Breeders looking for a point of difference need look no further with the announcement the stunning grey group-winning sprinter-miler, Dalghar, will take up residence at Nick and Anne-Marie King’s Brighthill Farm this spring.

“You have to get something that excites you, and we are very excited by this horse. He’s a lovely, well-rounded horse who will have widespread market appeal,” says Nick King. “There’s an awful lot to like about him with a very good race record to compliment a terrific pedigree and most importantly, he is phenomenal type of horse.”

Dalghar was trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre in France where he showed not only speed and brilliance, but consistency and versatility finishing in the first three in the majority of his starts up to 1600m from two to four years on firm to soft going.

He opened his two-year-old campaign with a win at his third start, before fighting back in the final strides to finish second in the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte behind Smooth Operator. Dalghar returned with immediate success at three with two victories, one in stakes company, before an injury enforced layoff.

At four he won the Group 3 Prix du Palais-Royal over 1400 metres with a powerful front-running display in a blistering track record time of 1.17.4 at Longchamp, with the last 200m in 9.7s. It was only the third time in history a horse had gone sub-1.20 for that race, and it would place him amongst the top sprinters down-under, says King.

Dalghar then travelled to England, finishing fifth behind Goldikova in the Group 1 Royal Ascot Queen Anne Stakes and third in the Group 2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood. Dalghar was runner-up to the top-quality Sahpresa in the Group 3 Prix du Pin before returning to Ascot again, where he finished second in the Group 2 John Guest Diadem Stakes behind the smart, Lady of the Desert.

Dalghar finished his career with four wins and a further seven placings from his 18 starts before his retirement to Haras de Saint Arnoult in France where he is currently serving his first book of mares.

Bred and raced by His Highness the Aga Khan, Dalghar represents the first son of the deceased Gr 1 July Cup winner and Champion French stallion Anabaa to go stud New Zealand.  By Danzig, Anabaa has been hugely successful in both hemispheres, with 81 stakes winners worldwide spearheaded by 14-time group one winning mare Goldikova. Amongst his 32 Southern Hemisphere winners are quality performers Anabandana, Anacheeva, Avenue, Dances On Waves, French Bid, Headturner, Imananabaa, Terandaba, Virage de Fortune and Yell.

“Very few do it in both hemispheres. His stud record is proof of his versatility at the highest level with Derby winners and top-notch sprinters among his progeny,” says King.

But while the Anabaa-factor is an obvious attraction, for King its Dalghar’s superior female line that has him really excited. “The opportunity to get in to the families of His Highness the Aga Khan are very rare and we’re confident Dalghar will make an exciting impact at stud.”

Dalghar is out of the truly exceptional broodmare, Daltawa, whose offspring have won in total 17 group races including the sensational seven-time group one winner Daylami (Douyan), who was crowned European Horse of the Year, as well as claiming champion turf colt honours in the USA.

Daltawa is also the dam of four-time group one winner Dalakhani (Darshaan), who was champion European three-year-old and Horse of the Year, before kicking off a successful stud career where he has produced five group one winners amongst his 21 individual stakes earners. He currently stands at Gilltown Stud in Ireland for 40,000 Euros.

Daltawa herself was a listed winner and comes from one of the Aga Khan’s elite female lines, packed with classic winners. She is daughter of Miswaki from the Crystal Palace mare Damana. Her second dam Denia is a three-quarter sister to Prix de Diane winner Crepellana.

King says Miswaki has proven success in New Zealand through his son Bachelor Duke, and also as the dam-sire of Caption Rio. He is also the broodmare sire of Urban Sea, dam of Sea The Stars and Galileo, and of other successful stallions Lucky Story, Dr Fong and Hernando.

King has also been heartened by the recent success of Aussie two-year-old sensation Pierro taking out the Triple Crown with ease. “It’s interesting because Pierro is out of a Daylami mare, and Dalghar is a half-brother to Daylami. It just takes it up to that next notch. It’s intriguing to see Daylami has produced such early speed, when he was a stayer,” he says.

“Dalghar was a sprinting horse and his two half-brothers were champion staying horses, so with the New Zealand mares we would expect his progeny here to have plenty of early pace, and then be able to make an impact over ground as well.”

Dalghar was purchased from His Highness the Aga Khan by Perth-based breeder Neven Botica at the end of his four-year-old career. Botica has a great affinity with the New Zealand. 

“He breeds in both Hemispheres and like many he feels New Zealand is a great place for a stallion to get a start and produce top-quality horses.”

He has extensive racing and breeding interests and will be sending a number of his mares to Dalghar with the view to racing the stock in Australia, adds King.

Following the stud’s successful recipe, King says they have set Dalghar’s fee at $6000 plus GST where it will remain for the next three years and already the response has been tremendous, ensuring he’ll serve a strong book of mares this coming season. “I am very confident that we have brought in the right horse, at the right price range.”

He will stand alongside Perfectly Ready, whose fee has been reduced to $7,000 +gst for next season, and Patapan, who remains at $4,000 +gst.

Click here for full details on Dalghar

Article courtesy of Annie Studholme.