Stud Fee $750

Group Rooster* broke in with four-straight wins en route to winning the € 4,500 Galway Corrib Plate over 525 yards. In his eleventh career start he won the 2005 Irish Derby Consolation over a field that included current stud dogs Mineola Farloe and Digital. The victory, three days before his second birthday, marked him as a dog to watch for the 2006 Derby. He is best remembered by Shelbourne Park fans for winning a breathtaking duel against Yeah Man in the € 25,000 John J. Casey Open 575 in 2006. In March of 2006, he ran second in the  € 50,000 Shelbourne Tote Gold Cup final. Unfortunately, a second attempt at the Irish Derby wasn’t to be—he was nearly fatally injured in a fall contesting the quarterfinal round of the Ladbrokes 600, a stake in which he was the antepost favorite. Group Rooster never ran a graded race and compiled a record of 11-6-3 in 22 career starts exclusively against stakes and open competition. His time of 31.05 for 575 yards at Shelbourne Park was just 1/100th off the track record.

Top Honcho* won the 1995 South Australia Derby, but his career was cut short by a broken leg. After siring a few litters in Australia, he was purchased in the spring of 1997 by Michael Dunne of Frightful Flash Kennels. Though there had been other Australian studs imported into Ireland, none were as intensely linebred to the breed-shaping sire Temlee. Top Honcho* carries Temlee 4x4x4x4x5x5x5, more than 34% of his pedigree. Introduced to a population of females almost completely devoid of Temlee blood, Top Honcho’s impact  was almost immediate and he soon became the most heavily patronized stud in Ireland. His first pups hit the track in numbers in 2000, led by Droopys Vieri who broke a track record at 18 months of age.

 A list of his superstar offspring includes Concorde Direct, Concorde Swift, Droopys Vieri, Droopys Woods, Droopys Honcho, Droopys Agassi, Droopys Sampras, Borna Pilot, Droopys Scholes, Droopys Cahill, Tyrur Ted, Nawhobberthadda, Greenacre Lin, Iceman Ross, Iceman Vadar, Top Savings, He Said So, Droopys Corleone, Mineola Farloe, Express Ego, Express Tune, Line Of Fire, Handy Princess,  Tyrur Laurel, Express Smasher, Pinewood Blue, and of course, Group Rooster, just to name a few. Starting in 2001, he topped the Irish Stud Standings five-straight years and an incredible 150 of his offspring have contested Group 1 stake finals. When he passed away at age 14 in 2007, more than 40 of his sons already stood at stud including Ireland’s number two, Droopys Vieri. Not to be outdone, his daughters are producing as well—he is set to overtake Larkhill Jo as a top producer of broods. It’s no coincidence that the daughters of the Irish-bred Larkhill Jo crossed well with Top Honcho*.

Group Rooster’s sireline traces directly to Temlee via the most prolific branch of his line. Head Honcho sired a number of productive studs. In addition to the all-conquering Top Honcho*, his productive sons include Honcho Classic*, Go Wild Teddy, Dave’s Mentor*, Split the Bill*, No Intent, and Cry Havoc. Walkabout Sid was a member of Australia’s “Litter of the Century” that produced four top sires. Brother Fox is regarded as one of the greatest sires ever in Australia. In addition to the line that produced Top Honcho*, he is still a profound influence through sons like Gun Law Osti, sire of Brett Lee; and Worth Doing, behind Just The Best and his son Elite State.

Rooster’s dam, Group Special, won the 2003 Ted Hegarty Marathon at Harolds Cross  in track record time, as well as the Red Mills Marathon at Clonmel. She is from a succession of  repeat breedings that also produced Deerfield Tycoon who made the final of the 2000 Irish St. Leger at Limerick; Group Champ, 810 yard track record holder at Galway, and a number of other open-class dogs. Their dam Seanard Sunset was from a fine litter led by Deerfield Sunset, winner of the 1998 Irish St. Leger, runner-up in the Millenium 550, and finalist in the 1999 Irish Derby and the 1999 and 2000 English Derbies. His damsire Vintage Prince was the runner-up in the 1997 Irish Derby. In addition to Group Rooster, he is the damsire of Ahane Lad, Holborn Major and Legal Moment. Sunset Blonde is the littermate of Super Gem who ran third in the 1991 Irish Derby final. Black Survivor is the daughter of coursing great Minnesota Miller, winner of the 1976 Waterloo Cup. Further back, Expert Champion, a daughter of the great Monalee Champion, was a winner of 37 open races and was the litter sister of 1974 English Derby winner Jimsun. Their dam Lady Expert was out of a litter that produced Allied Banker winner of the 1979 All England Cup. Regent Princess won the Coursing Oaks at Clonmel in 1962 and 1963.                            

Group Rooster’s pedigree features incredible diversity with linebred Australian blood crossed to Irish lines derived from both track and coursing stock. Unlike many imports, he could stay well beyond  550 yards and his tenacity ensured that could win from the front or come from off the pace. He can be bred to a wide variety of U.S. females. 

Group Rooster was a sensational tracker and would have achieved much more than he did but for injury. He started his career by going unbeaten through the Flaherty Markets Corrib Plate at Galway, where he clocked a blistering 28.98 in the final.

 Still a raw pup, Rooster was now switched to Dublin and the Paddy Power Irish Derby. To say he performed above his station would be an understatement. He was placed behind the likes of Billy Playback, Annies Lamb and Droopys Maldini before just losing out in the semi-final when fourth in one of the hottest semi-finals in years. He bounced back on final night when beating Mineola Farloe by two and a half lengths in the Consolation Irish Derby in 29.91.

 He went on to win the John J Casey Open 575 final and clocked brilliant times around Shelbourne, such as 31.05 for the 575 yards (one spot outside the record) and 28.50 for the 525 yards in a heat of the Tote Gold Cup. But for his injury problems I have no hesitation in saying that he could have become a real champion with his brilliant back straight pace and stamina.

 - Michael Fortune

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