Coolmore Stud’s former shuttler King Of Kings has died of a heart attack in South Africa.

The widely-travelled 20 year-old had also seen service in Ireland, Switzerland, North America, Australia and New Zealand.  His final port of call was north-west of Durban at Clifton Stud.

An Irish bred colt, he was a Group 1 winner of the 1997 National Stakes and the following year’s English 2000 Guineas before suffering a career ending injury in the English Derby.

King of Kings (Sadler’s Wells – Zummerudd by Habitat) sired more than 20 stakes winners and the best of them was NZ Horse of the Year King’s Chapel who stands nearby his sire at Bush Hill Stud in Mooi River.

In Australia, King of Kings stood at Coolmore Stud for six seasons until 2003 when he transferred to Ashwell Farm in NZ.

His Hunter Valley bred stakes winners included Ike’s Dream (G1 STC Queen of the Turf Stakes), Reigning To Win (G1 QTC T J Smith Classic) and the WA based brothers King Canute (G2 Perth Cup) and Redwoldt (G2 Karrakatta Plate).