Champion Cracksman to stand at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud in 2019

After months of speculation, Darley have revealed that Cracksman, the highest-rated horse in Europe, will take up stallion duties at the operation's Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket, where he will be introduced to breeders at a fee of £25,000.

The four-time Group 1-winning son of Frankel twice achieved a Racing Post Rating of 131 for his back-to-back wins in the Qipco Champion Stakes, events he won by an aggregate of 13 lengths.

Relive Cracksman's second Champion Stakes success

An impressive winner of a Newmarket maiden on his only start at two, the John Gosden-trained Cracksman went on to be placed in the Derby and the Irish equivalent, beaten a length by Wings Of Eagles at Epsom and just a neck by Capri at the Curragh.

But he would not suffer defeat again at three, as he ran away with the Great Voltigeur Stakes and Prix Niel, before storming to the first of his joint career-best performances with a seven-length demolition of Poet's Word in the Champion Stakes, where he had Highland Reel and Recoletos among others in behind.

Despite a barrage of undue criticism following his runner-up effort in the 2018 Prince of Wales's Stakes, Cracksman recorded three further Group 1 successes at four.

He landed the Prix Ganay and Coronation Cup, before he bounced back to his very best to bring the curtain down on a glittering racing career with a second wide-margin win in the Champion Stakes, in which he accounted for Crystal Ocean by six lengths.

Cracksman storms clear of Crystal Ocean to land his second Champion StakesCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Owned and bred by Anthony Oppenheimer's Hascombe and Valiant Studs, Cracksman is not only by one of the most promising young stallions in the world, Frankel, but is out of Rhadegunda, a daughter of the increasingly important Pivotal.

Cracksman is one of five top-flight winners sired by Frankel from just three crops of racing age. The unbeaten dual world champion has also supplied elite Japanese winners Mozu Ascot and Soul Stirring, as well as St James's Palace Stakes hero Without Parole and Prix du Cadran scorer Call The Wind.

Dalham Hall's new recruit is a half-brother to the Solario Stakes winner Fantastic Moon, while Rhadegunda's finest hour on the racecourse came in the Listed Prix Solitude. His third dam is 1,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes heroine On The House. This is also the family of Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Golden Horn, who also stands at Dalham Hall.

Cracksman will be joined at Darley's Newmarket base by dual Group 1 winner Hawkbill. The son of Kitten's Joy, who won the Coral-Eclipse and the Dubai Sheema Classic, hails from the family of Cozzene and will be available at a fee of £7,500.

Cracksman and Hawkbill are not the only additions to Darley's European roster, with Harry Angel, who will stand for £20,000, also due to join the Dalham Hall ranks, while Kildangan Stud will welcome Jungle Cat, priced at €8,000, and Haras du Logis will stand Cloth Of Stars at a fee of €7,500.

More new stallion news:

Star sprinter Harry Angel to stand at Dalham Hall in 2019

Darley homebred Jungle Cat to join Kildangan roster after Australian adventure

High-class James Garfield joins Rathbarry Stud roster for 2019