Royal Diamond dazzles at the Curragh

King's Best has been a consistent sire of top-class runners at a range of distances, and on 15 September he added his seventh G1 winner when his son Royal Diamond swept down the Curragh straight to land the Irish St Leger.

Royal Diamond was settled off the pace under Niall McCullagh, with five-time G1 winner Fame And Glory setting the pace through the early stages. Once the field turned for home however, Thomas Carmody’s charge stayed on superbly to win by a head from Massiyn with Brown Panther (Shirocco) adding further Black type to his record, finishing third.

Bred by Moyglare Stud Farm, Royal Diamond is out of the G2-winning Danehill mare Irresistable Jewel – also dam of Street Cry’s 2012 Ribblesdale Stakes winner and Darley Irish Oaks third Princess Highway (who runs in the G1 Prix Vermeille tomorrow), plus fellow G1 performer Mad About You.

King’s Best’s other G1 winners include Workforce, who won the Arc and the fastest ever Derby; Japan Derby winner Eishin Flash; outstanding miler and fellow Darley stallion Creachadoir, plus sprinter King’s Apostle.