Darley has released its stud fees for the upcoming breeding season, with Dubawi (Ire), who remains at £350,000 for the third consecutive year, retaining his position as the joint most expensive stallion standing in Europe alongside Frankel (GB).
This year Dubawi was responsible for a pair of British Classic winners in 2,000 Guineas scorer Notable Speech (GB) and Oaks heroine Ezeliya (Fr), plus Group-winning juveniles such as Ancient Truth (Ire) and Delacroix (Ire). Now 22, Dubawi covered 106 mares this season and is set to receive a reduced number again in 2025.
Of the other stallions based at Dalham Hall Stud, Too Darn Hot (GB) has had his fee increased to £90,000 from £65,000, while Kildangan Stud residents Night Of Thunder (Ire) and Blue Point (Ire) have also earned significant rises. Night Of Thunder, another 2,000 Guineas winner by Dubawi, will stand for €150,000 (from €100,000), while Blue Point is set to command a fee of €100,000 (from €60,000).
Too Darn Hot recently joined an elite group of stallions who have produced a Group 1-winning juvenile in each of his first two crops after Hotazhell (GB) emulated last year's Moyglare Stud Stakes winner, Fallen Angel (GB), by making the breakthrough at the top level in the Futurity Trophy. The son of Dubawi covered 160 mares this season.
Night Of Thunder, who received 130 mares in 2024, has had a stellar year on the racecourse with the likes of G1 Irish Champion Stakes winner Economics (GB), plus the exciting juvenile fillies Desert Flower (Ire) and Fairy Godmother (Ire). Desert Flower was unbeaten in four starts, culminating with a wide-margin victory in the G1 Fillies' Mile, while Fairy Godmother was last seen overcoming a troubled passage to win the G3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.
As for Blue Point, Rosallion (Ire) was his flagbearer with a pair of Group 1 wins in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes, with the speedy Big Evs (Ire), successful in the G2 King George Stakes, and Kind Of Blue (GB), the winner of the G1 Champions Sprint Stakes, heading a strong supporting cast. The leading first-season sire by number of winners in 2023, Blue Point covered 161 mares this season.
Pinatubo (Ire), who is currently tied at the top in the battle to be crowned leading first-season sire by number of winners this year, has had his fee at Dalham Hall reduced to £30,000 from £35,000. Earthlight (Ire), the sire of G3 Prix de Cabourg winner and G1 Cheveley Park Stakes runner-up Daylight (Fr) from his first crop, will command a fee of €12,500 (from €15,000) at Kildangan, alongside Ghaiyyath (Ire) whose first two-year-olds included the G3 Autumn Stakes runner-up Stanhope Gardens (Ire). He will stand for €20,000 (from €25,000).
Meanwhile, Native Trail (GB) (179 mares), Triple Time (Ire) (155) and Modern Games (Ire) (141) were all new to Darley for 2024 and received good support with three-figure books of mares. Modern Games and Triple Time remain unchanged at £30,000 and £10,000, respectively, while Native Trail has had his fee reduced slightly to €16,000 from €17,500.
Sam Bullard, Darley's director of stallions, said, “To have three stallions of the calibre of Blue Point, Night Of Thunder and Too Darn Hot is a source of immense pride to the whole team, particularly as they are sons of our own breed shapers Dubawi and Shamardal.
“Our roster provides breeders with a wealth of choices for their mares, from our proven sires to exciting young stallions and we look forward to showing them in the coming months.”
Darley's full list of European fees:
DALHAM HALL STUD, UK
- Dubawi (Ire) £350,000
- Too Darn Hot (GB) £90,000,
- Palace Pier (GB) £32,000
- Modern Games (Ire) £30,000
- Pinatubo (Ire) £30,000
- Cracksman (GB) £12,500
- Harry Angel (Ire) £10,000
- Iffraaj (GB) £10,000
- Triple Time (Ire) £10,000
- Perfect Power (Ire) £7,500
- Farhh (GB) PRIVATE
KILDANGAN STUD, IRELAND
- Night Of Thunder (Ire) €150,000
- Blue Point (Ire) €100,000
- Teofilo (Ire) €30,000
- Ghaiyyath (Ire) €20,000
- Native Trail (GB) €16,000
- Space Blues (Ire) €16,000
- Earthlight (Ire) €12,500
- Naval Crown (GB) €9,000
- Raven's Pass €7,500
FRANCE
- Victor Ludorum (GB) €15,000 – Haras d'Etreham
- Cloth Of Stars (Ire) €4,000 – Haras de Montaigu
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