One of the last links to the great Nijinsky – and to his equally great trainer Vincent O’Brien – has come to an end with the death of Royal Academy.  The 25-year-old stallion succumbed to the infirmities of old age at Coolmore Australia on Wednesday.

“Royal Academy has been a tremendous servant to Coolmore wherever he’s been based,” Coolmore’s Tom Magnier said.  “He spent the last five years of his life here, the last two years in retirement.”

Royal Academy has sired more than 160 stakes winners for earnings the equivalent of more than US$120 million.  

“He sired major winners over a wide range of distances, at all ages.  I suspect, though, that his greatest legacy is the speed he passed on to the best of his Australian descendants – Black Caviar is by one of his sons Bel Esprit while Fastnet Rock is out of one of his daughters.”

Royal Academy topped the 1988 Keeneland July yearling sale at $3.50 million and was a G1 winner of the July Cup at Newmarket and Breeders’ Cup Mile at Belmont Park.

Retired to stud in 1991, Royal Academy sired four first-crop G1 winners headed by Oscar Schindler (Irish St Leger) and he quickly backed that up with Ali-Royal (Sussex Stakes), Carmine Lake (Prix de l’Abbaye), Sleepytime (English 1000 Guineas), Zalaiyka (French 1000 Guineas), Val Royal (Breeders’ Cup Mile) and Lavery (Phoenix Stakes).

His Group 1 winners in Australia included Bel Esprit, Serious Speed and Kenwood Melody.  Other sire sons of Royal Academy include Ali-Royal and Ihtiram who was responsible for champion mare Miss Andretti.