Quality the key at Darley

News that champion sire Street Cry would return to Australian was the key announcement when Darley launched its 2009 roster last week.

The addition of Street Cry (Machiavellian) and his G1 winning son Street Boss highlight new-look Darley rosters in NSW and Victoria.

Group 1 sires Authorized (Montjeu), Teofilo (Galileo), Kheleyf (Green Desert), New Approach (Galileo) and Makybe Diva’s G2-winning three-quarter brother Musket (Redoute’s Choice) are the newcomers this year.

“Street Cry will return to Australia for the first time in three years,” Darley’s Australian Managing Director Henry Plumptre said.  “He is a Champion in America and will be covering a significant number of Sheikh Mohammed’s G1- winning mares in Australia this year,”

The new arrivals meant Elusive Quality was squeezed out and will now shuttle to Brazil instead of Australia.  His oldest southern stock are four year-olds and, from a crop of 68 foals, there have been 34 individual winners headed by Group 1 winner Camarilla.

His second crop of 67 foals has produced 20 winners to date with Cardinal Virtue (LR SAJC Redelva Classic) the sole stakes-winner.  They were in flavour at the 2007 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. 

Libertarian (3c Elusive Quality – Republic Lass) was a $2 million buy as part of the Tyreel Stud draft.  He is taking time to wind up and needed a mile to break his maiden at Kembla Grange on May 2.  He was purchased by Woodlands but is now a part of the Darley team.

Tyreel sold another expensive Elusive Quality that year when their filly from Quays made $1.3 million to the bid of Darley agent John Ferguson.  Named Boca Chita, she is trained by Gai Waterhouse and was placed at Warwick Farm in February at the end of a brief campaign.

Elusive Quality’s third crop numbered 66 foals and by May 1 only four had appeared in public.  His only juvenile to salute so far is Hawkesbury winner Italian Beauty.

Elusive Quality (Gone West) can turn around the slow start after serving bulging books in his final three years in Australia.  He covered 65% more mares in that period (390) than his first three years (255).
He served 173 mares at $137,500 when many sires were E.I. idle in 2007.  That was an even better result than the 143 mares he served for US$100,000 at Darley in Kentucky last year.

Elusive Quality’s reputation is second to none in North America.  He rocketed out of the blocks on a US$10,000 service fee when his champion colt Smarty Jones won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

He has also sired Breeders’ Cup winners Maryfield (2007 Filly & Mare Sprint) and Raven’s Pass (2008 Classic).

His 3yo colt Quality Road won the G1 Florida Derby and G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes earlier this year but was ruled out of the Kentucky Derby with a hoof injury.

Over in England, Evasive was only beaten four lengths by Sea The Stars when racing first-up in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket last Saturday.  Evasive (3c Elusive Quality – Canda by Storm Cat) is trained by Sir Michael Stoute for Cheveley Park Stud and he was a G3 winner of the Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury last October.

Elusive Quality will shuttle to Stud TNT in Brazil.  The 16-year-old son of Gone West will be based at the 3000 acre nursery in the Bage region close to the Uruguay border.  It is owned by Goncalo Borges Torrealba, 48, CEO of Grupo Libra, a shipping company that operates the largest container terminal in Brazil.

Coolmore sire Royal Academy also shuttled to Stud TNT in Brazil but eventually made his way back to Australia.  A return ticket for Elusive Quality hinges on whether he can sire another couple of gallopers the calibre of Camarilla.

Darley Stallion fees 2009

Standing at Kelvinside 
Street Cry  $110,000
Exceed And Excel $110,000
Commands  $55,000
Bernardini  $38,500
Street Sense  $38,500
Lonhro   $33,000
Nadeem  $27,500
Shamardal  $27,500
Authorized  $27,500
Kheleyf  $27,500
Teofilo   $22,000
Henny Hughes  $19,250
Canny Lad  $16,500
Dubawi  $16,500
Ad Valorem  $11,000
Tiger Hill  $11,000
Shaft   $7,700
  
Standing at Northwood Park 
New Approach $33,000
Reset   $27,500
Hard Spun  $22,000
Strategic  $16,500
Street Boss  $16,500
Any Given Saturday $13,750
Gonski   $6,600
  
Standing at Twin Hills 
Musket  $11,000
Quest For Fame $6,600
Domesday  $5,500