Exceed And Excel spearheads Darley’s roster after stellar season
Economic conditions taken into account as international operation announces service fees
Godolphin Australia managing director Vin Cox believes this year’s Darley stallion roster and fee structure presents a balanced approach in a volatile economic climate that will provide commercial breeders with a variety of options and at prices that enable them to continue to trade.
Darley’s kingpin and champion sire Exceed And Excel (Danehill), who has enjoyed a remarkable 12 months with his progeny in the sales ring and on the track, will once again spearhead the 19-strong, two-state roster at an increased fee of $132,000 (all inclusive of GST).
The reverse-shuttling Exceed And Excel is the only Darley stallion to see his fee go up this year on the back of Coolmore Stud Stakes (registered as Ascot Vale Stakes) (Gr 1, 1200m) winning colt Exceedance and Godolphin’s own Bivouac proving successful at the highest level this season.
Fellow Exceed And Excel three-year-old, the Inglis Sires (registered as ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes) (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Microphone, will also be one of three high-profile first season sires for Darley at a fee of $38,500.
He will be joined by champion European two-year-old Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) (Kelvinside) and three-time Royal Ascot Group 1 winner Blue Point (Shamardal) (Northwood Park), with the pair standing for $44,000 each in their maiden southern hemisphere seasons.
Darley had previously announced the three newcomers to stand in Australia this year, but only confirmed their service fees overnight as the international organisation gathered breeder feedback and assessed the fallout from the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale conducted amid the coronavirus crisis.
“The interest has been very good, and probably better than we thought, and by design we held back on announcing fees just because we needed to see where the market sat, see what the appetite was and just get a feel for what the market is saying,” Cox told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“We think we have got a relative idea on where it all sits, but those three in particular have demanded a lot of interest at this early stage.”
While conscious of the prevailing market outlook caused by the global pandemic, Cox said the deeds of Exceed And Excel demanded that the rising 20-year-old’s service fee was put up from $88,000 in 2019 given his recent achievements.
Buyers have also recognised Exceed And Excel’s consistent performance as an elite sire, with a colt making $1.7 million at the Easter sale last year and another son at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale fetching $1.8 million, the second highest-priced yearling sold at auction in Australasia this year.
“He has got three Group 1-winning colts at the moment and two recently retired, Microphone and Exceedance and for Bivouac, it is our intention to race him on next season,” he said.
“Having said that, those horses are winning the proper races – the right races – and it shows with what the horse is doing in the sale ring as well. Exceed is a horse who can change your postcode, whether you are racing one or if you have got one in the sale ring.
“When a horse has that sort of effect generally you expect that to be reflected in his price and that is where we’ve moved him to.”
Darley has maintained the 2019 service fees of Victorian-based stallions Street Boss (Street Cry) ($27,500) and Brazen Beau (I Am Invincible) ($49,500), the leading second season sire by stakes winners with five, in front of money-earning leader Rubick (Encosta De Lago) (two) and Deep Field (Northern Meteor) (three).
The remainder of Darley’s stallion roster, including champion Lonhro (Octagonal) ($66,000), Astern (Medagalia d’Oro) ($22,000), Epaulette (Commands) ($22,000) and Harry Angel (Dark Angel) ($16,500), have all had their service fees reduced.
“We thought about it long and hard and discussed it across the board and we are in fairly uncertain times,” Cox said.
“Essentially, the bulk of the market has capitalised on the sales that had been very, very strong up until the Easter sale and, even then, it was relatively strong for what people were anticipating.
“You can’t help but feel that it might be a harder river to row, so therefore we are reflecting that largely across the board in our service fees.”
Street Boss is responsible for this season’s talented Godolphin-owned juvenile Hanseatic, who won his first three starts and was runner-up in the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) in February while Brazen Beau is the sire of Sandown Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m) winner Pretty Brazen and Stan Fox Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) scorer Colada.
“We get a lot of support from the Victorian breeders but the profile of our stallion roster these days also draws tremendous support out of the state,” Cox said.
“It’s a great farm, it’s a great operation down there and, like I say, we believe in both jurisdictions and we don’t want to weight one more heavily or better than the other.
“Therefore, we’ve got a high-profile horse going to join our proven horses in Street Boss and Brazen Beau with a horse like Blue Point, which any other commercial farm would probably want to take him to the Hunter Valley.
“We feel he is suited there in Victoria and will support what is already a very strong roster.”
Cox remains confident that Darley’s stallions will be well supported by breeders in 2020 and is also optimistic about the overall health of the Australian racing and breeding industry which continues to function during the Covid-19 outbreak.
“We have found that a good proportion of the industry want to get on with the breeding season and have some idea of what they are doing in the future, so they are making inquiries,” he said.
“We see that they are going to be getting on with life and on with business and making their decisions based on where the market might be in 12 and 24 months’ time.
“Our industry requires that we think long-term. You make your breeding decisions now, but the result of these breeding decisions aren’t sold until 2023. It requires a lot of crystal ball gazing, anticipation and hope obviously.”
Only two stallions on the 2019 roster are no longer at Darley, with Hallowed Crown (Street Sense) secured by Twin Hills Stud’s Olly Tait and Kementari (Lonhro) put back into training with James Cummings after he was found to be infertile last year.