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European Group 1 winners Pinatubo, Earthlight, Ghaiyyath and Earthlight all added to roster
Darley Australia will add four Group 1 winners to its roster for the 2021 breeding season, with three-time Group 1 winner Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) set to be joined by northern hemisphere bred stars Pinatubo (Shamardal), Ghaiyyath (Dubawi) and Earthlight (Shamardal). Bivouac and Pinatubo will stand at the operations Hunter Valley farm while Ghaiyyath and Earthlight will be based at Northwood Park in Victoria with Darley’s 2021 fees to be announced at a later date.
Just 12 months on from when the operation announced fellow northern hemisphere bred Group 1 winners Blue Point (Shamardal) and Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) would join the roster, this once again bolsters Darley’s faith in the Australian breeding industry.
Bivouac has so far won seven of his 21 starts, headlined by victories in the Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) and VRC Sprint Classic (Gr 1, 1200m) which has seen him accrue $5,608,860 in career prize-money.
The son of Exceed And Excel (Danehill) also finished second behind Exceedance - another son of the Darley stalwart - in the 2019 edition of the Coolmore Stud Stakes (registered as Ascot Vale Stakes) (Gr 1, 1200m), while he also finished second to Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt) in The Everest (1200m) earlier in the season.
The James Cummings-trained four-year-old will be out to further enhance his race record when he tackles the TJ Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Randwick on April 3.
The entire is out of Listed-winning More Than Ready (Southern Halo) mare Dazzler, making him a brother to Listed winner Coruscate. Dazzler herself is a daughter of 2007 AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Camarilla (Elusive Quality), who is herself the dam of Group 2 winner Ghibellines (Shamardal) and multiple Group 1-winning champion Guelph (Exceed And Excel) - the dam of Group 2 winner Encryption.
Bivouac’s third dam is 1999 Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Camarena (Danehill) and she is herself a sister to Watchful - the dam of multiple Group 1-winning champion Sepoy and Group 2 scorer Mulaazem (Dubai Destination).
Bivouac will be joined at the New South Wales-based farm by brilliant two-year-old Pinatubo, who was officially rated the best two-year-old in half a century, with the Charlie Appleby-trained son of Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) was unbeaten in six starts as a two-year-old, headed by victories in the National Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) and the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1, 7f), while he also landed the Chesham Stakes (Listed, 7f) and Vintage Stakes (Gr 2, 7f).
Kept in training as a three-year-old, the colt finished third in the 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m), before running second in the St James's Palace Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) and added a third Group 1 victory to his CV in the Prix Jean Prat (Gr 1, 1400m).
The colt is out of Listed winner Lava Flow (Dalakhani), who is herself a daughter of Listed winner Mount Elbrus (Barathea).
Under the colt’s third dam is Group 1 winner Rafha (Kris) - the dam of Invincible Spirit (Green Desert) and Group 3-winning pair Sadian (Shirley Heights) and Acts Of Grace.
Further back, Pinatubo’s pedigree includes last year’s Prix du Jockey Club (Gr 1, 2100m) winner Mishriff (Make Believe) who added the rich Saudi Cup (1800m) to his record last month, while Coolmore Stud’s Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry) also features on the page.
Pinatubo is currently covering his first book of mares at Dalham Hall in Newmarket at a fee of £35,000.
Meanwhile, Ghaiyyath won two of his three starts at two, breaking his maiden over a mile before adding the Autumn Stakes (Gr 3, 1m) at Newmarket. Winning his only start at three in the Prix du Prince d'Orange (Gr 3, 2000m), the Charlie Appleby-trained Ghaiyyath won the Grosser Preis von Baden (Gr 1, 2400m) at four and also finished third in the Prix Ganay (Gr 1, 2100m).
At five he added three further Group 1 victories to his record; the Coronation Cup (Gr 1, 1m4f), where he set a new course record, Eclipse Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) - where he defeated Enable (Nathaniel) by two and a quarter lengths - and the International Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) which he won by an impressive three lengths.
He retired the winner of nine of his 13 career starts and was placed in a further three. The son of Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) was crowned European Horse Of The Year and Champion Older Horse in Europe in 2020 and sat at the head of the World Thoroughbred Rankings with a rating of 130. He was rated 133 by Timeform.
Bought for €1,100,000 by John Ferguson at the 2015 Goffs Ireland November Foal Sale, Ghaiyyath is one of five winners out of Irish 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) winner Nightime (Galileo) who has also produced Grade 1 winner Zukova (Fastnet Rock) who was bought for 3,700,000gns by Godolphin Australia at the 2017 Tattersalls December Mare Sale.
His second dam is Listed winner Caumshinaun (Indian Ridge), the dam of nine winners from as many foals to race including the stakes placed mare Mermaid Island (Mujadil) who is the dam of Australian Listed winner Ondina (Manhattan Rain).
Ghaiyyath is currently covering his first book of mares at Darley's Kildangan Stud in Ireland at a fee of €30,000.
The new quartet is completed by another son of Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) in Earthlight, who is also covering his first book of mares at Darley's Kildangan Stud in Ireland.
Trained by Andre Fabre, Earthlight was unbeaten in five starts as a two-year-old, culminating in a victory in the Prix Morny (Gr 1, 1200m), before taking out the Middle Park Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Newmarket on his final start as a juvenile.
He opened his account as a three-year-old with a win in the Prix Kistena (Listed, 1200m), before surrendering his unbeaten record in the Prix Maurice de Gheest (Gr 1, 1300m). He then regained his winning thread in the Prix du Pin (Gr 3, 1400m) and finished second behind multiple Group 1-winning mare One Master (Fastnet Rock) in the Prix de la Foret (Gr 1, 1400m), which proved to be his final start.
Earthlight is the only winner out of Fillies' Mile (Gr 1, 1m) placegetter Winters Moon (New Approach), who is herself a daughter of Group 3 winner Summertime Legacy (Darshaan).
Summertime Legacy herself is also the dam of Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Mandaean (Manduro) and Wavering (Refuse To Bend), who landed the Prix Saint-Alary (Gr 1, 2000m) in 2011.
Fees for all stallions will be announced at a later date.