Godolphin/Darley article

[my miss storm cat]

I already posted that he was retired (... same day as DC) but nice that he finally got a little press.

HAPPY RETIREMENT.

Echo Of Light retired to Dalham Hall

by Rachel Pagones
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ECHO OF LIGHT, a five-time Group winner for Godolphin, has been retired to stud at Dalham Hall for a fee of £5,000.

Declared early on by Sheikh Mohammed to be his favourite son of his favourite racehorse, Dubai Millennium, Echo Of Lightalways had a lot to live up to. In his large size, physical power and independent nature, he was, even to the less devoted eye than that of Sheikh Mohammed, reminiscent of his sire, and in the event became Dubai Millennium's second most successful son, behind only treble Group 1 winner Dubawi. Entering his third season at stud, Dubawi will stand for €40,000 next year at Sheikh Mohammed's Kildangan Stud in Ireland.

Although he did not come to hand as early as most of his sires' progeny, and was labeledwayward by many after running off the course on his third start at Windsor, Echo Of Light's record shows him to be an admirably consistent performer who won seven of 16 starts. He was fourth on his only start at two, in a race won by Sussex Stakes victorProclamation, and with subsequent Great Voltigeur winner Hard Top and Caulfield Cup hero Tawqeet behind him.

After winning his maiden nearly a year later, he slammed a conditions field by seven lengths. After that it was only Group company for him andhe won five of 11 Pattern starts, including back-to-back runnings of the Group 3 Strensall Stakes at York, in which he set a new course record for 1m1f this year. He also won the Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein, and showed an affinity for Polytrack when skipping away with the Group 3 Summer Mile Stakes at Lingfield in his only attempt on the surface. Echo Of Light was bred by Pat O'Kelly's Kilcarn Stud, which sold him to Sheikh Mohammed's agent John Ferguson for a sales-topping €1.2m at the 2003 Goffs Orby Sale. His dam is the Sadler's Wells mare Spirit Of Tara, a sister to the Irish Derby, Oaks and 1,000 Guineas heroine Salsabil and half-sister to Derrinstown sire Marju, from the immediate family of Grand Criterium winner Second Empire.

“He's a top-class racehorse with a top-class pedigree, bred by one of Europe's most successful breeders – a real athlete,” said Ferguson. “At £5,000 he gives breeders a huge opportunity to breed a top-class racehorse.”