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MONTJEU (IRE)

Stands for private fee at Coolmore Stud

Montjeu (Ire) is again the stallion of the week, for the week ended Sunday April 19.

On April 19, Montjeu's 3-year-old son Fame and Glory (GB) made a winning season debut in the G3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes over 10 furlongs at Leopardstown to remain undefeated in three starts and to stay on target as one of the main contenders for the Epsom Derby. Last fall the colt won the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud, and the Ballysax has served as a prep for recent Derby winners Galileo (Ire) and High Chaparral (Ire) -- both from the same Aidan O'Brien yard. Montjeu already is the sire of two Epsom Derby winners from from only four crops of 3-year-olds, and so far he's sired a classic winner from every crop (including Southern Hemisphere). See below for last week's comments on Montjeu:

Between Saturday, April 4, and Saturday, April 11, Montjeu (Ire) was the stallion of the world! The Irish-based son of Sadler's Wells was represented by the first two home in the A$1.6 million AJC Australian Derby over 2400 meters at Royal Randwick in Sydney on Saturday, April 11 -- Roman Emperor (NZ) and Harris Tweed (NZ). In fact, he was represented by 5 of the 16 runners in the field, and it was the second year in a row that he had the winner of the race from only four Southern Hemisphere crops conceived at Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand. Last year his son Nom du Jeu (NZ) won the classic. What is beyond doubt at this stage of the young stallion's impressive career is that aside from Coolmore barnmate Galileo -- also a son of Sadler's Wells -- there isn't a horse in the world that's as good and as reliable at getting mile-and-a-half classic winners. He does have two Epsom Derby and Irish Derby winners to his credit, too!

Montjeu himself accounted for the Irish Derby and the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby equivalent) and a total of six Group 1 events, including the two most prestigious all-age events at 2400 meters (mile and a half) in Europe: The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

The colt entered stud in 2001 at Coolmore and has been outstanding from the start. To date his classic winners are:

2007 Epsom Derby winner Authorized (Ire)

2008 Irish Derby winner Frozen Fire (Ger)

2005 Irish Derby winner Hurricane Run (Ire)

*2006 Prix Royal Oak winner Montare (Ire)

2005 Epsom Derby winner Motivator (GB)

2005 St. Leger winner Scorpion (Ire)

**2008 Pune Derby winner Phenomenale (Ind)

2008 AJC Australian Derby winner Nom du Jeu (NZ)

2009 AJC Australian Derby winner Roman Emperor (NZ)

That's nine individual classic winners through four and a half crops of 3-year-olds (*Montare won the Royal Oak at 4; 2009 Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds yet to contest classics) -- most at 2400 meters and above. In fact, Montjeu has been represented by a classic winner from every crop to date, and all told he has 61 stakes winners to his credit, including at least 31 group winners. These stats are "off the hook!"

--Sid Fernando

**Pune Derby at 2000 meters