Epaulette retired from racing and will shuttle to Darley in Ireland before joining Darley’s roster in Australia in 2014

Helmet's three-parts brother Epaulette will join Darley's European roster for the 2014 season before returning to Darley in Australia later next year

A winner of over $1.7 million, Epaulette impressed from the moment he stepped onto the racecourse. After easily winning his first two races including the Black Opal at only his second start, Epaulette contested the G2 Todman Slipper Trial, a race won ten years ago by fellow Darley stallion, Exceed And Excel. In the Todman, Epaulette met subsequent Champion, Pierro for the first time and was denied victory by only a nose.

Epaulette returned at three to take the G1 Golden Rose in record time then stretched his speed out to a mile to place in a high-class running of the G1 Caulfield Guineas a month later. He then found only queen of the turf Black Caviar too good in the G1 T J Smith earlier this year but once again lifted to record his second victory at the highest level in tremendous style, beating six G1-winning sprinters in the G1 Doomben 10,000.

By Commands, one of Australia’s leading sires and a grandson of Danehill, Epaulette is out of the Singspiel mare Accessories – also dam of record-breaking Guineas winner, multiple G1-winning juvenile, and fellow Darley stallion Helmet. Her other foal to race is Bullbars, a G3 winner who was second in the G1 Australian Guineas.

Alastair Pulford, Darley’s Head of Sales in Australia said, “Epaulette was a brilliant racehorse and he boldly competed against Pierro, All Too Hard and Black Caviar in an epic era. He joins Exceed And Excel, Helmet and Sepoy on the shuttle which shows how well both he and the Australian thoroughbred are regarded in the north. He’s a gorgeous looking colt already and he will bloom into even more of a handsome horse by the time he returns to us later next year.”

Epaulette’s Australian fee for the 2014 season will be set at a later date.

For more information, please contact Alastair Pulford on +61 (0)2 6543 9000.