Star sprinter Harry Angel to stand at Dalham Hall in 2019

Champion Harry Angel will become the highest-rated sprinter to retire to stud in Britain for more than 30 years when joining the roster at Darley's Dalham Hall in Newmarket for the 2019 breeding season.

Darley's director of stallions Sam Bullard said of the new recruit: "Watching Harry Angel in full flight was quite a sight and, even in this golden age of sprinters, we've seen very few horses with his outright speed and class.

"He'll be a very easy stallion for breeders to use, thanks to his outcross pedigree."

A son of sire sensation Dark Angel, Harry Angel ran 12 times for trainer Clive Cox, with his top-class race record headlined by a glittering three-year-old campaign. He was also a decidedly smart performer at two as well, having broken his maiden in the Group 2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes on just his second start.

Relive Harry Angel's second Group 1 victory

Better was to come though, as the colt showcased his enormous talent when he saw off Group 1 winners Limato, Brando, Caravaggio and The Tin Man to triumph by a comfortable one and a quarter lengths in a mouth-watering renewal of the Group 1 July Cup.

Harry Angel breaks his Group 1 duck in the Darley July CupCredit: Alan Crowhurst

That effort was followed by an even bigger performance as he ran out a wide-margin winner of the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup, despite connections having expressed serious concerns about the heavy going.

After his Haydock romp Cox said: "Harry Angel is so potent - he's awesome. It's hard to change gear on ground like that but he's just lengthened away from them and to beat them by four lengths is wonderful."

That victory saw him achieve a career-best Racing Post Rating of 128, a mark he replicated when he made a successful reappearance in the Group 2 Duke Of York Clipper Logistics Stakes at four.

He brought the curtain down on his racing career with a valiant runner-up effort behind Sands Of Mali in the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes, having netted £873,503 in prize-money from five wins and a further four runner-up efforts.

Bred by the McCartan family's CBS Bloodstock, Harry Angel is out of the Cadeaux Genereux mare Beatrix Potter, a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Xtension, making him entirely free of Sadler's Wells blood and clear of Danzig for four generations.

He was first bought by Cox for £44,000 when offered by the McCartan family's Ballyphilip Stud at the 2015 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale. Having carried the silks of Peter Ridgers for his first four starts, Harry Angel was bought privately by Godolphin prior to his run in the Commonwealth Cup.

Harry Angel is not the only new recruit joining the Darley ranks, with Jungle Cat also being added to the Kildangan Stud roster.

"It's an enormous honour for the Darley team to be entrusted with managing their stallion careers and we are delighted to continue our policy of offering a limited number of breeding rights in two outstanding prospects," added Bullard.

A fee will be announced for Harry Angel and the other Darley stallions at a later date.

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