He made a winning debut over six furlongs at Goodwood in May of his two-year-old season, followed up at Salisbury in June, and then added the Group 2 Vintage Stakes over seven furlongs at Goodwood in July.
Just under three months later he extended his unbeaten record to four with defeat of Horatio Nelson in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, a performance that saw him crowned England’s champion juvenile of 2005.
Top two-year-olds are usually expected to play a prominent role in the following year’s classics, and although he was an obvious potential star, a big question over Sir Percy was his stamina.
Clearly he had inherited a great deal of his sire’s speed but how much of his dam’s stamina would shine through? He was clearly a major Guineas candidate but would he stay the Derby distance?
Sir Percy was somewhat unlucky to come up against the hugely talented but tragically ill-fated George Washington in the Group 1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket but he then dispelled any doubts about his stamina with a game victory at Epsom.
The Derby hero ran just four more races before retiring to stud, with the best of those efforts being a one and three-quarter length fourth behind Vengeance Of Rain when favourite for the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic over 12 furlongs at Nad Al Sheba the following March.
Mark Of Esteem (by Darshaan) was arguably his sire’s most brilliant son and certainly his best miler. Dalakhani is the chief rival for top spot among the Darshaans, and has strong claims to be regarded as his best middle-distance star.
Speed is what he, the white-faced bay, passed on to many of his best representatives, including the 1000 Guineas heroine Ameerat, the dual Group 1 sprint star Reverence, and the US Grade 1 scorer Bribon.
It is early days yet for Sir Percy but his stakes winners include the seven-furlong New Zealand Group 2 scorer Sir Andrew (dam by Royal Academy), and the 10-furlong Irish Group 3 winner Alla Speranza (dam by Selkirk).
His daughter Coquet (dam by Nashwan) won a listed contest over a mile at Newmarket as a juvenile and was a Group 3 placed 10-furlong stakes winner at three. Sound Hearts (dam by Zamindar) won a 10-furlong listed contest at Newmarket in October, and Bomar (dam by Galileo) won the Listed Svenskt Derby (Swedish Derby) in 2012.
BLACKTYPE
Sir Percy has also sired 10 others who have been blacktype placed, including the pattern-placed quartet Cavaleiro (dam by Alhaarth), Indigo Lady (dam by Glenstal), The Fire Inside (dam by Bertolini) and Sir Jack Layden (dam by Hawk Wing).
The last named of those was beaten only half a length when third behind Berkshire and Somewhat in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes over a mile at Ascot in late September.
Sir Percy has proved his ability to get stakes and pattern winners, he gets a high proportion of winners to runners and so it is not surprising that his yearlings made up to 80,000gns at auction last year.
It is only a matter of time before the identites of his next pattern winners become known.
SIR PERCY (GB)
Race record: Winner of 5 races, over 6-12 furlongs, from 2-4 years inc Derby Stakes, Gr.1, Dewhurst Stakes, Gr.1, Vintage Stakes, Gr.2; 2nd 2000 Guineas, Gr.1, etc.
Stud record: Retired to stud in 2008. First crop are 5yo. 5 SW inc Sir Andrew (Gr.2), Alla Speranza (Gr.3), Bomar, Coquet, Sound Hearts, etc. Yearlings made up to 80,000gns in 2013; foals made up to 38,000gns in 2013.
Stands at: Lanwades Stud, Moulton, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 8QS.
Contact: Kirsten Rausing on 0044 (0) 1638 750222
Email: info@lanwades.com
Website: www.lanwades.com
Fee: £6,000 1st October SLF