With the Darley stallions providing the winners of 20 individual two-year-old Stakes races so far this season, the victories on May 21st of Free Wheeling (Ad Valorem) and Euryale (Lonhro) in their respective Stakes race further highlights the star-studded stallion power of the Darley stallions.
Heading to the races for just the third time, the Peter Snowden-trained Euryale produced an outstanding effort to become the second juvenile Stakes winner in the space of a week for hire sire Lonhro with an exciting victory in the Listed Gibson Carmichael Stakes over a mile at Flemington.
Unlucky at her last start, the filly has now recorded two wins and a second place from three career starts and becomes the 25th Stakes winner for her sire. Heading to the spelling paddock after her win, Euryale was bred by Darley and is a grand-daughter of the G1-winning Danzero mare Danglissa.
Ten minutes later in Brisbane, Ad Valorem (pictured)was represented by his second Australian Stakes winner when two-year-old colt Free Wheeling scored an impressive victory in the G2 Champagne Classic over 1200m at Doomben.
Settling back in the field after jumping from a wide gate, the Sheikh Mohammed-owned colt came down the outside of the field to indicate, that like his stable mate Benfica (Lonhro), he is right on track for the G1 TJ Smith Stakes in a few weeks time.
Also bred by Darley, Free Wheeling is out of the winning Last Tycoon mare Miss Carefree, a half-sister to the dam of G1 performer Hydrometer and comes from the family of G1 winners Toltrice, Seltrice, Keltrice and Red Dazzler.
Free Wheeling is the fifth individual two-year-old winner to date in the southern hemisphere for his sire, putting him in third position behind fellow Darley stallion Nadeem in the first-season sire race. With more Stakes winners this season that any other first-season sire in the southern hemisphere, Ad Valorem is represented in the northern hemisphere by Listed winner Samaden.
Both Lonhro and Ad Valorem will stand the forthcoming breeding season at Kelvinside for $77,000 (inc GST) and $11,000 (inc GST) respectively.
