Darley’s young guns continue to fire

Dubawi and Shamardal record their 25th and 18th winners respectively

Europe’s leading first-season sires by number of winner and prize money respectively, Dubawi (pictured) and Shamardal, both added to their winners’ totals on 12 October when siring their 25th and 18th winners.

At Salisbury, Sheikh Hamdan’s homebred filly Qaraaba took the six-furlong fillies’ maiden to become the latest winner for Shamardal. Settled towards the rear of the field, John Dunlop’s charge made headway with two furlongs left to run and battled well close to home to win by a short head.

Qaraaba is out of the winning Unfuwain mare Mokaraba, a granddaughter of the outstanding Salsabil and hence from the family of fellow Darley stallion Echo Of Light.

Meanwhile over the same distance at Kempton, Cloud’s End led almost all the way to provide Dubawi with his quarter century of winners.

Bred by R T and Mrs Watson, Cloud’s End is out of the Indian Ridge mare Kangra Valley, making her a half-sister to G1-winning juvenile and high-class sprinter Airwave.