TALLY-HO Stud in Mullingar has secured Inns Of Court for stallion duties in 2020.

A son of Invincible Spirit, Inns Of Court was trained by Andre Fabre and ran 18 times over four seasons. He won at Group 2 level but was undoubtedly a Group 1 horse as he was beaten by only a short-head in two races at the top level.

The Godolphin-owned colt won on his debut as a juvenile and was considered good enough to contest the Poule d’Essai des Poulains as a three-year-old. He proved his Group 1 credentials later that season when losing out by the minimum margin in the one-mile Prix du Haras de Fresnay le Buffard at Deauville.

Inns Of Court was campaigned at sprint trips for most of his four-year-old season (last year) and again went within a nostril of victory in Group 1 company when touched off by One Master in the Prix de la Foret.

Back for more this season, the horse defeated the top-class City Light over six furlongs before landing the Group 2 Prix du Gros-Chene at five furlolngs with ease in June at Chantilly. He ran only once more, carrying a 7lb penalty when a close second in a Group 3 race at Maisons-Laffitte in July.

His dam Learned Friend (by Seeking The Gold) is a half-sister to this year’s Japanese Group 1 winner Fierement and a daughter of champion Lune D’Or.

Roger O’Callaghan said: “The horse had class on the racetrack, he’s really good-looking, by sire of sires Invincible Spirit and has an ever-improving pedigree on the dam side. We had been following him for a long time, so we are excited to welcome Inns Of Court to Tally-Ho.”

Inns Of Court will stand alongside Cotai Glory, Galileo Gold, Kessaar, Kodiac, Mehmas and Vadamos.