Hot crosses that Point the way

Heritage is a word used frequently in the realm of thoroughbred pedigrees and there is no doubt that the concept is very important to the Darley brand. In 2020, the Godolphin organisation retired Blue Point – a son of one of its most successful sires in Shamardal – to Kildangan Stud, and also acquired the rights to stand the Lloyd-Webber’s Too Darn Hot – by the Darley super sire Dubawi – at Dalham Hall Stud. Recent history now recounts that they were so well received by breeders in their first year at stud that they both rank in the top ten stallions retired since 2013 by the sheer quality of their first book of mares. 

Too Darn Hot, for his part, got his career off the fine start, producing Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Fallen Angel in his first crop, and Group 1 Futurity Trophy hero Hotazhell and Group 1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis scorer Tornado Alert in his second. The bright start made by the son of Dubawi saw his fee increased to £90,000 this year. Moreover, breeders pretty much maintained the very strong support they afforded him in year one, so he should not fall foul of the usual fallow period experienced by the majority of stallions with crops three and four. In fact, Too Darn Hot has already delivered his first pattern winner from his third crop in the shape of Group 3 Princess Margaret winner Fitzella as well as Group 2 Superlative Stakes scorer Wild Desert. Meanwhile, in Australia he has been nothing short of sensational, delivering no fewer than six first-crop Group winners, featuring the four-time Group 1 scorer Broadsiding, successful in the Group 1 Champagne and JJ Adkins at two and the Group 1 Golden Rose and Rosehill Guineas at three. As in Europe, Two Darn Hot also followed up with Group 2 winner Rivellino from his second crop and is now living up to his name, commanding a fee of AU$275,000 for the forthcoming season, behind only Extreme Choice who stands at AU$300,000.

The 2yo Fallen Angel becomes Too Darn Hot’s first Group 1 winner when landing the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh

The blueprint for Too Darn Hot’s early success was laid down by his own sire, Dubawi. Dubawi possesses an enviable record both as a sire and sire of sires. Despite his advancing years, the Darley veteran is still delivering the goods, as his year-on-year increase in his percentage of Stakes winner to runners suggests. He’s also responsible for excellent sire sons like Night of Thunder, Zarak and New Bay. So what are the broodmare sires that seem to be working as well for Too Darn Hot as they did for his sire?

One of the most potent sire-broodmare sire combinations in recent times is the Dubawi-Galileo partnership, which is now responsible for 130 runners, 24 Stakes winners (18.5 per cent), and 14 Group winners (10.8 per cent), featuring Group 1 winners Night of Thunder, Ghaiyyath and Henry Longfellow. Being from a Singspiel mare (a grandson of Galileo’s sire) might have dissuaded some breeders from trying a Too Hot Hot-Galileo cross but not a bit of it. Galileo is also the most common broodmare sire among Too Darn Hot’s progeny, but, from 24 runners, there has been just a single Stakes winner (four per cent) in the shape of Group 2 May Hill winner Darnation.

Unsurprisingly, Dubawi has had a fruitful relationship with fellow brand member Shamardal. This pair have delivered eight Stakes winners (20 per cent), including four at Group level. With Too Darn Hot, there have been 17 runners already and they include four Stakes horses (23.5 per cent) and two Group winners (11.8 per cent), headed by Australian Group 2 scorer Too Darn Discreet. Remarkably, Dubawi over Exceed and Excel has not been tried often with only three runners qualifying, but two are Stakes horses. Too Darn Hot, on the other hand, has had two Group winners (18.2 per cent), including the aforementioned Fitzella, from his first 11 runners on the cross. The Dubawi-Street Cry cross is responsible for seven-time Group 1 scorer Rebel’s Romance among seven Stakes winners (33.3 per cent) and five Group winners (23.8 per cent), and it has also worked a treat for Too Darn Hot in Australia through Broadsiding and Group 3 winner Arabian Summer from just nine starters (22.2 per cent). 

Sea the Stars’s daughters have enjoyed great success with Dubawi. So far, the nick has borne five Stakes horses (31.3 per cent) and four Group winners (25 per cent), featuring Group 1 winners Eldar Eldarov and Al Husn. Now 11 runners into their relationship with Too Darn Hot, Sea the Stars mares are still waiting for their first Stakes horse. This also applies to mares by Dansili (10 runners), Frankel (six runners) and Pivotal (five runners), all of whom have had conspicuous success with Too Darn Hot’s sire. Another broodmare sire with double-digit representation but no Stakes horses is Invincible Spirit (12 runners). Dubawi has had five Stakes winners including Group 1 2,000 Guineas and Sussex winner Notable Speech. Clearly though, Too Darn Hot is in the early stages with most of these partnerships, so it is very wise not to draw too many hard and fast conclusions.

There have been plenty of broodmare sires successful with Shamardal that are now helping his son Blue Point on his way, with some producing compelling results. Mares by Darley’s New Approach have had conspicuous success, featuring Shamardal’s Group 1 Prix Morny-Middle Park hero Earthlight and Blue Point’s headline act in triple Group 1 winner Rosallion, who took the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at two, plus the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes at three. Dansili is another broodmare sire whose daughters have contributed Group winners to the father and son pairing through Shamardal’s Group 3 Prix du Ris Orangis winner Royal Crusade and his Dubai Group 3 scorer Canvassed, as well as Blue Point’s dual Group 3 scorer Raqiya, who annexed Goodwood’s Oak Tree Stakes.

Blue Point’s triple Group 1 winner, Rosallion, wins the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot from Henry Longfellow.

Through daughters of another excellent Juddmonte damsire in Oasis Dream, Shamardal produced three Listed winners, but clearly the best horse bred on the cross is Group 1 Coronation Stakes third Jubiloso. With Blue Point, Oasis Dream dams have produced another of his Group 1 winners in Big Evs, successful in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and Group 2 King George Stakes, plus German Listed scorer Waldfrieda. Then we have Shamardal over Exceed and Excel producing Hong Kong Group 3 scorer Larkspur Run and Blue Point Stakes winner Action Point (successful in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes), as well as the Group 2 Lowther fourth, Dandana. 

Galileo mares are responsible for Group 2 winners Subway Dancer and Balios by Shamardal and French Listed scorer Pemba Bay by his son, while his half-brother, Sea the Stars, has also sired Stakes winners by both father and son. Two more broodmare sires that have done the same are Teofilo, responsible for Group 1 Commonwealth Cup winner Inisherin (by Shamardal) and Stakes winner Deo Volante (by Blue Point), plus Tobougg, who fills the broodmare sire role with French Listed winner and Group 3-placed Shady Lady by Blue Point, just as he’d done for Shamardal full-sisters Lumiere – winner of the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes – and Sheikha Reika, who scored at the highest level in the EP Taylor Stakes.

Both Blue Point and Too Darn Hot have earned the respect of breeders for their early accomplishments, but their story is far from told. We can expect more horses of note from mares by broodmare sires that have worked well with their own sires, as well as many new partnerships are yet to become apparent at this stage.

BROODMARE SIRES OF TOO DARN HOT STAKES WINNERS

BROODMARE SIRES OF BLUE POINT STAKES WINNERS