Veteran sire Xaar pensioned by Darley Japan

Xaar, a European champion whose progeny have earned over $27 million, has been pensioned from stud duty by Darley Japan.

The 17-year-old Zafonic horse stood at Darley’s property on the island of Hokkaido for 500,000 yen (about $6,000) in 2012. According to published reports, he is likely to return to Europe for his retirement.

Xaar won the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes and Prix de Salamandre in 1997, earning the Cartier Award as Europe’s champion 2-year-old male. Overall, he tallied five wins from 11 starts—with four stakes wins—and earned $591,359 in three seasons of racing.

The regally-bred horse, who is out of the Group 3-winning Sir Ivor mare Monroe and is a half-brother to three stakes winners, began his stud career at Darley’s Kildangan Stud in Ireland and also stood in France before moving to Darley Japan in 2008.

From ten crops of racing age, Xaar has sired 447 winners and 31 stakes winners. His best progeny include dual Hong Kong Group 1 winner Xtension, who earned over $3.7 million, multiple Group 2 winner Balthazaar’s Gift, Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed The Cheka, and Group 3 winner Wake Up Maggie, who also won two stakes races in the U.S.