A round up of all the action for the Darley stallions over the past week
New talent
New Approach has already sired a British-leading six juveniles rated Timeform 100 or higher, but in the last week three more of his two-year-old sons marked themselves as ones to watch for next year.
In Japan, Jun Valerot remained unbeaten when landing the 2000m Kigiku Sho at Kyoto by three-quarters of a length. A valuable Open class contest, it was the same course and distance at which he made a successful debut last month and this close relative of Dawn Approach looks destined to be a force in the top three-year-old middle distance contests in 2018.
Thursday evening at Chelmsford was the location for a potentially very nice maiden. Two debutant sons of New Approach dominated as Photographer beat Godolphin’s Silverbook by just over a length with over two lengths back to the third. The Denford Stud homebred Photographer, who holds an entry in the 2018 Derby and is a “likeable, scopey colt”, has already been quoted for next season’s blue riband and has the potential to go to the top.
Another son of New Approach to break his maiden with the last seven days was Bow Street, a Godolphin homebred in training with Charlie Appleby. After showing promise on his debut at Kempton, he ran the excellent prospect Knight To Behold to a neck in a good conditions race at Newmarket before going back to his debut track to win with any amount in hand by nearly three lengths.
New Approach’s fee remains at £30,000 Oct 1, Special Live Foal for the 2018 season.
Iff at first you do succeed
In the space of half an hour at Bordeaux, two Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Iffraaj juveniles made stunning winning debuts.
First to salute the judge was Nobokhov, a colt bred by Eric Puerari, who had no trouble in beating his rivals by upwards of four lengths. Bought by his trainer for €90,000 as a yearling at Arqana, he was always prominent and when asked for his effort in the straight, ran right away from the field under a hand ride.
Not to be outdone, another Arqana graduate in Nuwaies was equally impressive in the fillies' division when easily winning by three lengths. Bought by connections for €250,000, she quickened clear in the straight to win in a time almost a second quicker than the colts.
Now sire of 18 two-year-old winners this season, Iffraaj will be standing in 2018 at a fee of £40,000, with his Champion son Ribchester retiring to Kildangan Stud in Ireland at an initial fee of €30,000, both Oct 1, Special Live Foal.
Debut delight in France
Two Kildangan stallions enjoyed excellent debut winners in the last week, both trained by France’s leading trainer Andre Fabre.
On Wednesday, 8 November, Mount Pelion, a son of Raven’s Pass, made a winning introduction at Chantilly on their synthetic surface. He is a son of the Classic-placed mare Sundrop, who has already produced a Stakes winner in Whitman (Poet’s Voice).
Three days later at Saint-Cloud, Musis Amica, a first-crop daughter of Dawn Approach (pictured), made the perfect introduction when winning by over a length on soft turf. She is a half-sister to Harland (Halling), who trained on to win the G2 Prix Eugene Adam as a three-year-old.
Dawn Approach, who has sired four Stakes performers in his first year, will stand at a fee of €20,000, with Raven’s Pass covering in 2018 at €10,000 (both Oct 1 Special Live Foal).
The Dubawi juveniles keep rolling
Dubawi reached 30 individual two-year-old winners for the season within the past seven days with George Villiers and Espadrille winning at Kempton and Zucchini taking her first start at Saint-Cloud.
Amongst this number are four Group winners, headed by G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Wild Illusion, unbeaten G3 Prix la Rochette winner Glorious Journey and the very impressive G3 Autumn Stakes hero Ghaiyyath.
Poet’s Delight
From the first-crop of Poet’s Voice, Poeta Diletto added another Stakes win to his record on Saturday, 11 November when he easily won the Listed Premio Chiusura. A star juvenile in his native Italy, he landed the G3 Italian 2,000 Guineas early last season before running with credit exclusively at Stakes level.
He struggled to find his form when transferred to England with Marco Botti earlier this season, but back under the care of Alduino Botti and still in the ownership of his breeders Scuderia Blueberry, he had little trouble in winning his third Black Type race by three lengths.
Poet’s Voice, who will stand the forthcoming at a fee of £6,000 Oct 1, Special Live Foal, has been enjoying an excellent season. Poetic Dream became his sire's second Classic winner of the year when taking the G2 German 2,000 Guineas, Poet’s Word was the easy G3 Glorious Stakes winner before running excellent seconds in both the Champion and Irish Champion Stakes and Voice Of Love took her Stakes haul to five with another two Group triumphs in Italy.
