Breed shaping stallion Success Express has passed away peacefully at Vinery Stud at the age of 30.

Raced by Eugine Klein and trained by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lucas, Success Express was an exceptional two-year-old having won four of his eight starts culminating in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Hollywood Park in 1987. He held the race record for that race when it was run over the distance of one mile.

The son of Hold Your Peace and the Dancing Champ mare Au Printemps, Success Express first arrived in Australia in 1989 after being imported by businessman Robert Holmes a Court to stand at his Heytesbury Stud.

After a change of direction by Holmes a Court, Success Express was sent to Trelawney Stud in New Zealand where he stood for two seasons. Purchased in 1993 by successful Queensland breeder Peter Moran he was then relocated to Widden Stud where he stood between 1993 and 1997 before being moved to Moran’s Noble Park Stud in 1998. In 2001 Success Express relocated to Chatswood Stud in Victoria for two seasons before again moving back to Noble Park in 2003. Both Success Express and his Group 1 winning son Mossman were secured by Vinery in 2004.

Boasting career progeny earnings of more than $37 million and with a ratio of winners to runners of over 73 per cent, Success Express sired eight individual Group 1 winners, including Golden Slipper winner Polar Success, successful sire son Mossman, New Zealand Oaks winner Savannah Success and AJC Champagne Stakes winner Quick Star. He is the dam sire of three Cox Plate winners, Savabeel, Pinker Pinker and Shamus Award. All this achieved from an average book of just 66 mares during his 18 seasons at stud.

Declining fertility led to his retirement from stud duties in 2006 and he had been living in retirement at Vinery since. It is a testament to the stallion he was that his only foal from his 2006 season, Beach Express, became his final stakes winner.

A horse of great character, he will be sadly missed by the partners and staff of Vinery.