By Brian Sheerin
Golden Horn (GB), the brilliant G1 Derby winner and European Horse of the Year in 2015, will take up stallion duties at Overbury Stud after being sold to new investors Dash Grange Stud from Darley and Anthony Oppenheimer.
The move will see Golden Horn, who has already sired 13 individual winners over jumps in Britain and Ireland, marketed as a dual-purpose stallion.
Golden Horn is best remembered for storming to Derby glory under Frankie Dettori in 2015. He won handsomely from subsequent Irish Derby hero Jack Hobbs (GB), who he will now stand beside at Overbury Stud.
Trained by John Gosden throughout his glittering career, Golden Horn retired to Dalham Hall Stud with an impressive Group 1 haul under his belt.
As well as winning the Derby in 2015, Golden Horn landed the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, the Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown and recorded a memorable triumph in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on his penultimate start.
His last dance on a racecourse came when he went down fighting behind Found (Ire) in the Breeders' Cup Turf in that same season.
While Golden Horn has sired a good level of smart horses on the Flat, he has made quite an impressive impact from limited numbers over jumps, exemplified by the fact that 13 of his 22 offspring to run in that sphere have won at least once.
In fact, seven of those 13 individual winners recorded official ratings of 120 or more, with three-time scorer First Street rating a nice prospect after finishing second in the County Hurdle for Nicky Henderson last season.
The Fergal O'Brien-trained Byzantine Empire (GB) is two from two over fences, with his latest win coming at Perth on Tuesday, while Stag Horn (GB) and Trapista (Fr) are also multiple winners over jumps for the sire.
A son of Cape Cross (Ire) out of Dubai Destination mare Fleche D'Or (GB), Golden Horn covered a three-figure book in his last season at Dalham Hall Stud, where his fee was £10,000.
Dash Grange Stud, owned by Jayne McGivern, purchased Golden Horn privately in a deal that was brokered by Blandford Bloodstock.
Blandford's Richard Brown commented, “I can't recall a more brilliant middle-distance performer in recent years than Golden Horn. He was an absolute star on the track for John Gosden and his team at Clarehaven. He is one of only three horses, alongside Mill Reef and Sea The Stars (Ire), to have won the Derby, the Eclipse S. and the Arc.
“Overbury Stud has established a fantastic reputation in recent years for developing and making stallions under both codes. Golden Horn is a magnificent addition to their roster.”
Golden Horn stood at Dalham Hall for seven seasons and Sam Bullard, director of stallions at Darley, wished his new connections luck with the stallion.
He said, “On behalf of Anthony Oppenheimer and the team at Darley, we want to wish Golden Horn and his new connections the very best of luck. At Overbury he will be given the very best chance to excel over the coming years.”
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