IT is very unusual for a Derby winner to be available as a stallion to Irish National Hunt breeders only two years after his Epsom triumph, but that is the situation with Wings Of Eagles. He has moved this year to The Beeches Stud in Co Waterford, having spent his first season in France at the Haras du Montaigu farm of his breeders, Gilles and Aliette Forien, who sold him for €220,000 as a yearling.

Trained for a Coolmore syndicate by Aidan O’Brien, Wings Of Eagles showed considerable promise as a two-year-old in 2016, winning second time out at Killarney in August, before being sent to Newmarket for the Listed Zetland Stakes, in which he was a close fourth to the smart filly Coronet, who scored in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot the next season. For his fourth and final outing in his first season Wings Of Eagles travelled to France for the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud, but was out of the first four behind Waldgeist, though ahead of subsequent Melbourne Cup star Rekindling.

Wings Of Eagles raced just three times in 2017, before an injury ended his racing career. His first start, early in May, was in the Group 3 Chester Vase, in which he was a close second to his stable companion Venice Beach. This was sufficiently promising to earn him a place as one of Aidan O’Brien’s six runners in the Group 1 Epsom Derby early in June and, although he was a 40-1 outsider, he finished fastest of all the 18 runners to win by three quarters of a length and a neck from Cliffs Of Moher and champion three-year-old Cracksman, with Capri, Permian, Venice Beach and Rekindling all unplaced.

Wings Of Eagles almost completed a classic double four weeks later in the Group 1 Irish Derby, but in a thrilling finish he was a very close third, only a neck and a short head behind his stablemate Capri and Cracksman, with Waldgeist fourth. It was discovered after the race that Wings Of Eagles had suffered a broken near-fore sesamoid joint, which was repaired with a pin in his leg, but he was unable to race again.

Pour Moi, a son of Montjeu who is the sire of Wings Of Angels, was also an Epsom Derby winner in 2011 and he has already sired the winners of nearly 200 races worldwide, including half a dozen blacktype winners on the flat, but he is now also one of Coolmore’s National Hunt stallions at Grange Stud.

Ysoldina, the dam of Wings Of Eagles, won in France and was second in the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte and third in the Group 1 French 1000 Guineas. She is dam of four other winners, including Sparkle Roll, an impressive three lengths winner at Haydock Park last September. The next dam, Rotina, produced four group winners, notably Belle Et Celebre, who appropriately scored in the Group 1 Montjeu Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp.

WINGS OF EAGLES (FR). Jt 4th top rated 3yr old colt in Ireland in 2017. Won two races, £1,062,511, from 1 mile ½ furlong to 1½ miles, at 2 and 3 years including, Investec Derby Stakes, Epsom Downs, Gr.1, also placed second in MBNA Chester Vase, Chester, Gr.3, and third in Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, Curragh, Gr.1.

Retired to Stud in 2018.

Stands at: The Beeches Stud, Lismore, Co Waterford, Ireland

Contact: Robert McCarthy or Peter Kenneally

Telephone: +353 58 56254

Email: thebeechesstud@outlook.com

Web: www.coolmore.com

Fee: €6,500