Dubai: Barney Roy, Godolphin’s record-breaking miler, looks set to play an important role in Darley’s thriving stallion market for its 2018 European roster, following his retirement to stud earlier last week.
Trained by Richard Hannon Jr, Barney Roy ran an explosive mile to shatter the record at Royal Ascot when winning the Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes in June.
It was the fastest St James’s Palace ever run and trailing in his wake were a clutch of high-class milers including 2,000 Guineas (G1) winner Churchill, Prix Jean Prat (G1) victor Thunder Snow, and G1 Racing Post Trophy (G1) scorer Rivet.
Darley announced a modest stud fee of £10,000 for Barney Roy, who will stand at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket England. In addition the stud announced Special Live Foal and lifetime breeding rights would be available.
Sam Bullard, Director of Darley stallions, said: “Barney Roy was the leading miler of his generation, and ran with great credit over 10 furlongs too, beaten only a nose in the Eclipse in a time that would have won him almost any other running.
“If his stock inherit his zestful way of running and ferocious tenacity in the finish, they will surely do well. We are very proud of the enormous success of Exceed And Excel and his stallion sons and we are delighted to have the first of his grandsons join the Darley roster.”
Hannon Jr, added: “Barney Roy is by far the best colt I have trained and the most athletic horse I have seen. We look forward to seeing his yearlings at the sales.”
The Godolphin star heads to stud with an impressive Timeform rating of 126, the equal of Churchill and the same mark achieved by his outstanding grandsire Exceed And Excel, a record-breaking Australian racehorse and now Champion sire.
Barney Roy’s retirement to stud comes less than a month after, Ribchester, Godolphin European Champion miler, ended his career in favour of a stud career at Ireland’s Kildangan Stud. His stud fee is set at €30,000 in 2018 with a limited number of breeding rights available in the son of Iffraaj.
Trainer by Richard Fahey, Ribchester notched up a hat-trick of Group 1 victories this year, landing the Group 1 Lockinge in May before breaking the track record in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and adding the Group 1 Prix du Moulin to his tally in September.
The son of Iffraaj, Ribchester has further links to Darley through his female family. He is the highest-rated horse to have descended from Fall Aspen after Dubai Millennium.
Ribchester’s sire Iffraaj will stand for £40,000 in 2018 at Dalham Hall Stud. Iffraaj has sired three Group 1 winners of seven Group 1 races in 2017, including the Australasian Classic winners Gingernuts and Jon Snow. Darley’s most successful and prestigious stallion is Dubawi, who is one of the world’s ten most expensive stallions, with a stud fee of £250,000.
This is only second highest to Coolmore’s Galileo, whose official fee remains unknown to the public as it has since 2008.
