Insane

[brockguy]

Dark Angel retires to stud as a healthy sound 2yo and his owners aint Coolmore or a Sheikh!!!??? from racingpost

DARK ANGEL, winner of this year's Middle Park Stakes, has been retired to stud, although he remains sound. He will stand at Morristown Lattin Stud in County Kildare in 2008.

Despite being a Group 1 winner as a juvenile, connections felt it was not worth giving him a Classic campaign. The decision has echoes of Holy Roman Emperor, who was retired in March when a leading fancy for the 2,000 Guineas when it was announced that George Washington had fertility problems.

Joint-owner Catherine Corbett said on Tuesday: "The sale came through his trainer Barry Hills. He was approached by the stud.

"We - Barry, myself and fellow owner Chris Wright - discussed it, and myself and Chris were very happy with it all."

Corbett added: "He wouldn't have run in a Classic next year. It was felt he would be a six-furlong specialist and it's very hard for a three-year-old who has won a Group 1, so selling him wasn't really a wrench."

In addition to defeating Strike The Deal half a length in the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes three and a half weeks ago, Dark Angel won Newbury's Mill Reef Stakes and the St Leger Yearling Stakes during his nine-race campaign.
The Dewhurst Stakes, in which he was ninth behind New Approach, proved the final race in his career, in which he won £341,306.

Corbett added: "Winning the sales race was a terrific thrill, and we weren't expecting him to win the Mill Reef or Middle Park."

Tuesday's press release from Morristown Lattin Stud read: "Dark Angel is very much in the mould of his champion sire Acclamation, who also won the DBS sales race.

"But Dark Angel went on to outperform Acclamation by winningat Group 1 and 2 level, emulating his grandsire Royal Applause.

"Physically, he is very mature and has excellent conformation, having been the second highest-priced yearling from Acclamation's 2005 crop."

Wright, founder of Chrysallis Records, recently sold a homebred Galileo colt for 750,000gns to John Magnier at Tattersalls' October Yearling Sale. It was the best result he had enjoyed at a sale since setting up Stratford Place Stud at his Gloucestershire home 20 years ago.