Fruits Of Love became the third horse in a 12-year period to record back-to-back victories in the Hardwicke Stakes when he took the premier mile-and-a-half prize for older horses at Royal Ascot in 1999 and 2000.
Renowned for his toughness on the track when he was trained by Mark Johnston, he is now proving successful as a stallion at Rathasker Stud at Naas in County Kildare.
Standing at a fee of 3,500 euros, the son of Hansel had his biggest book of mares this year - more than 150.
Partnered to both his Hardwicke wins by Olivier Peslier, his first was a bit of surprise as he trounced hot favourite Royal Anthem.
Twelve months later, he held his stablemate Yavana's Pace by a length and a half as the two Johnston front-runners outwitted the opposition.
Those wins more than made up for an inauspicious first visit to Royal Ascot in 1998 when interference on the final bend saw him finish last, coincidentally behind Royal Anthem, in the King Edward VII Stakes.
He never won a Group One but always performed creditably at the highest level, being placed in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, the Canadian International at Woodbine and the Mercedes Benz Grosser Preis von Baden at Baden-Baden.
He certainly totted up the air miles, running in nine different countries - England, Ireland, France, Hong Kong, Dubai, Japan, Germany, Canada and America.
He was retired at the age of five after the 2000 Japan Cup, in which he finished unplaced, but his place at stud was assured.
"He's become a very popular horse," said stud owner Maurice Burns.
"Mark Johnston sends a mare every year and every one seems to be a winner. He's sired horses like Road To Love, Truly Fruitful and Always Fruitful. His horses always seem to win races.
"He's getting six-furlong winners and bumper winners like the one with Willie Mullins, Financial Reward. He's a very useful dual-purpose stallion.
"His progeny are generally big and strong with plenty of bone - a bit like himself.
"He was an extremely genuine horse and he seems to have put that into his own animals as well.
"He had a nice winner (Wester Ross) in a Windsor maiden for James Eustace last month.
"He retired to us straight off the track and covered over 100 mares in his first year.
"As with a lot of stallions, numbers dropped a little bit in the second and third years but then he started having his runners and then winners. Now this year, he's had his biggest ever book of mares with over 150.
"He's a big, strong horse and is no problem at all. He's very fertile and very good to deal with. He's like he was on the racecourse - tough and honest. He's a horse that never lets you down."
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