Darley first-season sire Shamardal opened his Black type winner’s account in impressive fashion on 26 July when his son Arctic posted an eye-catching performance to win the Listed Grangecon Stud Stakes, run over five furlongs at the Curragh.
The Tracey Collins-trained colt took the lead right from the start and drawing clear of his rivals a furlong from home, quickened impressively to win by five lengths from 7-4 favourite Sole Power. He is now unbeaten in two starts, having won on his racecourse debut earlier this month.
Arctic is out of the winning Shareef Dancer mare Shawaani, who is herself a half-sister to Singspiel's G3-winning son Songlark and multiple Stakes winner and G1 place-getter Blatant (Machiavellian).
Also on Sunday, King's Best recorded his twelfth Black type performer of the year when Sheikh Hamdan’s Khateeb won a competitive renewal of the Listed Pomfret Stakes at Pontefract. Settled off the early pace, Michael Jarvis’s charge quickened two furlongs out and taking the lead with a furlong left to run, won comfortably by a length and three quarters.
