Breeding Right In Blue Point To Be Auctioned On Darley Website

Another breeding right in Darley's standout first-season sire Blue Point (Ire), who is already fully booked for 2024, will be auctioned on their website on Wednesday, Dec. 13-14. The auction will begin at 10 a.m. UK time and run until 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14.

The son of Shamardal has been represented by 51 individual winners so far and is the sire of a pair of colts to strike at the highest level–G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere hero Rosallion (Ire), and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Big Evs (Ire). His tally of stakes winners stands at five, and he has an additional quintet of black-type performers led by GI Natalma S. third Dazzling Star (GB).

The 9-year-old's 2024 fee was listed at €60,000 at Kildangan Stud in Ireland.

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‘Golden’ Start To Dubai World Cup Carnival For Watson?

by Heather Anderson and J.N. Campbell

With New Year's celebrations firmly in the rearview, racing eyes turn to Dubai, as the $7.5-million Dubai World Cup Carnival kicks off at Meydan Racecourse. The DWCC culminates on Super Saturday, Mar. 4, the warmup for the $30.5-million Dubai World Cup card slated for Mar. 26. Of the seven races carded, five are black-type level and there are a quartet of stakes contests set to be decided in the desert on Friday.

Anchoring the action is the $250,000 G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 Presented by Zabeel Feed, where Golden Goal (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), one of five in the race for American ex-pat trainer Doug Watson, attempts to become the second owner of consecutive victories in the 1,600-metre affair after Le Bernardin (Bernardini) in 2016/17.

Also rated 105 is Watson's Everfast (Take Charge Indy), who was third in both the 2022 G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 and G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3. G3 Burj Nahaar hero Midnight Sands (Speightstown), rated 107, will take part as is Thegreatcollection (Saint Anddan), who won a listed and two other events in Dubai over the years.

Watson, who is aiming for his fourth victory in the race, said, “We have a cast of characters for the mile races. We're still hopeful with Midnight Sands and Golden Goal ran a great race last time. He only got beaten by four lengths and he always needs his first run for us. He's having a really nice season training and he'll be tough on the night.”

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Prince Eiji (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is another entry who appears poised for a big year for Watson, and he ran out a 1 1/4-length victor in the Listed Dubai Creek Mile over track and trip on December 1.

“What we liked about it most was that he was vying for the lead with Danyah, took back a little bit and then really grabbed the bit,” said Watson of Prince Eiji. “So we know he can come from off the pace and we learned a lot that night, plus he's strengthened up a lot this year.”

The quintet will not have an easy time of it, however, with Bhupat Seemar sending out Secret Ambition (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) to build on his 2021 G2 Godolphin Mile heroics among others.

Sire Dubawi On Global Stakes Cusp In Al Fahidi Fort

The internationally successful Charlie Appleby comes into the Dubai World Cup Carnival looking to win his fifth Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort S. in six years. He enters Godolphin's Noble Truth (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) and Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a well-bred four-year-old and six-year-old, respectively.

Both members of the home team are coming off of lay-offs with the former last seen winning impressively at Royal Ascot in the G3 Jersey S., while the latter ended up seventh at Ascot in the G3 Bengough S. in October. Darley's Dubawi, also represented in this race by Dubai Mirage (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), is one shy of 250 individual global stakes winners.

Not to be outdone, Shadwell looks to make its presence known with six-year-old Alfareeq (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). This experienced turf specialist knows Meydan well, especially since he won last year's G1 Jebel Hatta S. in fine style. He prepped for this spot with a second place finish in Abu Dhabi in a listed race December 4.

Other notable runners include French trainer Yann Barberot's Bouttemont (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) and Fast Raaj (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}). The latter will be making the surface switch from the Polytrack to the turf after he won his second consecutive race in Deauville on December 10, after being gelded earlier in the month.

Classy Switzerland Begins Shaheen Title Defense

Taking to the dirt for the G3 Dubawi S., the prep that offers automatic entry into the G1 Golden Shaheen on World Cup night, we find nine-year-old stalwart sprinter Switzerland (Speightstown) poised to turn back time in his search for more Dubai World Cup night glory as the defending champion. “Hopefully he's still got the spark; I think I can see it on the track in the mornings,” said his trainer Bhupat Seemar. “We got to know him better last season, we'd had him for a year by then, so we got to know his habits and his quirks which really helped.”

Ready to face him are a number of worthy challengers which includes Shadwell Stable's Mubakker (Speightstown), who has not been seen since last year's G2 Godolphin Mile, a race in which he finished fifth. His dam, Ready To Act, produced Prouver in 2020, a filly that sold for $310,000 as a Keeneland September yearling one year later; and a filly by Omaha Beach that brought $250,000 at the same sale in 2022.

A couple of local runners have been drawn in for this Group 3 opportunity, among them Mouheeb (Flatter), who won the Listed Al Garhoud Sprint on December 9 and he returns for Michael Costa. “He's quite a strong, robust horse and he showed he was quite sharp in his trackwork,” the trainer said about the five-year-old, who won G3 UAE 2000 Guineas in 2021. “It was so good to see him at Meydan; he really put his ears back and was determined to win.”

Listed Races Dot Carnival Card on Friday

The 2,410-metre Dubai Racing Club Classic, a turf handicap with $100,000 on the line, includes a trio of Charlie Appleby runners, namely, the group-placed Walk Of Stars (GB), who is another striving to give his sire Dubawi (Ire) 250 individual black-type winners.

