Fabulous first foals

The first European foals by our Australian superstars Helmet and Sepoy are already earning rave reviews from breeders, and here you can see why

Helmet and Sepoy were two hugely exciting additions to Darley’s European stallion roster last year – the first was a dual G1 winner at two who went on to land the G1 Caulfield Guineas in record time, the other was a Champion two-year-old who became World Champion Sprinter at three – so it was no surprise that breeders in the northern hemisphere jumped at the chance to send their mares to this talented duo.

Now their first northern hemisphere foals are arriving and early reports from breeders could not be more positive.

Helmet now has 18 foals on the ground including a colt out of Lucky – a G3-winning full sister to King Of Kings. Bill Dawn of Castlebridge Stud (where the foal is currently located) said, “The foal is a smasher, he is a well-developed colt with plenty of class and quality".

Another colt by the flashy son of Exceed And Excel is pictured and is the first foal out of multiple winner Saaboog (Teofilo). Rabbah Bloodstock’s Jono Mills described him as, "A very nice foal. He is big, strong, scopy and balanced. On the strength of Helmet's first foals we have reconsidered mating plans for this year to use him more."

Bumble Mitchell has welcomed a filly out of The Terrier to her stud farm in Lincolnshire. The mare has already produced G3 winner Dutch Masterpiece and Bumble said of the foal, “I really like her, she’s all power.”

Helmet also has a filly out of Cape Rising, a full sister to Cape Cross’s talented daughter Rising Cross who was second in the Oaks and won the G2 Park Hill Stakes, plus a ‘cracker of a colt’ out of Without Precedent (a Stakes-placed half-sister to Stakes winner Stark Danon).

36 of the mares who were bred to Sepoy last year have now produced their foals and include the colt out of the Stakes-placed mare See You Later. Whitsbury Manor Stud’s Phil Haworth said, “We are very pleased him. He appears well put together and has a fair bit more substance than is normal from the mare. I would expect him to make up into an athletic yearling with plenty of quality.”

Charlie Wyatt couldn’t be more pleased with his colt out of the winning Singspiel mare Postage Stampe (see above), who is from the family of multiple G1 winner Kooyonga. He said, “I’m absolutely delighted. He’s a good sort, correct and well made. Sepoy was a stallion I was extremely keen on using when I first heard he was going to stand at Dalham Hall and looking at the resultant foal I’m really please I did! He’s sure to be of great benefit to English and Irish breeders, giving our mares an injection of Australian speed and precocity! ’

Another notable Sepoy foal to have arrived is a colt out of Serena’s Storm – dam of Iffraaj’s G1-winning daughter Rizeena. Breeder Honora Corridon (Round Hill Stud) said of her new arrival, "He is big, very attractive - the best out of her at this stage and the others were very good."

With equally positive comments from Australian breeders, and plenty more foals yet to arrive in Europe this year, this talented Antipodean duo could not have made a better start to their new careers at stud.

There are a limited number of nominations available to Helmet and Sepoy, so if you would like to discuss your mare, please contact our nominations team on +44 1638 730070.