Fees have been announced for the 10 stallions who will stand on the Darley roster in Japan in 2020.
Thunder Snow, the first ever horse to win back-to-back Dubai World Cups and a G1 winner from two to five on both turf and dirt, will stand his first season next year at a fee of 2.5 million yen. Thunder Snow is a half-brother to four Stakes winners and is the best colt from the family of Balanchine.
Also new for 2020 is another multiple G1 winner in Hawkbill, who will stand at a fee of 1 million yen. From the family of the great Dubai Millennium, Hawkbill’s victory in the G1 Eclipse, where he finished ahead of The Gurkha, was rated equal to Roaring Lion’s win in the same race. He went on to land the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, beating Poet’s Word by three lengths.
Pyro (2.5 million yen) has enjoyed another fantastic year, siring no fewer than 29 two-year-old winners on the dirt – a figure that can only be bettered by one other stallion. He’s not just a sire of talented juveniles: he sires more than 77% winners to runners
Also standing at 2.5 million yen is Champion Sprinter Fine Needle, winner of last year’s G1 Sprinters Stakes and G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen. His eagerly awaited first foals will arrive in the new year, and Fine Needle will continue to stand alongside his sire, triple G1-winning Horse of the Year, Admire Moon (1 million yen).
Another stallion whose first foals will be born in 2020 is Talismanic. The superb G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner is the best US-sired son and is from the female family of Deep Impact. He will stand at a fee of 1.8 million yen.
Completing the roster are: Discreet Cat (1.5m yen), whose first Japanese runners hit the track next year, American Patriot (1.5m yen), consistent winner-getter Furioso (1 million yen) and Monterosso (0.5 million yen), whose first two crops look very promising indeed.
Shotaro Kajiya, Nominations Manager, said, “We are delighted to offer Japanese breeders a wonderful line up of stallions with two very exciting new horses: Thunder Snow, who won G1 races on both turf and dirt, plus the precious Hawkbill – a potential successor to Kitten's Joy.
“We are very grateful for the support of our breeders and look forward to seeing you at the stallion complex in the new year.”
