Astern will shuttle to Darley in U.S. for 2018

Astern, a Group 1 winner in his native Australia, will shuttle to Darley’s Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Ky., for the 2018 Northern Hemisphere breeding season, and he will stand for an advertised fee of $15,000.

The 4-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro is in the midst of his first Southern Hemisphere breeding season at Darley’s Australian stallion base, Kelvinside Farm in New South Wales. He will stand for a limited book of 120 mares during the upcoming Northern Hemisphere season.

Astern retired with five wins in nine career starts as a Godolphin-homebred for earnings of $884,734. A turf sprint specialist, he won the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes, the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes and Run to the Rose Stakes, and the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes.

"I just returned from seeing Astern in Australia, and I was blown away by his tremendous physique,” said Darren Fox, Darley’s American sales manager. “I couldn’t be more excited to get him to Kentucky. Medaglia d’Oro has been such an important stallion for us in both hemispheres, and as his best son, Astern has all the credentials to follow in his father's footsteps.”

Astern is out of the winning Exceed and Excel mare Essaouira, whose four foals to race are all winners, also including Australian Group 1 winner Alizee and Group 3 winner Mogador.

His second dam is the Australian Group 2 winner Alizes.

:: DRF BREEDING LIVE: Real-time coverage of breeding and sales