It’s A Wrap...

With three Darley stallion finishing the 2011/12 Australian racing season in the top ten, taking a look at this trio draws focus to their G1-winning sons who will also stand at Darley for the forthcoming breeding season.

Finishing last season as the Champion Sire, Lonhro (pictured) has surely proven that it was no fluke, finishing in second position this season, with progeny earning over $600,000 above his mark of last season.

With his highlight runner being two-year-old Triple Crown winner Pierro, Lonhro was represented by eight individual Stakes winners which recorded 16 individual Stakes wins between them.

Through the deeds of the Darley-bred, unbeaten colt Pierro, Lonhro will be crowned the Champion Two-year-old Sire this season, a nice title to have to go with his Champion Sire award of the previous season.

The sire of four G1 winners to date, two of which are joining their sire at Darley Kelvinside, both Denman, who will cover his third book of mares and G1 TJ Smith Stakes winner Benfica, are sure to provide breeders with excellent opportunities to tap into the blood of the Champion Sire and Two-year-old Sire. Standing at fees of $33,000 (inc. GST) and $11,000 (inc. GST) respectively, the impressive G1-winning sons of Lonhro are sure to allow breeders ample options to select a stallion at a price that caters to their needs.

Having sired more winners than any other stallion for the season, Commands finished in 5th position on the general sires’ table. With no stallion siring more winners in each of the past three complete racing seasons than Commands, the son of Danehill is a leading source of Stakes winners as well, finishing the season with 10 individual Stakes winner led by G1 sprinter Rain Affair, who was able to recorded nine consecutive race victories which eclipsed the previous Sydney-based record set by Peter Pan, some 77 years prior.

Having one of his best seasons with his two-year-olds as well, Commands was presented by two leading colts in Epaulette and Limes, both of which ran extremely well in the G1 juvenile contests over the Sydney Autumn Carnival.

As the most recent G1 winning two-year-old by Commands to retire to stud, Darley was proud to announce that G1 Champagne Stakes winner Skilled would stand his first season at Northwood Park at a fee of $8,800 (inc. GST). A top three-finisher in 10 of his 18 career starts, Skilled was a better performed racehorse than his sire, being only a head and a nose away from being a three-time G1 winner, as well as being the top rated two-year-old colt of his year.

Another of the Darley stallion roster to once again provide significant results is the G1-winning sprinter Exceed And Excel. Siring more two-year-old winners again this season, like he has done for the past two seasons, Exceed And Excel’s progeny earnings gave their sire a top-ten finish on the general sires’ table, the highest ranking he has achieved to date, and a massive jump from his 15th placed finish last season.

Contributing almost $1million in season earnings to his sire’s overall progeny prize money haul, was the flashy chestnut Helmet. A winner of two G1 races during his juvenile season, Helmet returned at three to take the sire-making G1 Caulfield Guineas in a record time. Retiring to stand at Northwood Park this season for a fee of $33,000 (inc. GST), Helmet paraded recently at the Dalham Hall stallion parade which can be viewed by clicking here.

With Lonhro, Commands and Exceed And Excel all Champion stallions in their own right, the next generation of their G1-winning sons to stand at stud is sure to further highlight the success of these three stallions. With no other farm having more stallions in the top ten than Darley, breeding to one of these three or one of their sons should instil confidence in breeders that they are making the right choice – success breeds success.

To view up to date information and facts on not only the above mentioned Darley stallions, but any of the other stallions standing on the 2012 roster, please click here to view the 2012 online stallion brochure or here to contact one of the Darley Nominations Team.