Hennessy went to stud in 1997 in the US, and shuttled to Australia later that year for our breeding season. He made a huge impact on Australian racing that seemingly has been forgotten since he ceased shuttling in 2001. This no doubt highlights the critical commercial factors at play when a stallion ceases to return. In Australia, he has produced sixteen stakes winners from only 380 live foals in five seasons. Unfortunately, Hennessy’s fertility wasn’t that great or his results most likely would have been even more impressive.
Hennessy’s first two Australian crops produced his only Group 1 winners here in Half Hennessy and Grand Armee. His early US crops gave us Johannesburg, the 2001 Group 1 Breeder’s Cup Juvenile winner and Harmony Lodge who won a Ballerina Handicap. In spite of this obvious early success, Hennessy had a varied career, and stood in four countries. He produced a Group 1 winner in Japan with Sunrise Bacchus who was victorious in the February Stakes.
Hennessy on the Track
Before going to stud, Hennessy was a quality racehorse. He was a precocious 2yo, and raced only for the one season. Hennessy started nine times in total for four wins and three placings. His first win came in a maiden at HollywoodPark over 5 furlongs. Hennessy won by 6 ½ lengths in a time of 57 seconds, the fastest 5 furlongs run in the US in 1995. He won both the Sapling Stakes at Monmouth and the Juvenile Championship both at Group 2 level by a combined total of over 15 lengths. At Group 1 level, Hennessy won the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga over 7 furlongs by 3 ½ lengths, before being beaten into second by a neck in stakes record time by Unbridled’s Song in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile over 8 ½ furlongs.
Hennessy’s Pedigree
In terms of pedigree, Hennessy was a little unusual for many sprinters and successful stallions in that his pedigree is seen as a five generation outcross. Nearco, Menow and Mahmoud are duplicated within six generations, but it seems that close up influences like Storm Cat, Secretariat and Tom Fool play a big part in his success.
Hennessy’s sire, Storm Cat, is the world’s most expensive stallion. Storm Cat was also a Group 1 winning 2yo, and also ran second in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile. He has twice been Champion Sire in the US, but is a five times winner of the Champion Juvenile Sire title. His progeny have earned almost US$75 million and he has over 100 individual Group 1 winners and 25 individual Group 1 winners including horses like Giant’s Causeway.
Hennessy’s Family
Hennessy’s female line is a quality one, but largely a US one. His dam, Island Kitty was stakes placed on a number of occasions including in the Group 1 Matron Stakes. She is actually a sister to Springing Leopard, a horse who won 9 races in South Africa and stood at stud in that country. Island Kitty also produced Group winners Pearl City, Shy Tom and Wild Kitty as well as Isle Go West who subsequently produced the Deputy Minister sire son in Talk Is Money.
Hennessy’s second dam is TC Kitten who is the dam of eight winners including the Group 1 winner, Field Cat by Herbager. In addition she produced the Maryland Oaks winner, Beware Of The Cat by Caveat who in turn produced another son of Storm Cat in Hold That Tiger who is a three quarter brother to Hennessy. Hold That Tiger was Champion 2yo in Europe and now stands in Australia at Swettenham Stud.
TC Kitten is by the South Africa bred stallion, Hawaii. Hawaii was the 1968 Horse of the Year in South Africa but was sent to the US where he earned the title of Champion US Turf Horse the following year. He is by the Italian sire, Utillo out of a South African mare called Ethane, and we have to ask what influence this may have had on Hennessy’s ability to sire runners in just about every continent. The dirt track preference of Storm Cat has long been seen as a drawback to his success in Australia at least, and perhaps the infusion of the little known Hawaii was a critical issue.
Ross Prowd - Ross Prowd is a freelance racing journalist in Australia, as well as being a renowned pedigree expert. He writes weekly for Australia's ...
