Poet's Voice to shuttle to Darley in Australia in 2012

Sheikh Mohammed's G1-winning miler Poet's Voice will stand at Darley’s Kelvinside Stud in the Hunter Valley for the 2012 season. Also retiring to the roster is the handsome Skilled, the top-rated two-year-old colt of his generation and winner of the G1 Champagne Stakes who will stand at Darley’s Northwood Park in Victoria.

Poet's Voice, from Dubawi's first northern hemisphere crop, won the G2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster having previously won his maiden at Newmarket by ten lengths. At three, Poet’s Voice won the G2 Celebration Mile by four lengths before his fast-finishing victory over a quality field in Europe's greatest mile race, the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, beating Rip Van Winkle and Makfi. Poet’s Voice was emulating his grandsire's win in the race as a three-year-old 11 years before.

By Dubawi, one of the world’s most phenomenal stallions who has last weekend’s Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso and dual G1 winner Secret Admirer among his eight G1 winners in Australia, Hong Kong, Europe, North America, South Africa and Dubai, Poet's Voice has a fine pedigree for his new career. Poet’s Voice is currently standing his first season at Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud where he has been keenly sought after by Europe’s finest breeders.

Alastair Pulford, Darley’s Nominations Manager in Australia, who recently traveled to Europe to inspect Poet’s Voice, said, “I had heard glowing reports about Poet’s Voice and those reports were franked the moment I saw him. He is an outstanding type – big, powerful, with great quality and a lovely mover. He was a top class miler whose win in the G1 QE II was world class. He demonstrated the turn-of-foot of an outstanding racehorse, and being such a good two-year-old and by Dubawi, one of the best young stallions in the world, I have no doubt he will appeal to Australian breeders.”

Also joining the 2012 roster is Skilled, the G1-winning son of fellow Darley stallion Commands. Skilled ended his two-year-old season as the equal-highest Timeform-rated colt of his generation after claiming victory at the elite level in the G1 AJC Champagne Stakes. At his previous start he had narrowly missed in the G1 AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes, and as a three year old was beaten only a nose in the G1 Randwick Guineas. Skilled has the striking appeal of his sire and is out of the G2-winning Quest For Fame mare Dextrous. Skilled will stand at Northwood Park and becomes an important representative of the all-conquering Danehill sire line in Victoria.

Pulford commented, “It is well documented how close Skilled was to being a three time G1 winner. He possessed a remarkable turn of foot. Skilled was always a standout in the mounting yard with his athletic good looks and proved to be an even better racehorse than his amazingly consistent sire. We are delighted to offer the Victorian breeders access to this proven bloodline and look forward to showing him to breeders in the coming months.”

Their fees will be set at a later date.

For further information please contact Alastair Pulford on +61 (0)2 6543 9000.