Australian
breeders that are using Darley's Medaglia D'Oro (USA) this spring can
congratulate themselves on having secured a rare bargain with the superstar son
of El Prado having his US fee for 2018 raised to $250,000 in the wake of siring
two Group I Breeders' Cup winners.
The US fee for Medaglia D'Or was recently announced at $200,000, which was up
from $150,000 in 2017, but his recent successes forced a rethink from Darley.
His two Breeders' Cup winners, Talismanic in the Turf and Bar of Gold in the
Filly and Mare Sprint, bring his total of 2017 Group I winners to seven – a
total which can't be matched by any other American stallion.
Other Group I winners this year for Medaglia D'Oro include two-year-old colt Bolt
d'Oro, three-year-old fillies New Money Honey and Elate, turf mare Dickinson,
and the brilliant dual Eclipse Champion Songbird, who topped the Fasig-Tipton
November Sale on Monday selling to Mandy Pope for $9,500,000.
In Graded racing history, the only other American stallions to have as many as
seven Group I winners in a single year are Mr. Prospector, Danzig, and Storm
Cat.
Darren Fox, nominations Sales Manager at Darley in America, said, "Even before
the Breeders' Cup, the demand for Medaglia d'Oro was extremely high. After the
wins by Bar Of Gold and Talismanic this past Saturday, we feel it incumbent on
us to listen to what the market is telling us and adjust his fee accordingly.
We have always set our fees at fair and competitive levels and we think that
this is certainly in line with that historical approach."
This $250,000 fee will apply to a limited number of remaining seasons.
In Australia this spring Medaglia D'Oro is standing at a fee of $110,000, while his Australian bred Group I winning sons Vancouver (Coolmore) and Astern (Darley) stand at $49,500 and $38,500 respectively.