The news has been hailed as 'a great day for Ireland'

The Irish breeding industry has received a huge boost with news that dual Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Daryz will stand at stud in Co Kildare.

The stallion will stand at Gilltown Stud alongside his sire Sea The Stars next year. Daryz was retired shortly after making it back-to-back victories in Europe's richest race earlier this month.

Trained in France by Francis-Henri Graffard, Daryz accumulated more than €6.4 in win and place prize money during his career, which saw him win nine of his 12 races, including four at Group 1 level.

"Dual Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Daryz will stand at Gilltown Stud alongside his sire Sea The Stars, who has enjoyed another stellar season in 2026," Aga Khan Studs said. "Winner of four Group 1 races from nine to 12 furlongs and renowned for his dazzling turn of foot, Daryz hails from one of the most distinguished families in the stud book and will be an exciting addition to the stallion ranks in Ireland."

Gilltown Stud manager Pat Downes stated that the news marked 'a great day for Ireland' and there's huge excitement ahead of his arrival.

He told Racing TV: "I think it's a great day for Gilltown and a great day for Ireland. Daryz is an exceptional racehorse. He's a really, really good individual with a beautiful pedigree and a great race career. And I think he'll be a great addition to the stallion ranks in Ireland."

Explaining how the Aga Khan team decided on choosing Ireland for Daryz, Downes added: "We discussed the merits of having him in Ireland or equally having him in France. I would hope that he'll be used by plenty of French breeders while he's here but, on balance, we felt that we'd like to have him standing at Gilltown alongside his sire, Sea The Stars."

Downe continued: "I think, when you look at his entire race career, it was defined by the acceleration he can produce at the end of a race, and I think that's what separates good horses and great horses. He had a very lethal acceleration. If he can pass that on to his progeny, it augurs well for him as a stallion."

Exact travel plans have yet to be confirmed, but Downes hopes that Daryz will arrive at Gilltown ahead of the Goffs November Sale, which runs from the 16th to the 21st of next month.