Exceed And Excel earns a pay rise at Darley Australia

Champion stallions Exceed And Excel and Lonhro, who have experienced a resurgence on the racecourse and in the sales ring this season, will lead the Darley roster in Australia in 2019 with increased service fees.

On the back of their successes, particularly with Group 1-winning juveniles Microphone and Lyre respectively, Exceed And Excel will stand for A$88,000 (all inc GST) and fellow Darley veteran Lonhro has had his fee increased from A$66,000 to A$77,000 this year.

The duo form part of an 18-strong stallion roster across Darley’s Kelvinside and Northwood Park properties in New South Wales and Victoria, while Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi’s sire Sidestep will remain at Telemon Thoroughbreds in Queensland this season.

Five other Sheikh Mohammed-owned stallions, led by the Haunui Farm-based Iffraaj, will also stand in New Zealand this year.

Darley Stallions’ head of sales Alastair Pulford told ANZ Bloodstock News that Exceed And Excel and Lonhro were both deserving of modest fee increases given their success this season.

“Neither have slowed down an inch. Because of advancing years they will cover restricted books, but their racetrack results this season have been spectacular really,” Pulford said.

“In the current market they both look extremely good value. They have both just enjoyed their best sales ever - Exceed And Excel with a A$1.7 million colt, Lonhro with a $1.4 million filly and Exceed And Excel with a $1.2 million filly.

“The buying bench are well on top of them and I would have thought the people who are using them are in for a good time.”

As well as the Godolphin-owned and James Cummings’-trained Inglis Sires’ winner Microphone, Exceed And Excel is also the sire of juvenile stakes-winning stablemate Bivouac and the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Canonbury Stakes winner McLaren, who are among his 13 stakes winners in six countries this season.

Blue Diamond Stakes winner Lyre and VRC Oaks winner Aristia, meanwhile, have flown the flag for grand stallion Lonhro, who along with Exceed And Excel, I Am Invincible and Snitzel are the four Australian stallions to sire three or more juvenile stakes winners this season.

The promising start to the stud career of Brazen Beau, who has sired four first crop two-year-old winners this season - headed by Inglis Nursery winner Accession and the stakes-placed Tassort and First Dawn, will see him stand for an increased fee of A$49,500 at Northwood Park in 2019.

His progeny have also been well received in the sales ring this year, with a colt by the sire selling for A$1.15m at last week’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, while his progeny also topped the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

“The sales results have been absolutely phenomenal and that is based on the few very good winners, but we know there is a lot more to come,” Pulford added. “He wasn’t an early two-year-old himself, but they don’t achieve those sales results without someone knowing something.

“Tassort is an extremely exciting horse for us and he was favourite for the Golden Slipper for a long time. He will come back aiming at the top spring three-year-old races, probably the Coolmore, but equally there are plenty of others in other stables who have shown their trainers plenty.”

Darley has already announced that Randwick Guineas winner Kementari will stand his first season at Kelvinside for a fee of $33,000 this year, while it was revealed last week that Group 1-winning European sprinter Harry Angel would shuttle to Australia at a fee of $22,000.

“We have taken a conservative approach to all our fees. We acknowledge everyone in the game has to stay in the business, otherwise we are all out of business, and I genuinely think our stallions look unbelievable value across the board,” Pulford said.

“If you look at a horse like Kermadec, with the sales he has had this year, he is standing for absolutely nothing at A$15,000 (plus GST). The response we have had to Harry Angel in the four days since we announced him - most people thought he would be a lot more expensive.

“That has been our approach this year which started last year. People are comfortable with the way we are doing business and they are excited by the Darley brand. James Cummings is leading the way for us with our stallions.”

In other roster changes, Dawn Approach, Denman and Albrecht will not be returning to Darley Australia this year, while Reset and Kuroshio will not be standing at its Northwood Park base.

Reset has been pensioned and Kuroshio is currently standing at Clongiffen Stud in Ireland where he is set to remain on the back of his first-crop northern hemisphere two-year-old success last year.

Denman will relocate to Twin Hills Stud at Cootamundra this year.

Pulford reiterated that Godolphin would continue to support the Australasian yearling sales in the future, as it has done under the leadership of Vin Cox in the past two years.

“We have bought yearlings by our own stallions and other people’s as well,” he said. "We bought nine yearlings this year to the tune of A$5 million. That's probably more than any other stud standing stallions, other than Newgate and Aquis Farm - who buy in partnership - but as a standalone buyer we are supporting the market and we will continue to do that.

“People are starting to notice that and have confidence in our stallion selection. We try not to stand anything that we don’t absolutely believe in.”

Darley Stallions 2019 roster (fees inc GST)
(2018 in brackets)

Kelvinside

Exceed And Excel $88,000 ($82,500)
Lonhro $77,000 ($55,000)
Astern $33,000 (unchanged)
Kementari $33,000 (new)
Epaulette $27,500 (unchanged)
Exosphere $22,000 (unchanged)
Harry Angel $22,000 (new)
Ribchester $22,000 ($24,750)
Shooting To Win $22,000 (unchanged)
Kermadec $16,500 (unchanged)
Territories $16,500 (unchanged)
Hallowed Crown $11,000 ($16,500)

Northwood Park

Brazen Beau $49,500 ($38,500)
Frosted $27,500 ($33,000)
Street Boss $27,500 (unchanged)
Impending $22,000 (unchanged)
Sepoy $11,000 (unchanged)
Holler $8,800 ($11,000)

Telemon Thoroughbreds, Qld

Sidestep $22,000 ($7,700)

New Zealand (plus GST)

Haunui Farm

Iffraaj NZ$25,000 (unchanged)
Belardo NZ$12,000 (unchanged)

Mapperley Stud

Contributer NZ$12,500 (unchanged)
Complacent NZ$5,000 (unchanged)

Westbury Stud

Telperion NZ$5,000 (unchanged)

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