Shamardal and Dubawi are a hard act to follow. The Darley sires have taken centre stage in both hemispheres and they doubled up again on Sunday with juvenile stakes winners in Singapore and France.
Shamardal colt Gingerbread Man was a brilliant winner of the Group 3 Magic Millions Championship at Kranji and three hours later Dubawi colt Irish Field captured the G2 Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte.
Gingerbread Man (2c Shamardal – Quaffle by Hurricane Sky) stamped his authority on the juvenile division in Singapore despite having no luck in running. “I was very concerned when he was caught wide,” trainer Bruce Marsh said. “But he kicked and just smashed them in the straight. It was unbelievable!”
The winner was a $30,000 graduate from Rothwell Park at the 2009 Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling sale and his connections have now collected S$253,490 (AUD 206,350).
Gingerbread Man’s dam Quaffle is a half-sister to Listed QTC Lightning Hcp winner Golden Snitch (Unbridled’s Song). Second dam Sydney’s Spy (Snippets) is a half-sister to G1 AJC Epsom Hcp winner Iron Horse (Zephyr Zip).
Darley shuttles Shamardal between Kildangan Stud in Ireland and Kelvinside in NSW and he will stand for a $66,000 (inc gst) fee this year.
Shamardal’s son Lope de Vega heads his first-crop in Europe this year. The Andre Fabre trained colt completed the French 2000 Guineas – Derby double to emulate his sire who did likewise five years ago.
Group winners from his first Australian crop include the fillies Faint Perfume, Happy Hippy and Femina Fashion and the Mark Kavanagh trained colt Shamoline Warrior.
Shamardal’s second European crop has already generated Timeform’s top 2YO of the year to date. His colt Dunboyne Express was given a 119 rating after winning the G3 Anglesey Stakes by eight lengths last week.
Dubawi is going just as well as Shamardal in Europe. His first-crop contains G1 English 2000 Guineas winner Makfi, G2 King Edward VII Stakes winner Monterosso and G2 Italian Derby winner Worthadd. Monterosso is from Australian G1 winning mare Porto Roca.
The second is headed by cosmopolitan colt Irish Field who won the Prix Robert Papin on Sunday. He is an Irish bred colt based in Spain. After the Group 2 victory in France, connections announced he had been sold to race in Hong Kong!
Irish Field (2c Dubawi – Turkana Girl by Hernando) won his first two starts at the La Zarzuela course in Madrid prior to crossing the Pyrenées to run in the G3 Prix des Bois at Chantilly. He was caught close to home that day when beaten a nose by the Aga Khan owned filly Keratiya.
Ridden off the speed on Sunday, he powered home to defeat Broox (Xaar) by one and a half lengths. “Irish Field is a serious colt,” winning rider Christophe Soumillon claimed. “He appreciated the waiting tactics used on this occasion.”
Irish Field was bred by Denis McDonnell and sold for 18,000 euros at Goffs yearling sale in September 2009. His dam is a half-sister to high-class colt Leo (Pivotal) who won the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket.
Dubawi leader Makfi is likely to resume on August 15 after being sidelined with a throat infection. Trainer Mikel Delzangles has pencilled in the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville where he will clash with defending champion Goldikova.
Dubawi defeated Whipper and Lomar Park sire Valixir in the 2005 Prix Jacques Le Marois. Darley has announced he will be rested from shuttling to Australia this year.