Darley

Godolphin's Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}--Golden Valentine {Fr}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) turned heads when selling for €2-million at last year's Arqana August fixture, and he was back in the limelight with a highly polished debut display in Friday's GPW Recruitment Carl Foster Memorial EBF Novice S. at Haydock. The well-supported 6-5 favourite hit the line powerfully and finished clear of Under The Sun (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), attaining 'TDN Rising Star' status in the seven-furlong heat with an impressive five-length triumph. Ancient Wisdom settled into a comfortable rhythm behind the...

Multiple Group 1 winner Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) will not return to Darley Australia this year, Darley announced via Twitter. "In the horse's best interest, Palace Pier will not shuttle to Australia for the 2023 Southern Hemisphere season," the organisation tweeted. "It is expected that he will return for the following season." A winner of five Group 1 races, Palace Pier has stood for two seasons in the Northern Hemisphere and his first foals arrived this spring. Based at Dalham Hall Stud in England, his 2023 fee is £50,000....

Though trainer Christophe Clement had to scratch his expected morning-line favorite from this event, he had more than enough talent waiting in the wings as Queen Picasso (GB) (Kingman {GB}), off a debut victory at Gulfstream Apr. 5, made it two-for-two with a win in the GIII Soaring Softly S. Unveiled around two turns in south Florida, the half-sister to G1SW Acclaim (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) had already proven her affinity for the grass while her main rival, race-time favorite Lady Beth (Hard Spun), was forced to debut over the all-weather...

Dalham Hall Stud resident Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when Karl Burke trainee Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}--Agnes Stewart {Ire}, by Lawman {Fr}) made a winning debut going just under seven furlongs in Friday's Oakmere Homes Supporting Macmillan Fillies' Novice S. at Haydock. Tracking the leaders in third for the most part, the 9-4 favourite was angled into a clear lane approaching the quarter-mile marker and kept on strongly once launching her challenge entering the final furlong...

GISW Discreet Cat (Forestry-Pretty Discreet, by Private Account) has been euthanized due to the infirmities of old age at Darley's Hokkaido base. He was 20. Trained by Saeed bin Suroor for Godolphin (having been acquired after breaking his maiden in impressive 'TDN Rising Star'-style at Saratoga at two), Discreet Cat chalked up five straight victories during an unbeaten 3-year-old campaign. He commenced with a pair of wins at Nad Al Sheba, including a six-length romp in the G2 UAE Derby. Upon returning to the US, he went on to win...

Godolphin's Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}--Voice Of Truth {Ire}, by Dubawi {Ire}) does not possess a ticket for next month's G1 Oaks, but qualifies to be one of the first in line for the supplementary stage after a stylish victory in Saturday's Listed Fitzdares Oaks Trial at Lingfield. She had yet to make a start on the turf and continued that trend after the day's stakes contests were switched to the track's synthetic surface. The homebred chestnut, untested as a juvenile, followed up a Feb. 13 debut third tackling an...

Cheveley Park Stud's Sacred (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}--Sacre Caroline, by Blame) had failed in three prior attempts at Group 1 level, but top-table options remain open after she collected a third pattern-race triumph in Saturday's recalibrated G3 Fitzdares Chartwell Fillies' S. at Lingfield. She was making her first start on a synthetic surface here and 2021's G3 Nell Gwyn S. and G2 Hungerford S. victrix returned to action for this seven-furlong heat coming back off a second over the same trip in October's G2 Challenge S. at Newmarket. Sacred...

A quintet of black-type races for fillies in Ireland will gain financial backing from Darley this season in the latest announcement in the operation's refocusing of its sponsorship portfolio. The races, which all receive increases in prize-money to between €55,000 and €75,000, are the Listed Kooyonga S. at Navan, the G3 Munster Oaks at Cork, the G3 Brownstown S. at Fairyhouse, the Listed Hurry Harriet S. at Gowran Park, and the Curragh's Listed Brigid's Pastures S. Darley's director of stallions Sam Bullard said, "For many years Darley has supported the...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Belouni (Fr) (Fast Company {Ire}) in the Woodhaven S. at Aqueduct.   Belouni Finds His Haven at Aqueduct Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Michael Kisber and William Rucker's Belouni ran out a 1 1/2-length winner of Aqueduct's Woodhaven S. last Saturday (video). The son of Vienna View (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) was making his second U.S. start. Bred by Le Thenney and offered by Arcadia...

The market has reacted to the blistering start Blue Point (Ire) has had with his two-year-olds with the Kildangan-based stallion trimmed into 5-6 favouritism for first-season sire honours with Fitzdares.  Blue Point is operating at a 50 per cent strike-rate, with four winners on the board already in Britain and Ireland, as well as another in France. He has also enjoyed notable success with his offspring in the sales ring at the domestic breeze-up sales.  The in-demand youngster leads Ten Sovereigns (Ire), whose only runner in Britain and Ireland was...

Late in the day, a colt by Harry Angel (Ire) (lot 191) brought £500,000 from Michael O'Callaghan to take the lead at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale at Doncaster. The price is a new record for the sale. Consigned by Tally-Ho Stud, the chestnut colt is a son of Listed Stonehenge S. winner Go Angellica (Ire) (Kheleyf), herself a half-sister to stakes winner Brendenbury (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). Another half-sister produced dual group winner Twilight Jet (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}). The colt was a €38,000 purchase out of the...

There was high drama at the beginning of Saturday's G3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham S. at Newbury when Frankie Dettori parted company with G1 Dewhurst S. hero and leading G1 2000 Guineas contender Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) upon exiting the stalls, which allowed Manton Thoroughbreds VII's reopposing Dewhurst seventh Isaac Shelby (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Kentucky Belle {Ire}, by Heliostatic {Ire}) a free run to make all for a second pattern-race triumph in the seven-furlong feature. Last term's G2 Superlative S. victor was swiftly into stride, away...