Epaulette will join Darley’s Kildangan Stud roster in Ireland for the 2014 breeding season.

Trainer Peter Snowden had notified stewards Epaulette would be retired after he finished last of 13 in the G1 VRC Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on November 9.

A fee for his first northern season will be announced shortly and he will return to stand in Australia later next year.

Epaulette (4h Commands – Accessories by Singspiel) impressed from the moment he stepped onto the racecourse to win at Rosehill on Boxing Day 2011.  Given an 11 week break, he returned to claim the LR Black Opal and was then only beaten a nose by Pierro in the G2 Todman Stakes.

Returning as a three year-old, he took the G1 Golden Rose in record time then stretched his speed out to a mile to be placed behind champion colts All Too Hard and Pierro in a high-class running of the G1 Caulfield Guineas.

Back in autumn action, he was beaten three lengths by Black Caviar in the G1 T J Smith prior to grabbing his second Group 1 in the G1 Doomben 10,000.

“Epaulette was a brilliant racehorse and he competed against Pierro, All Too Hard and Black Caviar in an epic era,” Darley’s Alastair Pulford said.  “He joins Exceed And Excel, Helmet and Sepoy on the shuttle which shows how well both he and the Australian thoroughbred are regarded in the north.

“He’s a gorgeous looking colt already and he will bloom into even more of a handsome horse by the time he returns to us later next year.”

Epaulette in by Darley champion Commands and his dam Accessories has also foaled fellow Darley G1 winning stallion Helmet (Exceed And Excel) and G3 winner Bullbars (Elusive Quality) who is at stud in New Zealand.