Darley announces fees for the 2010 breeding season

Darley has announced the fees for its 40 stallions that will stand in Europe and North America for the 2010 breeding season.

The European and North American roster includes the sires of 13 winners of 26 G1 races in 2009 including Cape Cross, Europe's leading stallion and the sire of the world's best racehorse, Sea The Stars; Street Cry, one of the world's most exceptional stallions and sire of the undefeated superstarZenyatta; the outstanding Medaglia d'Oro, the sire of all-time great, Rachel Alexandra; Singspiel, sire of three individual G1 winners in 2009 and Elusive Quality, sire of the multiple record-breaking Florida Derby winner Quality Road.

In 2010 the fees of 37 of Darley's 40 stallions will remain unchanged or decrease.

John Ferguson, Sheikh Mohammed's Bloodstock Advisor commented "There is no doubt that the yearling market throughout the northern hemisphere in 2009 has been extremely selective. Breeders therefore have to be very conscious of the cost of production at every level of the yearling market. Due to reasons both within and outside of the racing industry there is a shortage of people wishing to invest in racehorses at the present time and although we should be cautiously optimistic for the future, Sheikh Mohammed believes that Darley's stud fees must remain exceptional value in order that breeders may continue to operate successfully in these difficult times."

The 24-strong European stallion roster is led by Cape Cross who will stand at Kildangan at an unchanged fee of €35,000. Heading the line-up at Dalham Hall with an unaltered fee of £30,000 is New Approach, who was rated the best two-year-old for a decade in 2007 before winning the Derby, the Irish Champion Stakes and then the Champion Stakes at Newmarket - breaking the 24-year-old course record.

Sam Bullard, Darley's director of stallions said, "The Darley stallions have had a tremendous year. Cape Cross has sired Sea The Stars, one of the most truly outstanding racehorses we have seen in many years and Halling, King's Best and Singspiel have also sired Group One winners in 2009. Two of our young stallions Dubawi and Shamardal are Europe's leading first-crop sires by number of winners and prize money respectively, Exceed And Excel is Britain and Ireland's leading sire of two-year-old winners and Sulamani has sired an English Classic winner from his first crop."

Retiring to stud in 2010 at a fee of €4,500 is the G1-winning miler Creachadoir who was rated 126 by Timeform. He will stand alongside his sire King's Best at Haras du Logis in France.

Bullard continued, "We're delighted to be standing Godolphin's Creachadoir in France. There is so much to like about him. In addition to his Lockinge win at four, Creachadoir was runner up in another three Group Ones in his previous season including the Irish and French Guineas and Hong Kong Mile. He's a lovely looking horse and a King's Best half-brother to multiple G1 winner Youmzain who finished second to Sea The Stars in the Arc. King's Best was extremely popular with our French clients in 2009 so we felt it important to stand Creachadoir alongside him."

Four stallions will move between Dalham Hall and Kildangan in 2010. Authorized and Shirocco will stand at Dalham Hall and Manduro and Echo Of Light will stand at Kildangan.

For a full list of fees and locations for 2010, please click here.