Champion German sire Sternkönig died on Thursday after suffering a fractured leg at Gestüt Görlsdorf.

The grey son of Kalaglow began his career at Gestüt Röttgen and his finest hour at stud came when Röttgen homebred Kallisto won the Derby Italiano.  Kallisto now stands at Röttgen and his highest-rated runner is Deutsches Derby runner-up Dickens.

Sternkönig spent the past three seasons at Gestüt Görlsdorf.  His other notable progeny included G2 winner Simonas, French stayer Orion Star and he is also damsire of last year’s Irish St Leger runner-up Clowance.

Sternkönig was among a vintage crop of German horses foaled in 1990 and he regularly locked horns with Lando and Monsun, who went on to stellar stud careers.  He finished third to Lando in the Deutsches Derby and second to the same horse in the G2 Hansa-Preis.  He also finished third to Monsun in the Group 1 Europa Preis.

Sternkönig enjoyed his moments in the sun when winning the Group 3 Furstenberg-Rennen at three and the Group 1 Preis der Privatbankiers Merck, Finck & Co, as well as the Premio Federico Tesio and Premio Roma Vecchio, in the following year.