Coolmore Stud’s champion racehorse and sire High Chaparral has been put down after exploratory colic surgery due to a perforated intestine.

The 15 year-old son of Sadler’s Wells was a Group 1 winner of the English and irish Derbies in 2002 and landed the Breeders’ Cup Turf in 2002 and 2003.  In the latter he dead-heated with Johar.

High Chaparral (Ire) first shuttled to Windsor Park in NZ and was then  re-routed to Australia.  His southern hemisphere progeny included Group 1 winners Descarado, Dundeel, Monaco Consul, Shoot Out and So You Think.

His leading European galloper Toronado was successful in the Sussex Stakes and Queen Anne Stakes before retiring in readiness for his first book at the English National Stud in 2015.