Frankel’s Group 1-winning son Diego Velazquez to stand at Swettenham Stud

Swettenham Stud has secured the services of outstanding Frankel colt Diego Velazquez, who will shuttle to the Nagambie farm from 2026.

The Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois winner joins the Victorian stallion ranks, offering breeders access to one of Europe’s best milers.

A 2.4 million guineas yearling purchase, Diego Velazquez is out of the stakes-winning two-year-old Sweepstake and is a three-quarter brother to Group 1 winner Broome and Group 2 winner Point Lonsdale. 

Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Diego Velazquez burst onto the scene with a dominant debut win as a two-year-old before claiming the Group 2 Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown. He went on to win the Group 3 Meld Stakes by seven lengths and the Group 2 Solonaway Stakes, earning high praise from O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore.

“Ryan said he’s got all the class and all the speed in the world,” O’Brien said after the Solonaway victory. 

“He’s a very legitimate and desirable horse; determined, brave, and deserving of his Group 1.”

This year, Diego Velazquez added the Group 2 Minstrel Stakes and capped his career with a stirring win in the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, defeating four-time Group 1 winner Notable Speech under the Sangster family’s blue and green silks.

“He is a fast son of Frankel,” Sam Sangster said after the race. 

“But you can see that, physically, he’s all there, he’s all power and quite compact. Aidan said to me before the race that his trip is a mile, so we knew he had that little bit of stamina up his sleeve. But he’s quick, he’s genuine, he’s tough. He’s a beauty.”

Sangster described his colt as “the stamp of his father” and noted his rare consistency, having won at Group level in each of his three seasons of racing. 

“He’s done it across multiple seasons and was Classic-placed, which gives him great depth of form and longevity,” he said.

The Prix Jacques Le Marois has long been a stallion-making race, with past winners including Dubawi, Kingman and Palace Pier.

Before his arrival in Victoria, Diego Velazquez will serve his first northern hemisphere season at the English National Stud, where Toronado also began his career.

Swettenham Stud principal Adam Sangster said the stallion’s arrival fulfilled a long-held ambition for the farm.

“As an industry, we’ve all been waiting for a fast son of Frankel to stand in Australia,” he said. 

“To purchase the most precocious son of his generation who won the stallion-making European mile was a stroke of genius from my brother Sam.

“The victory certainly helped facilitate standing Diego Velazquez in Australia for Sam and his partners, as we at Swettenham are very selective in who we stand so that breeders can have the greatest chance of a return on investment.

“There’s a real sense of family pride in standing Diego Velazquez together with my brother Sam. We’ll be supporting him with quality mares both here and in the northern hemisphere.”

A Group winner at two, three and four, Diego Velazquez combines the class of his sire with the speed and durability prized by Australian breeders.

A service fee will be announced in due course.