Champion sprinter Falvelon has been humanely euthanised after succumbing to the rigors of old age. The beloved fan-favourite passed away at the age of 29, as announced by Glenlogan Park.
Trained by Dan Bougoure, Falvelon burst onto the scene as a two-year-old in 1998, winning on debut at Eagle Farm. He went on to win his first seven starts, including the Group 3 Chivas Regal, before suffering his first defeat in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington in 2000.
Falvelon won two Group 1 races — the 2001 and 2002 Doomben 10,000. He also paved the way for Australian horses to compete overseas, winning the Hong Kong Sprint twice on the famous Sha Tin course and finishing third on his only other visit.
He finished his career with 15 wins, including nine at Group level, from 37 starts, banking just under $4 million in prizemoney. At stud, he sired 418 winners at an impressive strike rate of 70 per cent winners to runners.
Glenlogan Park’s general manager Steve Morley paid tribute, saying, “He has been a big part of life here for almost 23 years now and his loss is being very sorely felt. He was fantastic for both the farm and the Queensland breeding industry during his serving days and he has been a complete gentleman the whole time he has been with us.”
Champion jockey Michael Cahill, who rode Falvelon to victory in the Doomben 10,000, also remembered the horse. “He was a very fast horse and could sustain a high speed for quite a while. The first time I sat on him, I’ve never had a horse go faster than he did that morning,” Cahill said.
