Barney Roy, who broke the course record when triumphing in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, has been retired from racing and will stand at Dalham Hall Stud. His fee has been set at £10,000 Oct 1, Special Live Foal and lifetime breeding rights are available.
Trained by Richard Hannon, Barney Roy proved himself a miler out of the top drawer when winning the fastest St James’s Palace ever, breaking the course record by almost two seconds at Royal Ascot. Among the top performers he defeated that day were this year’s G1 2,000 Guineas winner Churchill, G1 Prix Jean Prat victor Thunder Snow, G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Rivet plus consistent G1 performer Lancaster Bomber.
Stepped up to 10 furlongs in the G1 Eclipse on his next start, Barney Roy battled back brilliantly and was only denied by Ulysses in the final stride. The time he clocked at Sandown was fast enough to have won 129 of the previous 130 runnings of the race.
The top miler of his generation, Barney Roy is rated Timeform 126, the equal of Churchill and the same mark achieved by his outstanding grandsire Exceed And Excel.
Winner of his only start at two by over three lengths in a mile contest at Haydock, Barney Roy was bought by Godolphin over the winter. He made a deep impression on his seasonal debut at three, winning a competitive running of the G3 Greenham Stakes by two lengths. Defending his unbeaten record in the G1 2,000 Guineas, he ran on gamely to finish second, ahead of Al Wukair, after stumbling in the Dip and being carried across the course. He was also placed in the G1 Juddmonte International.
Hannon said, “Barney Roy is by far the best colt I have trained and the most athletic horse I have seen. We look forward to seeing his yearlings at the sales.”
Sam Bullard, Director of Darley stallions, said, “Barney Roy was the leading miler of his generation, and ran with great credit over 10 furlongs too, beaten only a nose in the Eclipse in a time that would have won him almost any other running.
“If his stock inherit his zestful way of running and ferocious tenacity in the finish, they will surely do well. We are very proud of the enormous success of Exceed And Excel and his stallion sons and we are delighted to have the first of his grandsons join the Darley roster.”
Barney Roy is bred on the reverse cross of successful stallions Frankel and Teofilo, being out of a Galileo mare and from the Danehill sire line. Evergreen sprinter Gordon Lord Byron features among his close family, and he descends from Broodmare of the Year Too Bald, dam among others of high class American stallion Capote.
For further information, please contact the Nominations team on +44(0)1638 730070 or +353 (0)45 527600.
