Champion Trio to Take Up Stud Duties in 2020

Media Release - Thursday April 9

They are Champion sons by three Champions in their own right, and as a group they are arguably the finest selection of first-season stallions ever to be offered by Darley in Australia.

Blue Point, Too Darn Hot and Microphone, sons of Shamardal, Dubawi and Exceed And Excel, will launch their southern hemisphere stud careers in 2020. They are Europe’s Champion Sprinter, Europe’s Champion Two and Three-Year-old and Australia’s Champion juvenile respectively and offer local breeders all the speed and precocity they demand.

A truly exceptional sprinter, in 2019 Blue Point did what no European-bred horse had done in almost 100 years when winning Royal Ascot’s two G1 sprints, the Diamond Jubilee and the King’s Stand Stakes. Even more remarkable was that he had also won the King’s Stand the previous year.

Blue Point

Blue Point won the G2 Gimcrack Stakes at York by three lengths on his two-year-old 6. After placings in both the G1 Middle Park and the Dewhurst Stakes later that season he returned at three with victory in the G3 Pavilion Stakes, where he broke Ascot’s six-furlong track record.

At four he dominated Dubai’s top turf sprints and recorded his first triumph in the King’s Stand, the season prior to him winning Royal Ascot’s G1 sprint double.

Blue Point retired with a Timeform rating of 131, and is currently standing his first northern hemisphere season alongside his sire  Shamardal at Kildangan Stud in Ireland, where he has proved extremely popular.

Too Darn Hot earned the Cartier Two-Year-Old crown in 2018, following scintillating victories in each of his four starts. He added the Cartier Three-Year-old title in 2019.

A son of the all-conquering Dubawi, Too Darn Hot possessed the juvenile brilliance so desired in Australia with four outstanding victories in a nine-week period. He opened his account with a seven-length maiden victory at Sandown (UK), before scoring by four lengths in the G3 Solario Stakes at his next start and took the G2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster at his third.

Too Darn Hot

Too Darn Hot confirmed his position as Champion two-year-old with success in the G1 Darley Dewhurst at Newmarket, defeating future Royal Ascot G1 winner Advertise and Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck.

A stunning victory in the G1 Prix Jean Prat over 1,400m at Deauville before conquering the best older horses in G1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood saw Too Darn Hot crowned Champion Three-Year-Old of his year. He retired as the winner of six of his nine s, tarts with a Timeform rating of 132...

Head of Sales in in Australia, Alastair Pulford said, “To be able to offer Australian breeders these two prospects is a huge privilege.”

“We’ve seen what the Darley shuttle stallions have done for Australian racing with horses like Street Cry, Teofilo, Medaglia d’Oro and recently Night Of Thunder making a massive impression.”

“The sires of both these horses, Dubawi and Shamardal, stood with distinction on the Darley roster in Australia and the availability of such a quality pair as Too Darn Hot and Blue Point is set to give Australian breeders access to elite outcross bloodlines that are already proven in Australia.”

Microphone enters stud as the Champion Two-Tear-Old of an elite crop and is a son of yet another Champion stallion, Exceed And Excel.

A four-time winner in a two-year-old season capped by his G1 Sires’ Produce win, Microphone raced on six occasions at two and was never out of the money. He also claimed the Listed Talindert Stakes at Flemington before landing the G2 Skyline Stakes at Randwick.

Microphone

The son of Exceed And Excel’s strength and resilience shone through in heavy conditions when he was the first colt home  when second in the G1 Golden Slipper. An exceptional victory in arguably the best G1 Sires’ in decades followed, where he accounted for G1 winners Loving Gaby, Kiamichi, Castelvecchio and Probabeel.

He returned at three to win the G2 Autumn Stakes before a narrow runner-up finish in the G1 Randwick Guineas.

“Microphone was a genuine Champion colt from a stellar crop that has since proven itself against older horses,” Pulford said.

“He’s by the world’s best sire of two-year-olds, there are Stakes winners right through his maternal family and he’s a very good-looking horse in the mould of his father.”

“This trio is as good as any group of new stallions Darley has offered in Australia.”

Managing Director of Godolphin Australia, Vin Cox added “Microphone, Blue Point and Too Darn Hot represent true class - these three stallions are absolutely mouth-watering prospects.”

Too Darn Hot and Microphone will stand at Kelvinside, NSW, while Blue Point will stand at Northwood Park, Victoria. Service fees for all three will be announced later this month.

Darley Release

Advertisment
More Reading...
Luberon Keeps Winning Run Going for Cambridge Stud
Quality mare Luberon put a classy field of sprinters to the sword at Pukekohe on Saturday when she dashed away in the closing stages to score a handsome victory in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m).
Pencarrow Blueblood Filly Wins Again
Royally bred filly Sesimbra made it back to back victories to open her three-year-old campaign when she took out the opening event at Wanganui, the Wanganui Function Centre 3YO (1200m) in dramatic fashion.
Mapperley Stud Announce 2024 Service Fees
Mapperley Stud has announced their stallion service fees for the 2024 season with their proven son of High Chaparral – Contributer (IRE)  spearheading their roster at a fee of $18,000+gst.
Top Sellers at Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale
The Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale had plenty of drama when the dam of Goliath, who runs in the Japan Cup on Sunday, was passed in at €5miliion, but there were other high profile sales including Fastnet Rock's Epsom Oaks winner Qualify.
Sires With Winners - Friday November 22
Here is the full list of 46 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Stakes Potential for Cambridge Stud Homebred Mare Frostfair
Luberon’s heroics in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m) gave trainer Lance Noble reason to expect something special from her trackwork companion Frostfair in the very next race on the card at Pukekohe on Saturday, and so it proved.
One to Watch – Moonee Valley
This promising three year-old Cosmic Force filly made it wo wins in as many starts at Moonee Valley on Friday night with a tenacious display.
Newgate Announce 2024 Roster and Fees
Newgate Farm have announced their 2024 roster and fees headlined by three first season horses in top class Group One winning colts, Ozzmosis and Militarize along the highly rated Group Two winner King’s Gambit.
Stakes-Winning Debut for $1.3million Snitzel Colt
Exciting Snitzel colt Return To Conquer headed into his raceday debut in Saturday’s Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) with a big price tag, big reputation and big expectations, and the million-dollar colt produced a Pukekohe performance worthy of the hype.
Savabeel Stayer wins G3 Counties Cup
Promising stayer Nereus put his current campaign back on track when he captured an action packed Gr.3 TAB Counties Cup (2100m) on Saturday.