Darley stallions

It was a blustery autumn day last week when champion Essential Quality (Tapit - Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality) stepped out of his new stall in Darley's eminent stud barn to make his paces in front of onlooking breeders for his first stallion show, but the regally-bred grey didn't so much as bat an eye as the winds picked up and the surrounding crowd grew thicker. "I think what has been evident about Essential Quality from the get-go has been his class and his mind," said Darley's Sales Manager Darren...

Unbeaten bar a latest blip in testing ground in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 18, George Strawbridge's Suesa (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) bounced back to her brilliant best in Friday's G2 King George Qatar S. at Goodwood. Sent off at 7-1, the Apr. 20 G3 Prix Sigy and May 17 G3 Prix Texanita winner chased the frantic early pace which saw the four-times winner Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) sitting off it throughout the early stages. Coming alive for William Buick at halfway, the Francois Rohaut-trained...

Haras du Logis-based sire Ultra (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}) became the latest European freshman off the mark when Stephane Wattel trainee Bremontier (Fr) notched a debut win in Monday's Prix City Light, a seven-furlong newcomers' test, at Dieppe. 2nd-Dieppe, €27,000, Mdn, 7-26, unraced 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:24.20, sf. BREMONTIER (FR) (c, 2, Ultra {Ire}--Brocottes {Fr} {G1SP-Fr, $154,732}, by Lando {Ger}) raced a shade keenly through the early strides and found a comfortable slot behind the leaders in fourth for the most part. Taking closer order in the straight, the 18-5 second...

Tom Fogarty has been named a nomination administrator for Darley's Kildangan Stud, Darley announced on Tuesday. Fogarty, who began on July 1, studied Agricultural Science at University College Dublin and served stints at Dromoland Farm in the U.S. and at Mountarmstrong Stud in Ireland. He was most recently a stud groom at Godolphin's Ballysheehan Stud. "I'm delighted to have the opportunity to join this outstanding team," said Fogarty in a statement. "The current roster of Darley stallions, both here and at Dalham Hall, is very exciting and I am looking...

Charlie Appleby's 3-year-old males seem to have the edge in the middle-distance and staying department at present, with Kemari (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) the latest to step forward and provide the outfit with its first Royal Ascot winner of 2021 in the G2 Queen's Vase. Stripped of one of its leading players at the start as Ballydoyle's Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was withdrawn after going down in the stalls, this latest renewal of the 14-furlong test nevertheless had enough depth to ensure that the winner would emerge with suitable kudos. Kemari,...

As much as ever, Wednesday's G2 Queen Mary S. was all about speed from pillar-to-post and there was none slicker than Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' aptly-named Quick Suzy (Ire) who provided her first-season sire Profitable (Ire) with a landmark first black-type winner. Runner-up in the six-furlong G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. at Naas last time May 16, the Gavin Cromwell-trained bay who was another drawn closest to the stand's rail was tanking along early alongside the 9-4 favourite Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}) with Artos (Ire) (Kodiac...

If his most important legacy to our community was the example of his own conduct, it was nonetheless apt that a more tangible bequest made by Rick Porter to the breed itself was measured afresh even as he left us. For while the owner of Fox Hill Farms devoted more attention to the welfare of those horses that had failed to extend their usefulness, into a breeding program, he also measured out for our benefit some precious genetic ore--none deeper than that mined by the winner of the GI Hill...

He may not be flashiest sire on the Darley stud roster, but the quietly efficacious Midshipman (Unbridled's Song- Fleet Lady, by Avenue of Flags) might just be the most consistent. He ranks second amongst his studmates, behind Jonabell's elder statesman Medaglia d'Oro, in terms of blacktype runners to named foals at over a 12% clip, and his $7,500 stud fee this year only adds to his appeal. "I think the area where Midshipman really excels, and it's a very easy selling point, is that everyone has a mare that would...

Though 2020 will go down as a dreadful year for many, it can be regarded as an annus mirablilis for Darley stallion Teofilo (Ire). To an extent, every son of Galileo (Ire) at stud has to make do with seeking glimmers of light within the long shadow cast by the 12-time champion sire. Last year, Teofilo came closest of any stallion to Galileo's tally of Group 1 winners by being responsible for six of his own, in France, Germany, Australia and Hong Kong. Now 17, Teofilo also played a lead...

Godolphin's dual Group 1-winning juvenile Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal-Winters Moon {Ire}, by New Approach {Ire}) has been retired from racing and will stand at Kildangan Stud in 2021. Bred by Godolphin out of its G1 Fillies' Mile third Winters Moon-a half-sister to two Group 1 winners--Earthlight went unbeaten in five starts last year at two for trainer Andre Fabre. He took the G3 Prix de Cabourg at third asking before reeling off victories in the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S., the latter over subsequent G1 Commonwealth Cup victor...

Three years ago, Darley's Sales Manager Darren Fox boarded a plane for Australia to see if  Astern (Aus), their highly-rated son of Medaglia d'Oro, could be a good fit for the American roster. "Upon making the trip to Australia to make sure he would work physically, it took all of about three seconds of looking at Astern to say, 'Yes, this horse will work in America,'" Fox recalled. "He has a lot of attributes that we look for and he was, in any jurisdiction, a high-level, high-performing racehorse. So it...

It's a toss-up, really, as to who made the bigger splash in 2017--the Don Alberto Corporation itself, or their superstar filly Unique Bella (Tapit). Three years ago, Don Alberto Corporation continued their traditional annual shopping spree at the fall breeding stock sales, spending a combined $8.3 million at Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton, plus an additional $3.35 million in partnership purchases at the Keeneland November Sale. Meanwhile, their $400,000 2015 Keeneland September purchase Unique Bella shone bright as a 3-year-old with four consecutive graded stakes wins and a later victory in the...