Dark Angel (horse)

Dark Angel
Racing silks of Mrs J M Corbett & Chris Wright
Sire	Acclamation
Grandsire	Royal Applause
Dam	Midnight Angel
Damsire	Machiavellian
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	4 April 2005
Country	United Kingdom
Colour	Grey
Breeder	Yeomanstown Stud
Owner	Mrs J M Corbett & Chris Wright
Trainer	Barry Hills
Record	9: 4-1-0
Earnings	£341,306
Major wins
St Leger Yearling Stakes (2007) Mill Reef Stakes (2007) Middle Park Stakes (2007)

Dark Angel (foaled 4 April 2005) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He raced only as a two-year-old, winning four of his nine races including the St Leger Yearling Stakes, Mill Reef Stakes and Middle Park Stakes. He was retired to stud as a three-year-old and became a very successful breeding stallion.

Dark Angel is a grey horse bred in Ireland by the County Kildare based Yeomanstown Stud. He was from the first crop of foals sired by Acclamation, a high-class sprinter who won the Diadem Stakes in 2003. The best of his other progeny was Equiano, a dual winner of the King's Stand Stakes. Dark Angel's dam Midnight Angel was an unraced daughter of Machiavellian. She was a female-line descendant of the Irish Oaks winner Agars Plough, the ancestor of many other major winners including Halling, Mastery and Balla Cove.

During his racing career Dark Angel was owned by Mrs J M Corbett & Chris Wright and was trained by Barry Hills at Lambourn in Berkshire. He was ridden in all of his races by his trainer's son Michael.

Dark Angel began his racing career by finishing second to Spirit of Sharjah in a race over five furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse on 18 April. Three weeks later at Chester Racecourse he started 2/5 favourite for a maiden race over the same distance and recorded his first success, taking the lead a furlong out and winning by two lengths from Eileen's Violet. The colt was then stepped up in class for the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and finished unplaced behind Drawnfromthepast. On 12 July Dark Angel started a 20/1 outsider for the July Stakes at Newmarket. He led until the final furlong before finishing fourth behind Winker Watson, River Proud and Swiss Franc, beaten just over two lengths by the winner. On his next appearance the colt started 5/2 favourite in a twenty-runner field for the £300,000 St Leger Yearling Stakes at York Racecourse on 23 August. He tracked the leaders before going to the front two furlongs out and won by two lengths from the Richard Hannon, Sr.-trained Gypsy Baby with Drawnfromthepast unplaced.