This year’s Melbourne Cup provided the ultimate fairytale result when Australian bred stayer Half Yours claimed a memorable victory for champion jockey Jamie Melham and popular trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy, but there has been a tragic twist to this story.

Half Yours was a game changer for his sire St Jean (IRE) - image Grant Courtney

Half Yours was bred in Victoria and sired by the little-known stallion St Jean (IRE), whose star was on the rise with the emergence of his famous son as the nation’s best stayer.

St Jean’s owner Grant Dwyer had been riding the high of spring success and deserved recognition at last for the 15YO son of Teofilo, but is now facing the tragic loss of his much loved horse.

Vale, St Jean (IRE) - 2010 - 2025

Grant Dwyer issued the following statement on Thursday- It is with great sadness that I wish to announce the passing of our beloved Stallion St. Jean, a mere 3 weeks after his gelded son, Half Yours, won the Melbourne Cup.

After covering a mare, Memory Lane, on Monday the 24th of November, St. Jean was returned to be fed in his paddock where he had lived happily and safely since the autumn of 2017.

On the morning of 25th of November it was discovered, that for reasons unknown, St Jean had run into a fence post overnight, breaking it off at ground level and shattering his near side front leg around the elbow region.

Dr Duncan Pearce BVSc MVS MVSc attended to the Stallion, X-Rays were taken, and we were advised that nothing could be done for the horse. The Stallion was then humanely euthanised.

St. Jean was the first Victorian Stallion to sire a Melbourne Cup winner since 1973 and his achievement created a real buzz around the Victorian Breeding Industry.

His death was very untimely as breeders were only starting to recognise what an incredible pedigree this stallion had. Bookings had started to pick up and he was due to cover a mare by Desert King that afternoon which would have given the same cross as Half Yours. He was due to cover five mares by Desert King this season and had bookings of 35 mares in total.

I lament the fact that more breeders did not take the opportunity to breed to this stallion in the first few seasons at stud at an incredibly low price, when the opportunity was afforded to them.

Wyndspelle, the Group 1 winner of the Captain Cook Stakes has died suddenly at Victoria’s Wyndholm Park Stud after a freak accident.

Wyndspelle

“Today I share the devastating news that Wyndspelle is gone” said his breeder and long-time syndicate manager-owner Jen Campin.

Wyndholm Park Stud’s owner Kim McKellar confirmed the stallion died from injuries sustained after taking fright from a kangaroo.

The son of Iffraaj had been building his momentum as a sire at Wyndholm Park after commencing his study career at Cornwall Park Stud.

As a racehorse, Wyndspelle was one of NZ’s finest of his era.

Wyndspelle ran second in the Grp 1 Sistema Diamond Stakes as a two-year-old before winning the Grp 2 Waikato Guineas and the Grp 2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes at three.

Wyndspelle ran second to Shadows Cast in the Grp 1 Thorndon Mile. He was able to turn the tables on Shadows Cast ten months later when taking out the Grp 1 Captain Cook Stakes.    

His efforts also included two gallant seconds behind champion mare Melody Belle in the Grp 1 Hanui Classic and the Grp 1 Tarzino Trophy.

“He was a gentleman of a horse, and the racegoers loved him” Campin said in a statement today.  “There was a kindness about him, a presence, that people were drawn to. He was tough. He was sound. He had heart. He was a horse that never gave in. He gave everything”.

“Wyndspelle was more than a racehorse and stallion to me. He represented four decades in this industry. His loss for me  is profound”

Campin thanked all who had become part of the Wynsdspelle story “To those who stood beside us — thank you. To my original owners, Neil Randles and the late John Frew he was our dream horse that gave us all such joy and excitement for many years. And a special thanks and sincere condolences  to Kim KcKellar and his team at Wyndholm Park Stud.”