They may be late, but they certainly aren't running behind... There have been no fewer than 20 Darley-sired G1 wins conceived off May or June covers - in the last five years alone - so there really is time to get your late-foaling mare booked in this season.
Two of this elite crew are now Darley stallions themselves, in Modern Games (foaled 17 April and pictured above at Dalham Hall Stud), who retired to stud as Dubawi's most prolific G1 winner having annexed the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, French Guineas, Woodbine Mile, Breeders' Cup Turf and the Lockinge during his outstanding career. His first foals are now on the ground and have been the subject of much admiration from breeders already.
The other young Darley sire to have been conceived off a late cover is Ghaiyyath (19 April), whose first crop are now three, with several Classic contenders among them. They are led by the unbeaten trio Mandanaba, Gethin and Al Uqba - all winners at two and all making successful seasonal reappearances. Ghaiyyath himself was of course a four-time G1 winner and dual Champion.
Another horse to have excelled at the highest level on multiple occasions is Nations Pride (Teofilo), born on 28 April. He has won G1 contests at three, four and five and added an eighth Stakes win to his record at the age of six this year when landing the G2 Singspiel Stakes at Meydan.
Two daughters of Night Of Thunder have made their mark felt 'despite' being later arrivals. Highfield Princess was an outstanding flagbearer for her sire, sprinting to victory in four G1 contests, while earlier this month Choisya continued her perfect 2025 campaign when following up her wins in the G2 Cape Verdi and G2 Balanchine at Meydan with success in the G1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland.
In recent years, many of the season’s major G1 contests have been won by horses foaled in April and beyond, including the July Cup, Prix Jean Prat, St James’s Palace Stakes, Prix de l’Abbaye, Middle Park, Prix Poule d’Essai de Pouliches, Diamond Jubilee, Nunthorpe, Dewhurst, Prix de la Foret, Prix du Moulins.
So it really isn’t too late for a last-minute booking and, even better, safe in the knowledge that being a late spring arrival is no hinderance to success at the very highest level.
If you have a late foaling mare that you would like to discuss, please call the nominations team on +44 (0)1638 730070 or +353 (0)45 527600.
