Amo Racing's King Of Steel, who provided Frankie Dettori with a fairytale ending to his riding career in Britain by winning the G1 Champion Stakes this time last year, has been retired to Tally-Ho Stud in Ireland.
“It was one of the most memorable moments of my racing career,” Dettori said. “King Of Steel excelled and gave me the perfect Ascot finale. I have no doubt he'll become a stallion to be reckoned with, and I'm deeply grateful to him for helping me close my Ascot career in such an incredible way.”
The statuesque son of Wootton Bassett (GB), who was trained by Roger Varian, was also second to Auguste Rodin (Ire) in the Derby on only the third start of his life, as well as winning the G2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. He has not been seen in action since finishing fifth in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf with an unspecified injury announced back in May ruling him out of competing this season.
Bred in Kentucky by Bonne Chance Farm, King Of Steel is a son of the Verglas (Ire) mare Eldacar, herself a dual-winning stayer in France and close relation to the dual Group 1 winner Contributer (Ire). He was bought as a yearling at Keeneland for $200,000 by Amo Racing, the operation headed by Kia Joorabchian which has been a notably dominant player at this season's yearling sales.
“King Of Steel has been an outstanding flagbearer for Amo Racing, perfectly exemplifying the ambitions of our operation,” said Kia Joorabchian, who plans to support the stallion “strongly” at stud.
“Last year's Champions Day was one of the greatest moments in racing history, as we witnessed King Of Steel deliver a stunning performance for Frankie Dettori on his final ride at Ascot. Over the past season, he truly established himself as one of the standout horses of his generation. We are incredibly proud to have such a top-class son of Wootton Bassett standing at a prestigious farm, and we are committed to supporting him fully in the years ahead.”
He added, “I've never been more excited about a stallion, and I can't wait to see his offspring excel.”
The four-year-old King Of Steel, who broke his maiden at two with a wide-margin debut win at Nottingham, retires with a rating of 122.
Recalling his partnership with the horse, Dettori said, “King Of Steel wrote an Ascot Champion Stakes finale that not even Steven Spielberg could have imagined. He's a horse blessed with everything you want from a champion — physicality, cruising speed, a change of gear, and above all, the will to win. I will never forget that emotional day. I wish him all the best at stud and thank him for the unforgettable memories.”
King Of Steel joins the O'Callaghan family's Tally-Ho Stud roster which includes the redoubtable Kodiac (GB) and Mehmas (Ire).
“When we were given the chance to stand King Of Steel, we had absolutely no hesitation,” said Roger O'Callaghan. “His size, speed, agility, and mentality make him the perfect stallion to complement our existing roster. Being the flagbearer of an operation like Amo Racing, which has been growing from strength to strength in the last few years, his offspring will have every opportunity to succeed and excel. We are excited to be standing him and look forward to helping him and Amo achieve their goals.”
King Of Steel's stud fee will be announced in due course.
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