Shamardal and Dubawi both recorded juvenile black-type winners on Saturday while Cape Cross and King's Best were two more Darley stallions with Stakes winners to their names and Iffraaj further increased his lead at the head of Europe's first-season sires' table.
At Eagle Farm in Brisbane, Shamardal two-year-old Shamillion won the Listed Australia Post Stakes over 1400m (7f). Bred by Mr G J Fischl from the Redoute’s Choice mare One In A Million, the colt was making just his third start having finished runner-up on his first two racecourse outings.
A busy Saturday in the UK saw both Listed events on Newmarket’s July course fall to Darley-sired runners with Khor Sheed breaking her maiden in style by winning the Empress Stakes over six furlongs on her second start.
Trained by Luca Cumani for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, the daughter of Dubawi (pictured) was bred by Card Bloodstock and is a half-sister to the Prix d’Ispahan winner Prince Kirk.
The following race went the way of Laaheb, a Cape Cross four-year-old running in the colours of Sheikh Hamdan and out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Maskunah. The Darley-bred gelding won the Listed Seymour Stakes last season and has been placed twice this season in Stakes races.
Cape Cross had a double on the card at Newmarket with Seasonal Cross winning the mile handicap and he was also responsible for the runner-up in the Listed Midsummer Stakes at Windsor when the Marco Botti-trained Aldovrandi posted a game effort behind The Rectifier.
There was also success at Newmarket for the Godolphin debutant Zacynthus, who won the six-furlong maiden. Bred by Keatly Overseas Ltd, he is out of the Danehill Dancer mare Ziria and is the tenth winner for leading first-season sire Iffraaj.
In Germany, the final trial for the German Derby was won by the regally-bred King's Best colt Seventh Heaven, who is a half-brother to Schiaparelli and Samum, and shed his maiden tag in the 12-furlong Listed event.
Mark Of Esteem has been in retirement at Dalham Hall Stud for several years but his offspring continue to do him proud, such as Barney McGrew, now seven, who won the G3 Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle on Pitmen’s Derby day.
