Alibi
has turned the spotlight on Danehill stallion Darci Brahma after winning the
first two legs of the Singapore four-year-old challenge.
The entire bred by Terry and Vicki Pascoe will attempt a clean sweep of the
triple crown when he lines up in the S$1,150,000 Emirates Singapore Derby on
July 9.
It is the second richest domestic race for the Island nation, just S$200,000
behind the Singapore Gold Cup.
A win would also help Darci Brahma retain his crown as Singapore's champion
sire. The Oaks Stud stallion has reigned supreme in recent years, winning the
title in four of the last five seasons.
"He's got a fantastic record up there in Singapore," The Oaks Stud general manager
Rick Williams said. "They definitely have a great strike rate there.
"He's having a really good run in Hong Kong too. The Darci Brahmas suit the
stable environment, but they tend to suit most environments. He's a really good
all round sire."
The rising 15-year-old stallion is set to serve about 120 mares this coming
season.
"He is perceived as an older stallion now. We don't expect to get more than
120, but that's a good number for him. He served that number last year and we
are happy with that amount."
Another horse flying the flag for Darci Brahma in Singapore is the Stephen
Gray-trained runner Darc Bounty. The gelding made it three wins in a row on
Friday night at Kranji when he ran down Cadet to win by a length in the
S$80,000 Kranji Stakes.
"He
runs times this horse. Glen Boss gave me very good feedback on him at his last
win," Gray said.
"He's only a wee horse and we had to look after him. He hasn't raced for seven
weeks. It's very satisfying to see him win three in a row and for his owner
Elaine Chen, who is a verylovely lady."
Another New Zealand Bloodstock sales graduate, Darc Bounty was bought by Chen
for $100,000 at the NZB 2015 Premier Yearling Sale.
Two further progeny added additional international flavour to Darci Brahma's
week.
Lucky Wan Feng, known as Parallel Universe in New Zealand, scored a
comfortable half-length victory at Happy Valley racecourse in Hong Kong on
Wednesday, while former Hong Kong runner Riyadh won the David Bourke Provincial
Plate at Flemington on Saturday.
Riyadh
was purchased out of Little Avondale's 2011 NZB Premier Yearling Sale draft for
$100,000 by Paul Beamish and began racing in Hong Kong in 2012. Lucky
Wan Feng was bought
by Regal Farm out of Curraghmore's NZB 2013 National Weanling sale draft for
$85,000.
Meanwhile, looking to the future Williams said he has some of the best fillies
he feels he has had coming on as late two-year-olds, including a daughter of Darci
Brahma and the top race mare Seachange.
"I've got four or five Darci Brahma fillies, all rising three, that are some of
the best fillies I've had in work," he said. "So hopefully it will be a good spring
for The Oaks racing team."
Williams said the Seachange filly will likely trial at Te Teko next Tuesday and
will then be aimed at the Gr.1 One Thousand Guineas in November.
"Her dam won it and Darci Brahma won the Gr.1 Two Thousand Guineas so there is
a bit of genetics there that suggest she will be above average."
Bought by Te Akau Principal David Ellis for $1.1 million at the 2004 NZB
Premier Yearling Sale, Darci Brahma won ten of his 19 starts for trainer Mark
Walker, including five Group One races. He went on to be crowned champion New
Zealand two and three-year-old as well as champion New Zealand Sprinter.
He will stand his eighth season at stud and has sired seven individual Group
One winners and 6.5 per cent stakes winners to runners.
Darci
Brahma will stand at The Oaks Stud next season for an unchanged service fee of
$15,000 + GST. – NZ Racing Desk.