King's Best pensioned after 'distinguished service' for Darley

King's Best, a stalwart of the Darley stallion ranks and source of Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Workforce, has been pensioned from covering duty.

The 22-year-old son of Kingmambo will spend his retirement at the Darley Japan stallion complex, where he stood for six seasons from 2013 until 2018.

The operation's president Harry Sweeney said: “King’s Best seems to be really enjoying his retirement in Japan. He remains in his old stall in the stallion barn and is flanked by Furioso on one side and Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso on the other. American Patriot, who joined our roster last year, is across the passageway from him.

“For a horse 22 years of age he remains in great health and goes daily to his paddock as usual. He has given very distinguished service to Darley and in addition to Ireland has stood in France, Argentina and Australia before coming to Japan. He has certainly earned his retirement.”

King's Best was bred by M3 Elevage out of the Group 3-placed Lombard mare Allegretta, making him a half-brother to Arc winner and legendary blue hen Urban Sea and thus 'uncle' to that mare's outstanding sons Galileo and Sea The Stars.

Another of Allegretta's daughters, Allez Les Trois, was a Group 3 winner and features as dam of Prix du Jockey Club victor Anabaa Blue and granddam of dual Group 1-winning miler Tamayuz.

Bought by Charlie Gordon-Watson for 2.3 million francs on behalf of owner Saeed Suhail as a yearling in Deauville, King's Best was sent to be trained by Sir Michael Stoute and maintained family honour on the track.

His signature victory came in the 2,000 Guineas when he emerged from the clouds under Kieren Fallon to beat none other than Giant's Causeway by a widening three and a half lengths.

Sadly that proved to be his last completed race as he did not make his intended target of the Derby due to a recurrent muscle injury and he fractured a cannon bone and was pulled up in the Irish Derby.

King's Best was retired to Darley's Kildangan Stud in County Kildare, where he spent his first eight seasons. That stint yielded eight Group/Grade 1 winners – Creachadoir (Lockinge), Dubai Surprise (Premio Lydia Tesio), Eishin Flash (Tokyo Yushun and Tenno Sho), King's Apostle (Prix Maurice de Gheest), Proclamation (Sussex Stakes), Royal Diamond (Irish St Leger), Sajjhaa (Dubai Duty Free and Jebel Hatta) and, of course, his masterpiece Workforce.

From 2009 to 2012 King's Best stood alongside the Darley stallions at Haras du Logis in Normandy, and the best of his French-conceived produce are stakes winners Best Fouad, Gengis, Ming Dynasty, Sagaroi and Sunday's Cagnes-sur-Mer Listed scorer Pump Pump Palace.

King's Best's influence felt in different ways by three stars

Sire ofWorkforce

The crowning achievement of King's Best's stallion career, the Juddmonte homebred won the Derby by seven lengths in record time and took the Arc later in the season.

Maternal grandsire ofErvedya

The winner of the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Coronation Stakes and Prix du Moulin was bred by owner the Aga Khan when he sent his Group 3-placed King's Best mare Elva to home stallion Siyouni.

Paternal grandsire ofFootpad

Willie Mullins' charge – winner of six Grade 1s over hurdles and fences and in possession of a best RPR of 172 for landing the Arkle by 14 lengths last year – is by King's Best's Lockinge Stakes-winning son Creachadoir.

The success of Eishin Flash and the continued rise of Kingmambo's son King Kamehameha encouraged Darley to send King's Best to their Japanese base, where he was advertised last year at a fee of 1m yen (around £7,000/€8,000).

During his stints shuttling to South America he left stakes winners Clarababy, Itacare and King At Home, while his Australian-bred daughter Mrs Windsor is the dam of Australasian Oaks and Queensland Oaks winner Egg Tart.

In the northern hemisphere, King's Best features as damsire of Group/Grade 1 winners Ervedya, Mont Ormel and Queen's Trust.

Besides Eishin Flash at Shadai Stallion Station, King's Best has few sons covering Flat mares at stud. Workforce returned from Japan to cover jumps mares at Knockhouse Stud, while Creachadoir – sire of top-class hurdler and chaser Footpad – plies his trade at Haras de Lonray.

Sweeney also reported that Darley Japan's newcomer, Breeders' Cup Turf hero Talismanic, is proving as popular with breeders as he was with racing fans.

"Talismanic has been really well received in Japan," he said. "We're currently having our open house and he's the most viewed stallion.

"He's adapted really well to his new career and we expect he will cover more than 130 mares this year.”

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