pedigree profile Only fifth in the Singapore Airlines Cup (G1), which was his fourth start in little more than nine weeks, Silvano was given a break before heading to the US where he took the 1m2f Arlington Million (G1). Second to US champion turf horse With Anticipation over a furlong further in the Man O’War Stakes (G1), Silvano then headed to Australia for the 1m2f Cox Plate (G1). Running in his fifth different country that year, he finished fourth to three really good horses having been right with the trio a furlong from home. Not surprisingly, given his exertions and travels, another trip to Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Cup (G1) proved a bridge too far, and Silvano ended his career with an 11th of 14 effort. Silvano’s globe-trotting efforts earned him champion older horse honours in Germany that year. Retired to Gestüt Fährhof, Silvano served two seasons there before departing for South Africa. It was intended that he shuttle between the two countries, but an outbreak of African Horse Sickness saw his return to the northern hemisphere delayed until 2009. There were three stakes winners in his first German crop – Proudinsky, who became a prolific graded winner in the US with no less than ten wins at that level, and the filly Fair
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The Nijinsky/Blushing Groom cross, whose first top-class representative was Kahyasi, a foal of 1985, has proved to be the 'gift that keeps on giving'
Breeze, who won two Group events in France, including the Prix Corrida (G2), and was also a Group winner in Germany. From Silvano’s second German season came a pair of stakes winners, the best being Mi Emma who won the German 1,000 Guineas (G1) and also finished second in the Coronation Stakes (G1). There has been only one stakes winner so far from the 43 foals in Silvano’s German shuttle crop, but that one is no less than the Deutsches Derby (G1) winner Lucky Speed.
On the basis of his European career, Silvano has proven to be a good sire, whose best are competitive at an international level, but in South Africa, where competition among middle-distance sires is much less intense, he has been represented by at least one Grade 1 winner in six of his first seven crops and 11 of his offspring have scored at that level in South Africa, while he has also been represented by another 11 graded scorers. In addition to Heavy Metal, who also took the Champions Challenge (G1), prior to his Durban July win, his best in South Africa include Kings Gambit, winner of the South African Classic (G1), the South African Derby (G1), as well as the Gordon Richards Stakes (G3) while campaigning in England; Aslan, winner of the Summer Cup (G1) and Greyville Gold Cup (G1); an earlier Durban July (G1) winner in Bold Silvano and another South African Derby (G1) captor in the shape of Seal. Silvano seems to work over a wide-range of sire lines, although there are some apparent trends. The Nijinsky/Blushing Groom cross, whose first top-class representative was Kahyasi, a foal of 1985, has proved to be “the gift that keeps on giving” and five of Silvano’s Group/Graded stakes winners, including Heavy Metal and Martial Eagle are out of Blushing Groom line mares.
Mi Emma (orange) is from Silvano's second crop and her stakes efforts included a win in the German 1,000 Guineas and a second in the Coronation Stakes
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