Darley Stud

Darley Stud
DivisionsDalham Hall Stud, Kildangan Stud, Jonabell Farm, Northwood Park, Kelvinside
Websitewww.darleystallions.com

Darley Stud is located at Dalham Hall,[1] the global breeding operation owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and vice-president of the United Arab Emirates.[2] It is on the outskirts of Newmarket, Suffolk, the international headquarters and historic home of thoroughbred horse racing.[3]

Darley currently stands more than 50 stallions around the world: in England at Dalham Hall Stud; in Ireland at Kildangan Stud; in the United States at Jonabell Farm, in Lexington, Kentucky; and on two stud farms in Australia: at Northwood Park, Victoria, and at Kelvinside in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Darley stallions also stand in France and Japan.[4]

Darley was founded in 1981 when Sheikh Mohammed purchased Dalham Hall Stud.[5] Today, Darley studs are home to many of Europe's leading stallions. These include father and son super sire Dawn Approach and New Approach, and Dubawi, already the sire of a number of G1 winners.[citation needed]

Other famous stallions who have stood at Dalham Hall include Dubai Millennium,[6] Sheikh Mohammed's favourite horse.[7] Born on the stud and trained in Newmarket, he won the Dubai World Cup in 2000[8] and was the eight-length winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot in the same year. When he retired from horse racing, Dubai Millennium returned to the stud but sired just one crop of foals before dying of grass sickness.[9]

In addition to standing stallions, Darley manages the racing interests of Sheikh Mohammed and various members of the Maktoum family, and has racehorses with a number of trainers in the UK, Ireland, France, the United States, Australia, and Japan. The best of these horses transfer to Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed's racing stable.[10]

In 2014, Darley Australia, together with rival Coolmore and a number of local viticulturists, won a battle against Anglo American Coal to stop the expansion of the company's Drayton South open cast mining operation in the Hunter Valley.[11]

  1. ^ "About us". darleyeurope.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  2. ^ "United Arab Emirates profile – Leaders". BBC News. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Darley Newmarket". visitsuffolk.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Darley". godolphin.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  5. ^ "More information". dubaiinternships.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  6. ^ "Dubai stud fee set at £100,000". The Daily Telegraph. 29 November 2000. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  7. ^ "Darley carry on tradition of producing champions a Dalham Hall Stud". cambridge-news.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  8. ^ "Dubai World Cup 2015 – Past winners and Race Information". dubai-horse-racing.com. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  9. ^ "Wonder horse Dubai Millennium dies". The Daily Telegraph. 30 April 2001. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  10. ^ "Godolphin – Darley". godolphin.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  11. ^ Smyth, Jamie (21 October 2014). "Australia horse breeders win Anglo American coal mine battle". Financial Times. Retrieved 1 January 2015.