Offspring of the mighty Dubawi netted a tally of seven victories, including a hat-trick scored by his leading son Postponed. From Meydan in March, via Epsom in June, to York in August, the five-year-old continued to excel and remains an exciting prospect for further glory in 2017.
Dubawi recorded a notable landmark in early October when his daughter Wuheida (pictured) became his first juvenile G1 winner when taking the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day. Running in the Godolphin blue and out of the G1 winner Hibaayeb (Singspiel), Wuheida is now a live Classic prospect for 2017.
Two weeks later, Dubawi was represented by his 26th G1 winner in total when Journey landed the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot. A day later, Erupt led home a Dubawi-sired 1-2 in the G1 Woodbine International in Canada with Her Majesty The Queen’s Dartmouth filling second place.
October was bookended by juvenile G1 winners for the Darley stallions. First-season sire Helmet also welcomed his first G1 winner, becoming the first European freshman sire to get a top-level winner when Thunder Snow triumphed in the G1 Criterium International at the end of the month.
Helmet ended his first European season with 16 winners of 28 races, including G3 pair Mur Hiba and Eqtiraan, and the Listed-placed Boater who was part of a double for her sire on the very first Saturday of the Flat season.
Also enjoying a first winner at the highest level was Fast Company, who joins the Darley roster at Kildangan Stud in 2017. His daughter Jet Setting recorded a stunning victory over subsequent multiple G1 winner Minding in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, which proved one leg of a memorable double for the stallion with G1-placed filly Devonshire landing the G2 Ridgewood Pearl Stakes on the same day.
Fellow Kildangan Stud stallion Shamardal enjoyed another stellar year, thanks in no small part to his daughter Speedy Boarding who won the G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet and then followed up in the G1 Prix de l’Opera on Arc day.
Shamardal was also represented by Godolphin’s Tryster, who landed the G1 Jebel Hatta in Dubai, plus Dariyan who won the G1 Prix Ganay.
Another exciting performer for Shamardal this year was talented juvenile Blue Point, whose success in the G2 Gimcrack Stakes gives plenty of hope for sprinting glory next year.
Teofilo also enjoyed global success with G1 winners in Australia, Dubai and France. Star miler Palentino got the ball rolling in March with his Australian Guineas victory, while later the same day, Special Fighter followed up for his sire in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3. Quest For More went on to round off the season for him in October with success in the Prix du Cadran at Longchamp.
Iffraaj was another to record G1 success in both hemispheres, with Turn Me Loose winning the G1 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield in February and Ribchester scoring in the Godolphin blue in the Prix Jacques les Marois in August. His daughter Nathra also narrowly missed out on making it a G1 hat-trick for her sire when runner-up in the French 1,000 Guineas.
New Approach too celebrated a G1 double in 2016, with Elliptique triumphing in the G1 Bayerisches Zuchtrennan, while Potemkin, who had finished third behind his paternal half-brother in that race, went on to land the G1 Premio Roma.
Fellow Epsom Derby winner Authorized was responsible for the highest-rated male performer in Australia this season courtesy of Hartnell, who won the G1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington as well as a brace of G2 victories.
Also in Australia, Flamberge triumphed in a pair of G1 contests for his sire Exceed And Excel, while Vazirabad added another G1 to his tally for his sire Manduro, as well as a further two G2 wins, including the Dubai Gold Cup on the Dubai World Cup night.
Away from the top-level successes, it was an exciting year for first-season sire Sepoy, who was represented by 20 individual winner including G1 Prix Marcel Boussac third Dabyah, as well as G3 heroine Kilmah and Stakes winner Baileys Showgirl.
With such an impressive tally of top-level victories over the past 12 months, 2016 was undoubtedly an outstanding year for the Darley stallions. With a number of hugely exciting prospects having already made their mark this year - some live Classic contenders - plus first runners for Dawn Approach, Epaulette and Farhh, there is of course plenty to look forward to for members of the Darley European stallion roster in 2017.
