A round up of all the action for the Darley stallions over the past week
Wonderful Wuheida
Dubawi’s daughter Wuheida, the unbeaten winner of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at two last year, may have missed her Classic campaign due to a stress fracture but has been wonderfully consistent since returning to the racecourse during Newmarket’s July meeting where she finished a very creditable second in the G1 Falmouth Stakes.
Wuheida has raced solely in G1 company this year and has never been out of the first four, but undoubtedly her finest performance to date came on Saturday as she stormed to victory in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Given a superb ride by William Buick, Wuheida sat in the box seat for much of the nine-furlong contest and getting first run at the final turn, simply could not be caught once she hit the front and won more easily than the one-length margin would suggest.
Wuheida provided Buick with his first Breeders’ Cup winner and trainer Charlie Appleby with his second, following Outstrip’s victory in the Juvenile Turf four years ago.
Her victory was also a remarkable eighth at the highest level for Dubawi, who even by his stratospheric standards has enjoyed a truly outstanding year.
New Approach at the double
A busy weekend of racing saw New Approach record a European Stakes double, kicked off on Saturday by two-year-old filly Hadith, who ran out the ready winner of the Listed Montrose Fillies’ Stakes on the final day of racing of 2017 on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile.
Making all, as she had when winning her maiden in October (pictured), the Godolphin filly took the step up in class in her stride and the manner of her victory suggests she will stay further next year.
The double was completed on Sunday when Veneto recorded a gutsy win in the G3 Niederrhein Pokal at Krefeld in Germany. The four-year-old colt was the only runner to move across to the far side of the track coming down the back straight and it was a move which proved decisive as when he re-joined the field, he was some four lengths in front.
Veneto was hard pressed close to home but kept finding and eventually won the ten-furlong contest by three lengths.
The Raven’s fly
Not wishing to be outdone, Raven’s Pass was also responsible for two new Black Type winners at the weekend.
His Japanese-bred son Tower Of London was hugely impressive when flying home late at Tokyo to win the G2 Keio Hai Nisai.
The two-year-old colt now boasts three wins and a second from his four starts and could well be an exciting prospect for next year.
Also one to look forward to for 2018 is Tocco d’Amore, who took the last Stakes race of the Irish flat season, easily winning the Listed Finale Stakes at Naas.
The lightly-raced filly, who cost €2 million as a yearling, won the 12-furlong contest by three lengths and no doubt her connections will been keen to see her race at a higher level still next year.
Raven’s Pass was also responsible for winning debutant It’s Two O Clock, who easily landed the five-furlong maiden at Dundalk. He could be another one to keep an eye on next year.
Super Saturday for Authorized
All eyes will be on Authorized’s multiple G1 winner Hartnell on Tuesday when he bids to become the first winner of the Melbourne Cup for Godolphin. However, he is by no means the only top-class performer for his sire, who recorded no fewer than three Black Type winners on Saturday.
His son Maygrove notched his fourth Stakes win in the Listed Fielding Gold Cup at Awapuni, New Zealand, adding to his two G2 victories.
Also in the southern hemisphere, Pounamu opened his Stakes account when sweeping to the front in the G3 Asian Beau Stakes at Ascot, Australia.
Later the same day, Authorized’s daughter Permission (pictured) added a well-deserved first Black Type win to her record, battling superbly close to home to defeat multiple Group winner Air Pilot.
Further success for first-season sires
While the season may be drawing to a close, there are still plenty of two-year-old races to be won and both Dawn Approach (pictured) and Farhh added to their winners’ tally at the weekend.
Farhh’s Elegiac posted an eye-catching victory at Newcastle on Friday evening, making all to win the one-mile contest by no fewer than six lengths.
A day later, Perfect Thought (Dawn Approach) employed similar tactics with a front-running win over seven furlongs at Newmarket.
Both stallions have made promising starts to their stud careers, with Farhh siring G3 Acomb Stakes winner Wells Farhh Go and fellow Stakes winner Fa Ul Sciur, while Dawn Approach has no fewer than four Black Type performers to his name.
