Darley sets 2008 stud fees

European champion Manduro, 2007 Epsom Derby winner Authorized, and 2006 juvenile champion Teofilo will all enter stud in 2008 with fees between $50,000 and $60,000.

Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum's Darley operation announced Monday that Manduro and Teofilo will stand at its Kildangan Stud in Ireland for about $56,400. Authorized will launch his stud career at Darley's Dalham Hall headquarters in England with a fee of about $50,500.

Darley also announced that Manduro and Authorized will switch locations in 2009.

Darley's 2008 fees are in keeping with a trend also seen in Kentucky, where many stud farms are keeping their 2008 fees at or below 2007 levels in light of commercial breeders' concerns that the yearling market has reached a plateau.

Most of Darley's stallion fees in England, Ireland, and France will remain at their 2007 levels or below, with a few notable exceptions. Among sires taking fee cuts are Singspiel, down from 35,000 pounds to 15,000 pounds (about 30,000), and Halling, who falls from 20,000 pounds to 12,000 pounds (about $24,240).

Among the few to increase are Exceed and Excel, who goes from about $14,100 to about $20,200 on the strength of an initial Southern Hemisphere crop that included Australian stakes-winner Exceedingly Good, and young sire Dubawi, who rises from about $50,500 to approximately $56,400.

Darley's most expensive sire on the list is Cape Cross, who remains at about $70,500. Red Ransom's fee will be announced at a later date.