SOME horses are more obvious candidates than others for potential stardom at stud and with so many new recruits each year representing pedigrees that are familiar – horses that come from the major sire lines – what the breed needs every now and then is something a bit different.
It raised eyebrows when Dark Angel was retired at the end of his juvenile season, one in which he had run nine times, narrowly taking somewhat weak editions of the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes and Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes and finishing the year on a mark of 114. Timeform rated him 113.
A son of the Group 2-winning sprinter Acclamation (by Royal Applause), and so from one of the lesser known branches of the Northern Dancer (by Nearctic) line, he is out of an unraced daughter of listed sprint winner Night At Sea (by Night Shift), and other blacktype horses in the family are mostly minor.
He began his career at a fee of €10,000, was busy from the outset, and his fee dropped to €7,000 the year his first juveniles hit the track, which is normal. However, then those two-year-olds started winning, his fee rose, the stakes and pattern winners have flowed, the Group 1 stars emerged, and Dark Angel – advertised at €85,000 this year – has become one of Europe’s leading sires.
In 2017, two of the world’s best sprinters – Battaash and Harry Angel – showcased his merit, while the victory of Persuasive in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes proved that he is capable of getting top-notch milers. Although he has only turned 13, Dark Angel is already a top-10 regular in the general sires’ championship title race.
He has given us leading two-year-olds, superstar sprinters and notable milers, and it is just a matter of time before the identity of the first Dark Angel to make the frame in a Group 1 classic is known.
His more than 40 stakes winners, five of whom have won at the highest level, include July Cup and Diamond Jubilee hero and 2017 blacktype freshman sire Lethal Force, and his sons at stud also include Alhebayeb, Estidkhaar, Heeraat, Markaz, and fellow Yeomanstown Stud team mate Gutaifan – all pattern winners.
His yearlings made up to 825,000gns in 2017 and foals up to 600,000gns. It turns out that this good-looking grey is exactly what the industry needed – not entirely different in bloodlines and not an outcross for most mares, but sufficiently different that he has provided breeders with a very valuable option.
DARK ANGEL (IRE), Grey 2005. Won four races, £341,306, from 5 furlongs to 6 furlongs, at 2 years including, Shadwell Stud Middle Park Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1 and Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes, Newbury, Gr.2.
Retired to stud in 2008, and sire of the winners of 1096 races, and £22,311,574, including BATTAASH (IRE), HARRY ANGEL (IRE), PERSUASIVE (IRE), MECCA’S ANGEL (IRE), LETHAL FORCE (IRE), HUNT (IRE), JULIET CAPULET (IRE), SOVEREIGN DEBT (IRE), ARDHOOMEY (IRE), BIRCHWOOD (IRE), GUTAIFAN (IRE), ESTIDHKAAR (IRE), ALHEBAYEB (IRE), MIDNIGHT CROSSING (IRE), REALTRA (IRE), STAGE MAGIC (IRE), DAME DU ROI (IRE), DIVINE (IRE), MARKAZ (IRE), MELESINA (IRE), NATIONS ALEXANDER (IRE), STORMFLY (IRE), EXOGENESIS (IRE), HEERAAT (IRE), LILY’S ANGEL (IRE), DARK LIBERTY (IRE), DARKANNA (IRE), KHAFOO SHEMEMI (IRE), MARKAZI (FR), TIP TWO WIN (GB), EASTON ANGEL (IRE), GABRIAL (IRE), VONA (IRE), BOOMSHACKERLACKER (IRE), DELIZIA (IRE), FANCIFUL ANGEL (IRE), HEAVEN’S GUEST (IRE), LOG OUT ISLAND (IRE), PROMISED MONEY (IRE), BRONZE MAQUETTE (IRE), DARK RAY (IRE) and PRIDE AND JOY (IRE)
Stands at: Yeomanstown Stud, Naas, Co Kildare, Ireland.
Contact: Gay or David O’Callaghan
Telephone: +353 (0)45 897314
Email: yeomanstownstud@eircom.net
Web: www.yeomanstown.ie
Fee: €85,000