Darley continues its formidable reputation of providing breeders access to another three world-class northern hemisphere-performed sires who join its Kelvinside, NSW stallion roster in 2022: Palace Pier (Kingman), Pinatubo (Shamardal) and Victor Ludorum (Shamardal).
A 600,000 gns (AU$1.15 million) Tattersalls Book 1 purchase, Palace Pier was an unbeaten two-year-old, Champion Three-Year-Old and Champion Older Horse and Miler at four. Winning nine of 11 starts he etched his name on honour rolls alongside champions Shamardal, Frankel, Dubawi, Dubai Millenium and his own sire Kingman. His Royal Ascot victories included the G1 St James's Palace Stakes and G1 Queen Anne Stakes, two of the most coveted races for potential stallions at England’s premier racemeeting.
In France he became the first dual winner of the prestigious G1 Prix Jacques le Marois. He has the class, soundness, temperament and most importantly ability to become a great stallion. His champion jockey, Frankie Dettori said: "He's one of the best milers I've ever ridden, and I've ridden a few."
Palace Pier will be available at $55,000 including GST.
The second world-class sire for 2022 is Shamardal’s G1-winning two and three-year-old son, Victor Ludorum. Unbeaten in three starts as a juvenile for the French maestro André Fabre, Victor Ludorum won the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, the top two-year-old race in France also won by the likes of Wootton Bassett and Siyouni.
He returned at three to break the track record in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, the French 2000 Guineas, a race also won by Shamardal, Lope de Vega and St Mark’s Basilica. Leading French jockey Mickael Barzalona described him as a great horse with a lot of quality. A powerful, deep-girthed bay with all the strength and substance of his sireline this champion two-year-old and Classic-winning three-year-old emulated the feats of some of the most sought-after stallions currently standing at stud.
Victor Ludorum offers breeders unbelievable value at $24,750 including GST.
Champion Two-Year-Old Pinatubo requires little introduction. The son of Shamardal claimed the Horse of the Year title as a two-year-old thanks to a season in which he earned a Timeform rating of 134 becoming the highest rated European juvenile for a generation. The three-time G1-winning son of Shamardal produced the highlight of his career in a nine-length romp in the G1 National Stakes at The Curragh, Ireland, a performance described as the “defining juvenile performance of our time”. He finished his juvenile season unbeaten in six starts.
"As an individual, he was a horse who had a great constitution," trainer Charlie Appleby recalls. "He was mentally very laidback but physically very strong. I can see how Pinatubo will fit into the Australian industry. He had an abundance of natural speed, as well as the strength to be a precocious two-year-old."
Pinatubo will stand at a fee of $55,000 including GST.
