The talented four-year-old Diego Velázquez will take up stallion duties at the National Stud at the end of the season having been purchased by Sam Sangster Bloodstock on behalf of a high-profile syndicate.

A winner of the Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown as a two-year-old, Diego Velázquez has proven himself a high-class operator throughout his career, recording victories in the Meld Stakes and Solonaway Stakes as a three-year-old before returning to the winners' enclosure for the first time this season with a gutsy success in the Minstrel Stakes.

The striking son of Frankel will remain in training with Aidan O'Brien for the remainder of the 2025 season, but he will race in the well-known Sangster colours.

Sam Sangster said: "He is a horse that leaves little to the imagination he is the stamp of his father and a top-class racehorse to match.

"He's done it at Group 2 level across three seasons and was Classic-placed, which gives him a rare depth of form and longevity."

Although out of luck in Group 1 company thus far, Aidan O'Brien's classy colt did finish a close-up fourth behind Metropolitan in last year's Poule d'Essai des Poulains (Gr.1) at Longchamp.

Diego Velázquez remains one of ten horses in contention for Sunday's Prix Jacques Le Marois, with Sangster confirming the Deauville Group 1 as his next port of call.

He added: "The Jacques Le Marois is the immediate target, and from there we have a number of exciting Group 1 races to consider, we are in world-class hands in that respect.

"He'll be running in the Sangster family colours, which will be one for the old romantics and it is very exciting that is for sure.

"It will be a very exciting weekend for us with Rashabar running in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano on Saturday and Christophe Soumillon is booked to ride both.

"With the strength of the ownership group and The National Stud behind him, this horse has every chance of being a major success both on the track and at stud we believe he will be very well received by European breeders.

"We've been on the hunt for a horse like this for some time, and I'd like to thank the team at Coolmore for giving us the opportunity to get involved with a colt of his calibre."

Diego Velázquez will join the stallion roster at The National Stud for the 2026 breeding season, with further details to be announced in due course.