Sir Hercules was purchased by Hercules Landford Rowley, the second Baron Langford of Summerhill in 1831 and was retired to Langford stud at Summer Hill in County Meath, Ireland. Initially he stood for a fee of £10 (). However, few Englishmen wished to breed their mares to him, and the young stallion was moved in 1832 to Rossmore Lodge at the Curragh. Sir Hercules was then sent to England in 1833 with the rest of Rowley's racing stud to be auctioned at Tattersalls. He was sold to America for 750 guineas, but it was decided that it was too late in the season to ship him overseas, and the stallion was resold to H.O. Weatherby.