Darley

Newly crowned Australian champion first-season sire Too Darn Hot (GB) may not be shuttling to Australia this year but he will still be covering a number of mares to southern hemisphere time in Newmarket. Those to be visiting the son of Dubawi (Ire) at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud include a sextet from Anthony Mithen and Ryan McEvoy's Rosemont Stud in Victoria. "We are actually sending more mares to him than we would've had he shuttled," said Mithen. Three of that group, who are all currently in foal to the Aga...

Juddmonte's homebred 3-year-old Lead Artist (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}--Obligate {GB}, by Frankel {GB}) hit the board behind the reopposing Al Musmak (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in last month's Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket and made a smooth transition up to pattern-race level with a polished display in Friday's G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood. The John and Thady Gosden trainee, sent postward at odds of 9-2, was swiftly into stride from the inside gate and gained an immediate lead. Unflustered on the front end shaken up with 2...

Shadwell's homebred Listed Cathedral Stakes victrix and G3 Summer Stakes sixth Raqiya (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}--Rihaam {Ire}, by Dansili {GB}) flashed past the post a head adrift of Jabaara (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) in Wednesday's G3 Visit Qatar Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood, but was awarded the seven-furlong distaffers' heat in the stewards' room after that rival was deemed to have caused interference in the closing stages. The Owen Burrows trainee, sent postward as a 7-1 chance, found a smooth rhythm along the fence in a handy third through...

Darley's Too Darn Hot (GB) has been crowned as the Champion Australian First Season Sire by earnings, becoming the first British-bred stallion to achieve that feat. Too Darn Hot was represented by 12 individual winners of 18 races from 41 runners. His progeny earned a total of A$4,151,305, with his standout performer, Broadsiding (Aus), contributing A$1,944,675. Broadsiding's victories included the G1 Champagne Stakes and G1 J J Atkins, while Arabian Summer (Aus) was another flagbearer for Too Darn Hot as the winner of the Listed Magic Millions National 2YO Classic,...

Newtown Anner Stud's homebred Darnation (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}--Monday Monday {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) will make a second visit to Dusseldorf this Sunday--for an enticing renewal of the €500,000 166th G1 Henkel-Preis der Diana (German Oaks)--and May's G2 German 1000 Guineas heroine is set to encounter 15 rivals as part of a fully subscribed cast of 16 in the Grafenberg venue's 11-furlong annual highlight. The Karl Burke-trained G3 Prestige Stakes and G2 May Hill Stakes winner ran second when stepping up to 10 furlongs for Newcastle's G3 Hoppings Stakes...

Lumbered with a five-pound penalty for his G1 Lockinge Stakes victory, Cheveley Park Stud's 5-year-old gelding Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}--Ladyship {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) was just too good for his rivals and surged to an impressive four-length triumph in Tuesday's G2 HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. The homebred bay, who finished last of six last year, was let go at generous odds of 4-1 coming back off a fifth in Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne Stakes and stalked the pacesetting Art Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire})...

Patrice Cottier trainee Daylight (Fr) (Earthlight {Ire}--Latita {Fr}, by Silver Frost {Ire}) backed up a May 2 debut score at Chantilly with a third back there in June's G3 Prix du Bois and rebounded in style to register a first black-type score for her freshman sire (by Shamardal) in Sunday's G3 Prix de Cabourg at Deauville. The 29-10 third choice was swiftly into stride and stalked the pacesetting Naana's Diamond (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}) in second through halfway. Coming under pressure approaching the quarter-mile marker, she quickened to the fore...

Harry Sweeney is one of Irish racing's finest exports. A qualified vet, he has been based in the Far East for 35 years, where he operates from the world renowned Paca Paca Farm as well as holding the position of President at Darley Japan.  From big-money pinhooks to sleepless nights after some frightening losses, breeding Japanese Derby winner Deep Brilliante and how he engineered a plan to be granted an owner's licence in the country, Sweeney makes for a fascinating and entertaining Q&A.  The Marco Polo of Irish racing sat...

Newmarket's G1 July Cup card began in style when Godolphin's hitherto unraced Desert Flower (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Promising Run, by Hard Spun) powered away from nine rivals to earn a 'TDN Rising Star' rosette in Saturday's £21,000 Rossdales British EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes over seven furlongs. The homebred daughter of four-time Group 2 victrix Promising Run (Hard Spun) was a touch hesitant at the break and chased the leaders in fourth through the initial fractions. Nudged along soon after passing halfway, the 5-2 second favourite bounded to the fore...

The Darley stallions Victor Ludorum (GB) and Cloth Of Stars (Ire) will be standing at Haras d'Etreham and Haras de Montaigu respectively from 2025. Darley's French-based sires have long stood at Julian Ince's Haras du Logis in Louvieres in Auge, Normandy, but Ince has decided to concentrate his business on his own broodmare band and boarding mares for clients after more than a quarter of a century in the stallion game. He said, "Firstly, I would like to thank Sheikh Mohammed and the Darley team for all the help and...

Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' and G1 Futurity Trophy hero Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}--Golden Valentine {Fr}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) had yet to fire on all cylinders this year and bounced back from an eighth in last month's G1 Derby to regain the winning thread in Thursday's G3 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket. The 6-4 favourite went forward to assume control after the initial strides of this 13-furlong test. Holding sway thereafter, he was asked to stretch with three furlongs remaining and kept finding for pressure inside the final quarter-mile to comfortably...

Godolphin's hitherto unraced Shadow Of Light (Ire) (Lope De Vega (Ire}--Winters Moon {Ire}, by New Approach {Ire}), a homebred three-parts brother to dual Group 1-winning sire Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), shed maiden status at the first attempt with a one-length victory in Thursday's Weatherbys EBF Maiden Stakes at Great Yarmouth. 2nd-Great Yarmouth, £9,950, Mdn, 7-4, 2yo, 6f 3yT, 1:13.60, gd. SHADOW OF LIGHT (GB) (c, 2, Lope De Vega {Ire}--Winters Moon {Ire} {G1SP-Eng}, by New Approach {Ire}) broke on the front end and accepted a lead in fourth after the initial...