Lomitas Dies But The Intrigue Lingers
Wednesday, 1 September 2010: He was resident at Gestut Fährhof in Germany where he had been standing since he returned home after five season at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket between 2002 and 2006.
Lomitas returned to Fährhof in 2007 but after suffering declining fertility and for the past two seasons covered small private books of mares.
Lomitas, a son of Nininski, was born at Northmore Stud in the UK but bred by Fährhof out of Surumu's champion juvenile daughter La Colorada.
He was from the illustrious German family of Lirung and Lagunas, which has supplied G1 winners Lord Of England, Lady Marian and Lavirco.
Lomitas had to overcome a phobia of starting stalls on his way to becoming g Germany's champion juvenile colt of 1990.
At three he was favourite for the German 2000 Guineas but refused to enter the stalls, injuring other horses and humans and threw himself to the ground during a protracted effort to get him loaded.
He was subsequently banned from racing and it took renowned horse whisperer Monty Roberts to remedy his problems so he could resume racing.
Trained by Andreas Wohler he went on to win three G1 races - the Grosser Preis der Berliner Bank, the Grosser Preis von Baden and the Europa-Preis – and was second in the Deutches Derby to be rated the third best 3YO in Europe of 1991 behind Generous and Suave Dancer.
More intrigue came at four when Lomitas was thye subject of death threats.
Fährhof owner Walther Jacobs feared that Lomitas would be killed or harmed after winning the Gerling-Preis and Hansa-Preis and it was suspected he had been was poisoned after disappointing as the hot favourite in a Dusseldorf Group 1.
Lomitas was spirited out of Germany in a clandestine operation to the Newmarket yard of Susan Piggott where he went under the name Pirelli and did all his exercise in the dark.
He was later transferred to California where he returned to racing despite suffering hoof problems from the poisoning.
Lomitas was retired at six to take up stud duties. His best G1 winners have been globe-trotter Silvano, winner of the Arlington Million and Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup, German 2000 Guineas winnerr Sumitas and Deutsches Derby winner Belenus.
His best offspring sired while standing in Britain have been Championship Point and Veracity and last season's Prix de l'Opera winner Shalanaya.
Lomitas is also damsire of Group winners including It's Gino, Santiago and Zazou, and has made his mark over jumps, with progeny including Aitmatov and Danaw.
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