THIS year’s Derby winner Wings Of Eagles will stand in France at the stud where he was born. A shock winner at Epsom last June, the son of the Montjeu horse Pour Moi went on to finish a close third in the Irish Derby. He was subsequently found to have sustained a career-ending injury.

Wings Of Eagles will retire to Haras de Montaigu, owned by Aliette and Giles Forien. The stud already stands Martaline, Prince Gibraltar, Night Wish, Literato and No Risk At All. The Foriens bred Wings Of Eagles and sold him to Coolmore at the Arqana August Yearling Sale for €220,000.

Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Wings Of Eagles was a winner at two years of age but went into the Derby under the radar despite having finished second in the Chester Vase behind stable companion Venice Beach. At Epsom, he gave jockey Padraig Beggy an unforgettable moment when coming from well off the pace to defeat a star-studded field.

Also heading to France is his former stable companion The Anvil, who was well beaten in both Derbys and the St Leger. The son of Galileo will stand as a jumps stallion at Haras du Grand Chesnaie in north-west France.

In other stallion news, the recent Prix de la Foret winner Aclaim has been retired to stand at the National Stud in Newmarket. The son of Acclamation (by Dark Angel) was trained by Martyn Meade for breeders Dermot Farrington and Canning Downs. His fee has been set at £12,500, October 1st, special live foal terms.

The horse will be managed by John Ferguson and Mark McStay, in conjunction with Tim Lane, manager of the National Stud, and they will be offering breeding rights.

Aclaim was unbeaten as a juvenile and capped his three-year-old career with success in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket. Prior to his Group 1 win at Chantilly this month, he won the Group 2 Park Stakes at Doncaster. His dam, Asis, was stakes-placed as a two-year-old and she is a half-sister to Irish 1000 Guineas winner Again.

Meanwhile, the globe-trotting Mondialiste will stand at his owner Geoff Turnbull’s Elwick Stud in Hartlepool, Durham. Originally trained by Freddy Head, the son of Galileo was bought by Turnbull for 190,000gns and sent to trainer David O’Meara. The horse went on to win the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile in 2015 and the Arlington Million last year. His stud fee has been set at £6,000.

Other retirements announced this week include that of the Godolphin’s Group 1 winning two-year-old Ultra (by Manduro) who will stand at Haras du Logis. Fellow Group 1 winners Al Wukair (by Dream Ahead) and Zelzal (by Sea The Stars) will stand at Al Shaqab’s Haras de Boquetot.