Rounding out the Friday card is the 1,000-metre Listed Ertijaal Dubai Dash on the turf, that brings together a strong group of sprinters, including Godolphin's Man Of Promise (Into Mischief), who was third behind A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) in last year's G1 Al Quoz Sprint.

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Darley’s New Stallion Trio Have First Mares In Foal

Five-time Group 1 winner Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}), GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), and the Classic-winning Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) all have had their first mares scanned in foal, Darley Europe announced on Monday. Each stallion also has a full book. A crack miler, Palace Pier stands for £55,000 at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket. Also, a winner of the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, Space Blues commands €17,500 at Kildangan Stud in Ireland. Rounding out the trio, Victor Ludorum landed the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere as a juvenile and is based at Haras du Logis in France where his fee is €15,000.

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Dubawi Anchors Darley Europe Roster at £250,000

Dubawi (Ire) (Dubai Millennium {GB}) will stand for an unchanged fee of £250,000 at Dalham Hall Stud and anchors the 2022 roster for Darley Europe. His fee is the most expensive in Europe.

He enjoyed a notable success at the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships, with three winners in a single year, the first sire to reach that mark in the 37-year history of the Breeders' Cup. The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf went to Modern Games (Ire), Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Mile was won by new Kildangan Stud resident Space Blues (Ire) and Dubawi's trio was rounded out by the victory of Yibir (GB) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. In addition, Dubawi is the world's leading sire of group winners with 23 and stakes winners at 37.

A trio of new stallions will join the Darley Europe roster in 2022, with Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) leading the way at £55,000 at Dalham Hall. One of the most brilliant milers seen in recent years with five Group 1 victories to his name, the son of Kingman won the G1 St. James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot in 2020 and later scored a victory in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois. Kept in training in 2021, he added another trio of top-flight races-the G1 Lockinge S. at Sandown, Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne S. and a second edition of the Marois. The ultra-consistent bay retires with nine wins in 11 starts and $2,408,980 in earnings, rounded out by a neck second in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on QIPCO British Champions Day.

Making his debut at Kildangan Stud is Space Blues, fresh off his Breeders' Cup Mile win. Priced at €17,500, the son of Miss Lucifer (Fr) (Noverre) captured the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest in 2020 and also added the G1 Prix de la Foret prior to his Mile tally. He retires with a mark of 19-11-3-1 and $2,585,725 in earnings.

Undefeated as a juvenile including in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) progressed to take the G1 French 2000 Guineas at three. Out of Antiquities (GB) (Kaldounevees {Fr}), his fee will be €15,000 at Haras du Logis. He also took the G3 Prix Messidor as a 4-year-old and brings a mark of 14-5-0-5 and $864,838 to stud.

Dubawi's son Night of Thunder (Ire) sired a pair of Group 1 winners in 2021 and he will command €75,000, tops of the Kildangan Stud roster. Thundering Nights (Ire) won the GI Pretty Polly S., while Kukeracha (NZ) was in action Down Under in the G1 Queensland Derby. They are two of 12 2021 black-type winners for their sire, who also sired four other group winners this year, among them Suesa (Ire) and GIII Athenia S. winner Pocket Square (GB).

Standing at £45,000 in 2022 is Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at Dalham Hall. Flawless in a juvenile campaign that culminated in a victory in the G1 Dewhurst S., the bay backed up that form with another pair of Group 1 wins as a 3-year-old in the G1 Prix Jean Prat and G1 Sussex S. The son of Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) was also Classic placed with a runner-up performance in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas.

Esteemed sprinter Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) will stand for €40,000 at Kildangan. A dual winner of the G1 King's Stand S., the bay also won the G1 Diamond Jubilee and G1 Al Quoz Sprint. Both Too Darn Hot and Blue Point will have their first yearlings in 2022.

Three-time Group 1 winner Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) is expecting is first foals in 2022, and will stand for £35,000 at Dalham Hall. Also welcoming their first progeny in 2022 are the Kildangan duo of Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) at €25,000, a four-time top-level hero, and Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) at €18,000. The latter landed a pair of juvenile Group 1s in 2019-the Prix Morny and the Middle Park S.

Two stallions that celebrated black-type success with their first runners this season were Profitable (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}). The Kildangan residents will each stand for €12,500. The only stallion to receive a fee increase across the entire roster, Profitable sired 25 winners this year so far, and already has a group winner with G2 Queen Mary S. victress Quick Suzy (Ire). Ribchester has Listed Doncaster S. winner Flaming Rib (Ire) to date.

Dalham stalwarts and Group 1 sires New Approach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Iffraaj (GB) (Zafonic) are listed as private and £17,500, respectively. In Ireland, fellow Group 1 sire Teofilo (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will command €30,000. See below for the full 2022 Darley Europe roster.

Sam Bullard, Director of Stallions, said, “We are thrilled to be introducing three outstanding multiple Group 1 winners to a very strong roster, deep on quality and achievement. Following last year's three champion additions in Ghaiyyath, Earthlight and Pinatubo together with Blue Point and Too Darn Hot in 2020, we are confident of giving breeders every chance of benefitting from the wonderfully positive sales season we have just enjoyed.”

 

 

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