With the 2008 foaling season now getting into full swing, two more Darley stallions have recently welcomed the arrival of their first foals.
The first foal by Champion three-year-old and outstanding older horse Shirocco (pictured), a dark bay colt, was born at Lady Clague’s Newberry Stud on 14 January and stud groom Pat Murtagh was said to be very pleased with him. He is the first foal out of the winning Sadler’s Wells mare, So Well Red, who is herself a half-sister to dual G3 winner Redstone Dancer and G2-placed Listed winner Red Liason. The foal’s third dam is Red Comes Up – a full-sister to Rainbow Quest.
Shirocco was exceptionally well supported during his first season at stud, with no fewer than 30 producers of Black type winners and a further 50 Black type performers visiting him at Dalham Hall last year.
A day later, Layman's first foal arrived at Haras de Hoguenet in Normandy. The bay filly, out of four-time winner Blushing Mary (Nashwan), was described by stud manager Yvon Baudouin as being, “a big strong very attractive filly with good bone”. Blushing Mary, who is out of a half-sister to UAE-bred G3 winner Campsie Fells, is due to visit Sulamani this year.
Champion two-year-old in France, Layman won the G3 Prix de Cabourg by five lengths and after finishing second to Divine Proportions in the G1 Prix Morny, he returned at three to break Salisbury’s track record when landing the G3 Sovereign Stakes. By sire of sires Sunday Silence (whose son Divine Light sired this year's second-highest rated juvenile filly Natagora), Layman is from the family of fellow Darley stallions Cape Cross and Iffraaj. He stands at Haras du Logis at a fee of €5,000 October 1st terms
