As with many events this year, the TBA Flat Breeders’ Awards had to go virtual and this year’s winners were announced during an online ceremony on Thursday, 17 September.
The Darley stallions were to the fore once again, with Dubawi claiming the BBA Silver Cigar Box once again as leading British-based stallion by prize money. He also took the Barleythorpe Stud Silver Cup for leading British-based stallion by individual winners for an incredible seventh consecutive year.
Dubawi’s outstanding son Night Of Thunder, who has made such a tremendous impact with his first runners, was also honoured, taking the inaugural Special Merit Award in recognition of his exceptional winners to runners ratio with his first crop in 2019.
Night Of Thunder currently has an unrivalled 14 Black Type winners from his first crop, ensuring he has made the best start at stud since the Pattern began. His top performers include G2 Dante Stakes winner Thunderous and Jersey Stakes hero Molatham.
Godolphin took the Queen’s Silver Cup for leading British-based breeder by prize money.
A day later, there was further success for Dubawi, this time on the racecourse as he recorded a Stakes double on Friday, 18 September.
First was his daughter Fonthill Abbey, who ran out the impressive winner of the G3 Prix Bertrand de Tarragon at Chantilly.
The Godolphin homebred, who is trained by Andre Fabre, demonstrated a blistering turn of foot to win the nine-furlong contest more easily than the half-length margin would suggest and she is now likely to step up to G1 company with the Prix de l’Opera, the Sun Chariot or the Breeders’ Cup cited as potential targets.
Just hours later and this time at Newbury, Dubawi’s G2-winning son Glorious Journey added a fifth Stakes win to his record when landing the Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup, with his paternal half-brother D’Bai taking third in the same race.
Glorious Journey landed the G2 Hungerford Stakes at the Berkshire course last year and won the G2 Al Fahidi Fort at Meydan this January.
