Darley's homebred QEII winner Poet's Voice dies aged 11

Poet's Voice, winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and sire of talents such as Poet's Word and Poetic Dream, has died after suffering a heart attack at Dalham Hall Stud on Saturday. He was 11 years old.

From the first crop of Dubawi and out of the Chief's Crown mare Bright Tiara, Poet's Voice landed four races for Sheikh Mohammed and trainer Saeed Bin Suroor, including the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at two. The highlight of his 16-race career came in the 2010 renewal of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, when he came with a late, unflinching run under Frankie Dettori to deny Rip Van Winkle.

His former trainer led the tributes, saying: "I'm very sad to hear of the death of Poet's Voice and my condolences go to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and everyone connected to him at Darley. He was a pleasure to train, always relaxed in his work and gave his best throughout his career. His victory in the QEII Stakes was very special indeed."

A Darley homebred, Poet's Voice retired to his breeder's Newmarket base at Dalham Hall in 2012, where he was introduced at a fee of £12,000. He has supplied 18 stakes performers, including seven Group winners, from just three crops of racing age, headed by the German 2,000 Guineas winner Poetic Dream, who became his sire's priciest offspring when sold to race on in Australia for €900,000 at last year's Arc Sale.

Poet's Voice also shuttled to Darley's Australian branch between 2012 and 2016, where he left the likes of Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes winner Viridine and the Listed scorer Trap For Fools.

His best performer by Racing Post Ratings, however, is the high-class Poet's Word, who stands on a mark of 120 and who played a leading role in a fruitful 2017 season for his sire.

Poet's Word: the highest-rated son of his sire with a mark of 120Credit: Alan Crowhurst

Poet's Word, a 300,000gns yearling, made giant strides during 2017, having progressed from a Chelmsford handicap to running out a decisive winner of the Group 3 Glorious Stakes. He also finished a creditable second to Cracksman in the Champion Stakes, and produced a career-best effort to fill the same position behind Decorated Knight in the Irish equivalent.

But perhaps the biggest indicator that Poet's Voice was really hitting his straps was the impressive tally of juvenile winners he registered in 2017, with his total of 29 two-year-old scorers bettered only by his own sire, Dubawi, among the British stallion ranks.

"Poet's Voice has been a great servant and will be greatly missed by the team here at Dalham Hall Stud," said Darley's director of stallions, Sam Bullard. "He has been a reliable source of winners for breeders and he enjoyed a wonderful year in 2017 with his two-year-olds and, of course, Poet's Word, who we hope will continue to fly the flag for his sire this year."

Dalham Hall stud director Liam O'Rourke also added his tribute, saying: "It's sad to lose such a lovely stallion who, as a homebred, embodied all of what we wish to achieve - a remarkably good-looking individual, by our own sire and grandsire, a Group 1 winner in the Godolphin blue silks and a credit to all those associated with him."

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