Paradise Stakes victory for son of Dubawi

GM Hopkins makes a perfect seasonal debut at Ascot

Dubawi’s son GM Hopkins, winner of last year’s Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot’s Royal meeting, made a successful return to the Berkshire course on 27 April when running out the ready winner of the Listed Paradise Stakes.

Held up in mid division under Ryan Moore during the early stages of the one-mile contest, John Gosden’s charge came with a perfectly-timed run once entering the final furlong and under hands and heels, took the lead close to home and won by three-quarters of a length.

GM Hopkins was bred by Scea des Boissons and Earl Ecurie Haras du Cadran and is out of the Stakes-placed Lomitas mare Varsity, herself a half-sister to Halling’s Stakes-winning daughter Renowned. They are from the family of Mark Of Esteem.

Dubawi has now sired eight individual Stakes winners so far this year and a further five horses who have been placed at Black type level. They are headed by Postponed, who added a second G1 victory to his record on Dubai World Cup night and G2 winner Safety Check, due to line up in this Sunday’s G1 Champions’ Mile in Hong Kong.