Hukum (Ire)

Lemon Pop, who recently became the first dual winner of the G1 Champions Cup for over a decade, has been introduced at a fee of ¥5 million (€30,615) for 2025, identifying him as the most expensive stallion on the Darley Japan roster. The six-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid, who was crowned the JRA Best Dirt Horse in 2023, will embark on his first season in Hokkaido following his Chukyo swansong which saw him retire as the winner of 13 of his 18 career starts. Trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka, he...

Owen Burrows is renowned for his Sir Michael Stoute-like patience with the yard's leading prospects, but he may not have to wait as long as usual with his exciting new recruit Falakeyah (GB) (New Bay {GB}--Alaflaak, by War Front) lighting up a dour Thursday afternoon at Wolverhampton. A granddaughter of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Lahudood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) from the family of the stable's luminary Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and his brilliant full-brother Baaeed (GB), Shadwell's blueblood was a warm order at even-money...

Recent Japanese transplant Palace Malice covered 262 mares in his first season at Darley Japan, the stud announced. The 2013 GI Belmont Stakes-winning son of Curlin has already enjoyed success in the Land of the Rising Sun with his progeny. Jantar Mantar (Jpn) is a winner of the G1 NHK Mile Cup this year and the 2023 G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes the same term he was crowned Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Colt. Palace Malice, who stood for ¥3,500,000 (€22,139) in 2024, also has the Japanese Group 3 winner Noble Roger...

The 14-strong Darley Japan roster and fees for 2024 were announced on Thursday morning. Leading the way with a ¥4 million fee is GI Forego S. victor Pyro, who is standing his 14th season in Japan. The sire of eight stakes winners is joined by former American-based transplants Palace Malice and Yoshida (Jpn), who will stand for ¥3.5 million and ¥1.5 million, respectively. Palace Malice, a GI Belmont S.-winning half-brother to Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Iron Barows (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) who will face off in Sunday's G1...

Japanese superstar Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) has topped the rankings at 129 in the ninth edition of the 2023 World's Best Racehorse rankings followed closely by Arc winner Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) and Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who are tied for second with a rating of 128 each. Noteworthy movement in the rankings include dominant G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. victor Big Rock (Fr) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), now the co-fourth highest along with Hukum (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). The Breeders' Cup had its impact on the...

Godolphin's G1 Derby winner Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Anna Salai, by Dubawi {Ire}) will join Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) at Darley Japan for stallion duty in 2024, Darley announced on Thursday. Fees for the G1 King George-winning duo will be revealed later. The first horse to win the Derby and the King George in the same year since his paternal grandsire Galileo (Ire), Adayar was retired in July. The bay broke his maiden by nine lengths at Nottingham at second asking at two for Charlie Appleby, and was group-placed...

As the only trainer to bring a winner of the "new" Prix du Jockey Club to the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and succeed, Jean-Claude Rouget can be forgiven his aura of zen ahead of the all-important Paris rendezvous for Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) on Sunday. While the yard's Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) took more than a year to complete the difficult double, late September's freak heatwave means that the 2023 edition of this autumn jewel is not the dire test it habitually represents for the Classic...

Shadwell's Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was on Thursday handed stall 14 for Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp, with the long-time favourite and G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) in the middle in stall eight. Wide draws are notoriously difficult to overcome in the autumn showcase and the Owen Burrows-trained G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. hero will have to emulate the feats of Golden Horn (GB) in 2015 and Dalakhani (Ire) in 2003 if he is to...

The Coolmore partners' Auguste Rodin (Ire) has joined the top 10 of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings on the back of a victory in the G1 Irish Champion S. and raised his rating to 124. Japanese superstar Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) is still on top of the rankings at 129, one pound better than G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. victor Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and G1 International S. hero Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Also a winner of the G1 Derby and G1 Irish...

Last year's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is poised to head directly to France where he'll get a second chance at the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 12 months after running sixth in last year's renewal over unsuitably testing ground. The Ralph Beckett-trainee is currently enjoying a break at his trainer's Kimpton Down base and the connections are keen to follow last year's route to the Bois de Boulogne--with a trip to Santa Anita for the Breeders' Cup also in the planner following...

After taking the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot, Shadwell's Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) has been given a mark of 128 on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, which were released on Thursday. Another Shadwell representative, G1 Prince Of Wales's S. hero Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), is also at 128, with only Japan's Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) higher in the pecking order at 129. After the leading trio is Juddmonte's Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who was second in the King George, one better...

Jockey Jim Crowley has been banned for 20 days and fined £10,000 for his winning ride aboard Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in Saturday's G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot. Both he and Rob Hornby, who was aboard runner-up Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), were referred to the British Horseracing Authority's Whip Review Committee following the tight finish with only Crowley receiving a ban. On Monday the whip rules were tweaked once more by the BHA following a six-month review period and under the new regulations...