Press release

Two of the most exciting young racehorses to retire to stud in recent years, Sepoy and Helmet, will stand at Darley in Europe for the 2013 breeding season.  Sepoy will stand at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket and Helmet will stand at Kildangan Stud in Ireland.

Sepoy, Australia’s highest-rated two-year-old colt for 35 years won the 6f G1 Blue Diamond Stakes by four-and-a-quarter lengths in the second fastest time ever before taking the world’s richest two-year-old race, the 6f G1 Golden Slipper in dominant fashion.

At three, Sepoy achieved what no horse in the modern era ever had, becoming the first G1 Golden Slipper winner for 30 years to take on his older rivals in a G1 sprint, and win. He then rounded off his undefeated five-start spring campaign with victory in the G1 Coolmore Stakes over 6f and became the World Champion three-year-old sprinter.

Bred by Sheikh Mohammed, Sepoy is the best speed horse by record-breaking Darley stallion Elusive Quality and is out of a Danehill full sister to G1 winner and producer, Camarena.

Sam Bullard, Darley’s Director of Stallions said, “Sepoy was the best two-year-old Australia had seen for twenty years and he was the world Champion three-year-old sprinter. He is the most popular stallion on our roster in Australia this year where he stands at a fee of AUD$66,000. We already stand Raven's Pass, another son of Elusive Quality, and it’s a sireline that is excelling in Europe.”

On shuttling Australian raced stallions to Europe Bullard said, “Exceed And Excel has been a great success in Europe and standing Australia’s elite is an opportunity that we are very fortunate to be able to offer our clients in the northern hemisphere.”

A peer of Sepoy, Helmet was also an exceptional juvenile. Helmet won the 7f G1 Sires’ Produce and the 8f G1 Champagne Stakes and was rated good enough at two to become Champion colt in each of the previous ten seasons.

Helmet won the top three-year-old Classic, the 8f G1 Caulfield Guineas, in a new record time, and was rated 127 by Timeform – higher at three than Choisir, Starspangledbanner, Lonhro, So You Think and even his own sire Exceed And Excel.

Also a Darley homebred, Helmet is the best two-year-old by Exceed And Excel who is the world’s leading sire of two-year-olds, and is out of the Singspiel mare Accessories, also dam of recent G1 winner Epaulette – one of Australia’s most exciting three-year-olds. Helmet’s is a rich European family that traces back to the German Champion two- and three-year-old Anna Paola.

Mick Buckley, Darley’s Nominations Manager in Ireland said, “Had it not been for Sepoy, Helmet would have been the Champion two-year-old. He won two Group One’s at two, was a Guineas winner at three, is gorgeous looking and will suit European breeders down to the ground.”

For more information, please contact Sam Bullard on +44 (0) 1638 730 070 or visit www.darleystallions.com/knowledgeispower.