of Thatching had stood in the country since 1997.
Purchased for 52,000gns as a yearling by Peter Doyle to race in the colours of John Horgan, Tirol broke his maiden for trainer Richard Hannon on his third start as a two-year-old at Doncaster. He rounded off the year by taking the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes.
Tirol's juvenile form left him some way short of the top two-year-olds that year, but after a short-head victory in the Group 3 Craven Stakes on his reappearance, he emerged as a serious threat to the 2,000 Guineas chance of ante-post favourite Machiavellian.
Ridden by Mick Kinane, Tirol took up the running with a furlong to go and repelled the challenge of Machiavellian by two lengths. Two weeks later, he furthered his reputation as a leading miler by taking the Irish equivalent from subsequent Group 1 winner Royal Academy, becoming only the third colt to pull off the Guineas double.
He failed to win again, finishing a distant third to Saumarez in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and unplaced in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
“Obviously he was one of the best horses that we've ever had here,” said Richard Hannon yesterday. “We always held him in high regard, as he was a good, sound horse to have anything to do with, and had a very good turn of foot.
“When you win a Guineas, you obviously have a lovely day, and then he went to Ireland and won there. We could do with a few more like him.”
The dualGuineas winner was retired to Coolmore Stud in 1991 as the property of a syndicate, and shuttled for several seasons to Australia. His first crop yielded seven winners, securing him fifth place in the leading first-crop sire standings, but by 1997, he had sired only a handful of black-type performers, prompting his departure to India.
From 13 crops and 631 foals of racing age, Tirol sired 318 winners and 39 stakes performers headed by the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Tarascon and Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Miss Tahiti. He also played a pivotal role in the expansion of Capricorn Stud, siring a large volume of classy winners including the Group 1 Poonawalla Mysore Derby winner Super Speed.
In Europe, he is also the damsire of Peppertree Lane and Road To Love.
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