Darley

The stallions we reach today are the first actually to have given some initial clue as to their ability to replicate those assets that earned them a place at stud. True, only their most precocious stock have so far tested the water and it should be obvious that limited conclusions can be drawn from so small a sample of their work. But we know the apathy of commercial breeders about producing racehorses. So long as they maximize their value as yearlings, the rest is gravy. That's why they get behind...

We kicked off our annual Value Sires series earlier this week with a look at the new class of sires entering stud in 2021, and today we move on to the group with their first foals set to hit the ground in the coming months. While it is not always a straightforward task to pinpoint value in unproven sires, the ripple effects of the global pandemic make the exercise a little more interesting this year. While it has become the norm for some young sires to get fee cuts in...

The calendar has turned at last, with likely many more than usual looking for a fresh start in a new year. Even outside the midst of a global pandemic, the excitement of a new sire crop typically provides plenty of reason for excitement and optimism, despite the fact the very few of the 30-something young pretenders preparing to stand their first seasons in the UK, Ireland and France will truly 'make it.' But isn't that the point? Those made of thick enough stuff to be involved in the breeding and...

The Darley Europe roster, featuring new stallions Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}-Nightime {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal-Lava Flow {Ire}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) and Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal-Winters Moon {Ire}, by New Approach {Ire}), has been announced. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, most fees have been reduced, some by 25% or more. Leading the overall roster is veteran Dubawi (Ire) (Dubai Millennium {GB}), who will stand for £250,000 at Dalham Hall Stud. The sire of four Group 1 winners this year along, including the brilliant MG1SW Ghaiyyath, his progeny have...

Ralph Beckett trainee Lullaby Moon (GB) (Belardo {Ire) bagged two of her first three outings before hitting the board in Ayr's Sept. 19 G3 Firth of Clyde Fillies' S. and broke through for a first black-type success in Redcar's Oct. 3 Listed Two-Year-Old Trophy last time. Sent postward as the 11-10 odds for Saturday's G3 Prix Miesque at Chantilly, she overcame a troubled passage to justify favouritism and earn a career high in the seven-furlong contest. The eventual winner was swiftly into stride and on the lead early, but was...

Stud fees have been announced for Darley's U.S. stallions in 2021, with leading sire Medaglia d'Oro set to stand for $150,000. He stood the 2020 season for $200,000. He is currently the number one yearling sire in North America by both average and median and was represented by four million dollar-plus offerings in 2020, the same number he was represented by in 2019. "These are trying times breeders are facing," said Darley Sales Manager Darren Fox. "We gave great consideration to this when setting our fees to reflect the economic...

Haras de la Gousserie's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac placegetter Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) displayed no ill effects after her effort tackling ParisLongchamp's one-mile strip earlier in the month and knuckled down to register a first stakes success in Tuesday's G3 Prix des Reservoirs over the same distance at Deauville. The Cedric Rossi trainee had opened up with victories over seven furlongs at Chantilly and Saint-Cloud before dropping to fifth in the Aug. 1 G3 Prix Six Perfections and then running third in a Sept. 1 Lyon-Parilly conditions heat in her...

Four-time Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}-Nightime {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) has been retired from racing after exhibiting muscle soreness. He will stand at Darley's Kildangan Stud next year. Bred by the Weld family's Springbank Way Stud, Ghaiyyath was a standout from the start being out of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Nightime. He cost Godolphin €1.1-million at the 2015 Goffs November Foal Sale and showed promise soon after joining trainer Charlie Appleby, breaking his maiden at second asking at two before taking the G3 Autumn S. Ghaiyyath...

Not content to rest on her laurels, rider-of-the-moment Hollie Doyle claimed a career-best success when guiding last month's G1 Haydock Sprint Cup runner-up Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) to a dramatic success in Saturday's Qipco British Champions Sprint S. at Ascot. Hambleton Racing Partnership's veteran chestnut, who had previously claimed a first pattern-race triumph in The Curragh's Aug. 8 G3 Phoenix Sprint S., broke like greased lightning from the gates and was in command under a tight hold until allowed a measure of rein at halfway. Looking certain to be...

Godolphin's dual Group 1-winning juvenile Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal-Winters Moon {Ire}, by New Approach {Ire}) has been retired from racing and will stand at Kildangan Stud in 2021. Bred by Godolphin out of its G1 Fillies' Mile third Winters Moon-a half-sister to two Group 1 winners--Earthlight went unbeaten in five starts last year at two for trainer Andre Fabre. He took the G3 Prix de Cabourg at third asking before reeling off victories in the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S., the latter over subsequent G1 Commonwealth Cup victor...

Last year's champion 2-year-old Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal-Lava Flow {Ire}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) has been retired from racing and will stand next year at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket. Pinatubo was rated the best European 2-year-old in a quarter century last year off an unbeaten six-race campaign for owner/breeder Sheikh Mohammed and trainer Charlie Appleby that culminated with wins in the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S.-by nine lengths--and the G1 Darley Dewhurst S., and had earlier included scores in Royal Ascot's Listed Chesham S. and Glorious Goodwood's G2 Qatar...

Paul and Clare Rooney's Isabella Giles (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) registered a pair of six-furlong wins--at Leicester in June and at Newbury in July--but lost her unbeaten tag when fourth in Ascot's July 26 G3 Princess Margaret S. before bouncing back to claim a first black-type score for her freshman sire (by Lope de Vega {Ire}) in Goodwood's Aug. 29 G3 Prestige S. when upped to seven furlongs last time. Aided by a strong tailwind over the same distance in Friday's G2 Shadwell Rockfel S. at Newmarket, the 11-5 chance continued...