Darci Brahma (Danehill-Grand Echezeaux; foaled 21 September 2002) is a

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

thoroughbred colt foaled in 2002 at Pencarrow Stud near

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

in New Zealand. He was auctioned at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ltd Yearling Sales in January 2004 and acquired by a syndicate of ten investors for the sum of NZ$1.1 million.

2004–2005 season

Sent to trainer Mark Walker of Te Akau Racing Stables near

Matamata Matamata () is a town in Waikato, New Zealand. It is located near the base of the Kaimai Ranges, and is a thriving farming area known for Thoroughbred horse breeding and training pursuits. It is part of the Matamata-Piako District, which take ...

for his early education, Darci Brahma quickly established a reputation as a potential star in the making winning his first race (January 2005) on debut, following that up with a strong win in the Listed Ford Fairview Slipper Stakes at Matamata in February and then running 2nd to Mi Jubilee in the Group One Ellerslie Sires Produce Stakes at Ellerslie in March. Darci Brahma was sent to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

in June 2005 where he contested two races at Eagle Farm,

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

, finishing a creditable 4th over 1400 metres in the Queensland Sire Produce Stakes and then winning the Group One

T J Smith Thomas John Smith (3 September 1916 – 2 September 1998) was a leading trainer of thoroughbred racehorses based in Sydney, New South Wales. Inducted into the Australian Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in 2001 and elevated to Legend status in 2 ...

over 1600 metres producing a withering run from last on the turn to win by a length. These performances were sufficient to see Darci Brahma awarded the New Zealand Two Year Old of the Year Award for the 2004–05 racing season

2005–2006 season

After being turned out for a well earned rest, Darci Brahma resumed racing as a Three Year old in the 2005–06 season when ridden by Michael Walker he downed Dr Green in the Group 2

Hawke's Bay Guineas The Hawke's Bay Guineas is a major Thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand for three-year-old horses. In 2003 the stake was boosted to $100,000 and the race was moved to the first Saturday in October, meaning that it is run on the same day as the K ...

over 1400 metres in an Australasian record time of 1:19.97, following this up with further wins in the Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1500 metres) in October and the Group One

New Zealand 2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas is a Group One set-weight Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 1600 metres at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch New Zealand cup week The New Zealand 2000 Guineas is hel ...

(1600 metres) at Riccarton in November, winning this event by four lengths. After a spell, Darci Brahma tackled the older horses for the first time in the Group One Waikato Sprint at

Te Rapa Te Rapa is a mixed light industrial, large-scale retail and semi-rural suburb to the northwest of Hamilton Central, central Hamilton, New Zealand. It is built on a flat area that was previously the bed of an ancient river, the forerunner to the ...

in February 2006 where he was beaten into 2nd place by proven Weight For Age galloper Kristov. Three weeks later Darci Brahma turned the tables on Kristov by winning the Group One Otaki-Maori Weight for Age (1600 metres). He then travelled to Australia where he finished a creditable 2nd to Apache Cat in the Group One

Australian Guineas The Australian Guineas is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run at set weights, over a distance of 1600 metres at Flemington Racecourse, in Melbourne, Australia in March during the VRC Autumn Racing Car ...

at Flemington, 4th in the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill and at his first attempt over distance finished 8th in the Group One

Rosehill Guineas The Rosehill Guineas is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at set weights run over a distance of 2000 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia annually in March. Total prize money for t ...

(2000 metres) at Rosehill. Brought back to New Zealand to ready him for racing as a four-year-old, Darci Brahma was awarded the title of Three Year Old of The Year Award at the Mercedes Thoroughbred Awards evening in September 2006.

2006–2007 season

Darci Brahma started his 4 year old career in the first two races of the Hawkes Bay Triple Crown, finishing second to eventual Horse Of The Year Seachange in both races. His only other start in that campaign was a sixth in the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield. Resuming in the summer, Opie Bosson rode Darci Brahma won the Group 1

Telegraph Handicap The Telegraph Handicap is a Group One New Zealand horse race contested by the Wellington Racing Club at Trentham Racecourse in Upper Hutt. It was traditionally raced during the Wellington Cup carnival in mid-January, however from 2025 it has bee ...

Trentham Racecourse Trentham Racecourse is the main thoroughbred horse racecourse for the Wellington city area in New Zealand. It is located in the suburb of Trentham, New Zealand, Trentham in Upper Hutt, next to Trentham Military Camp. The races are conducted by t ...

followed by the Group 1

Waikato Sprint The Waikato Sprint currently run as the BCD Group Sprint is a Group One, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run at Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton in early February. It is currently held on the same day as the Group 1 New Zeala ...

, giving the stallion a total of five Group 1 wins. Days after his Waikato Draught Sprint win Darci Brahma injured himself in a workout and was announced retired.

Stud career

Darci Brahma stood as a stallion at The Oaks stud in Cambridge for a

stud fee Stud may refer to: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco * Th ...

of $15,000 and was a very successful sire. He retired from stud duties in 2023, having sired 13 individual

Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (motorsport), a regulation set of the FIA for series-production touring cars used in motorsport. * Group One Thoroughbred horse races, the leading e ...

winners.

Notable progeny

''c = colt, f =

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States ...

, g =

gelding A gelding (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɛldɪŋ/) is a castration, castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated Camelidae, camels. By compa ...

References