There's more to Dubawi's big year ahead than just Too Darn Hot

Including Dubawi in a series highlighting the sires set to shine in 2019 might seem an exercise in stating the obvious, what with him having supplied the two best juveniles in Europe last season in Too Darn Hot and Quorto.

But those two unbeaten Group 1 winners, at the head of the ante-post markets for the 2,000 Guineas and Derby, are not the only offspring who promise to make it a momentous year for Darley's flagship sire.

Besides the John Gosden-trained Too Darn Hot, awarded the same Racing Post Rating of 126 at two as Frankel for his decisive Dewhurst victory, and Quorto, successful in the National Stakes for Charlie Appleby, there is one other unbeaten stakes winner among Dubawi's Classic-aged crop in Al Hilalee.

A stablemate of Quorto, he scored by three and a quarter lengths in a hot maiden at the Newmarket July meeting despite being a deep shade of green on debut and followed that up with a rather desperate short-head victory over Duke Of Hazzard and Great Scott in a Listed event at Deauville in August.

DUBAWI - THE FACTS AND FIGURES

Pedigree 17yo bay Dubai Millennium-Zomaradah (Deploy)

Stands Dalham Hall Stud, UK

2019 fee £250,000

Lifetime Flat runners 882*

Lifetime Flat winners (%) 662* (75%)

2018 yearling average £806,013

*Northern hemisphere results only

It was far from a flashy display by Al Hilalee but the form was rubber-stamped by subsequent Listed wins for the runner-up and third and he possibly had more use made of him in the race than ideal.

The colt is the first foal out of Ambivalent, an Authorized half-sister to Triumph Hurdle scorer Made In Japan who won the Pretty Polly Stakes and finished third in the Coronation Cup and Dubai Sheema Classic. You would think he will improve with time and a step up in trip.

The other black-type performer among the Dubawis who have just turned three is Prince Eiji, a colt out of dual ten-furlong Group 1 heroine Izzi Top who is trained by Roger Varian after being purchased as a yearling by owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid for 2,600,000gns. He won an Ascot maiden, finished third in the Tattersalls Stakes and took fifth behind Duke Of Hazzard in the Prix Isonomy in the autumn.

Those last two efforts didn't exactly shout that Prince Eiji is Classic material but it took his dam until her four-year-old season to show her best so he could develop into a useful performer yet.

Two other two-year-olds by Dubawi ran to a three-figure RPR last year.

Turgenev (rated 104), out of Prix de la Nonette winner and Prix de l'Opera second Tasaday, hacked up in two novice races but disappointed a little when seventh in the Vertem Futurity. That is the only black mark against the colt's name to date, so he is worth another chance in Pattern company.

Court Poet (100) obliged on debut in a Chelmsford novice stakes before running fourth to the highly regarded Anodor in the Prix des Chenes on his only other start. He is another who could be anything this year if he makes sufficient improvement over the winter.

There are also several other less experienced progeny of Dubawi who are untried in stakes races and hold significant untapped potential.

Space Blues, a colt out of Challenge Stakes winner Miss Lucifer, registered an impressive victory on his sole sole start in a Nottingham maiden for Appleby and Godolphin in November. A month earlier Gosden had sent out another son of the sire, Lord North, to win a Redcar novice stakes by a cosy length margin.

Imperial Charm, a half-sister to the high-class pair Ajman Princess and Ostilio, is another name to note, having eased to a four and a half-length success in a Newmarket maiden in November on her third start for Simon Crisford.

Numerous regally bred Dubawi three-year-olds yet to see a racecourse are housed in the most prestigious stables having presumably needed time. They could perhaps make their first public appearances in the spring maidens and novice stakes before going on to bigger things.

Too Darn Hot: deemed the equal of Frankel at two on Racing Post RatingsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Just a small sample are Fughetta and Promissory, fillies who are the first foals out of The Fugue and Seal Approval both with Gosden; Legend Of Dubai, a 650,000gns colt out of Finsceal Beo with Varian; Ghaly, a colt out of 2,700,000gns broodmare buy Hanky Panky with Appleby; and Nahema, a daughter of Sariska with the Oaks heroine's trainer Michael Bell.

The exploits of Dubawi's exceptional-looking Classic crop in 2019 will likely be supported by the ongoing high achievement of the sire's older runners.

Benbatl, who notched Group 1 triumphs in Dubai, Germany and Australia last year, could continue to fly the flag aged five, while Royal Line, another of that vintage, could graduate from smart handicapper to stakes winner.

Among those whose four-year-old seasons are keenly anticipated are St Leger runner-up Lah Ti Dar, who could make considerable progression even on her already high-class form having run only five times, and Great Voltigeur Stakes victor Old Persian, who has the look of a horse who could make up into a proficient international campaigner for Godolphin.

On top of all that, this year's Dubawi juvenile crop was bred off a fee of £225,000 – up from the £125,000 price at which Too Darn Hot, Quorto and co were conceived.

Benbatl: could continue to fly the flag for Dubawi on the global stageCredit: Tom Dulat

The sire covered 158 mares at Dalham Hall Stud that year, a stonking 75 per cent of whom were black-type performers on the track. Sixty per cent were black-type winners and 22 per cent had produced black-type performers to other matings.

Among the few products of those matings who have both been given names and are listed as in training in Britain with Weatherbys at this early stage are Dubai Quality, a filly who is the first foal out of UAE 1,000 Guineas and Oaks winner Local Time with Saeed Bin Suroor; Dusty Dream, a filly out of the talented two-year-old Memory with William Haggas; and Inherent, a colt out of dual Group 1 scorer Integral with Sir Michael Stoute.

There are also Dubawi two-year-old fillies out of Ambivalent, Dancing Rain, Estimate, Fiesolana, Great Heavens, Moonlight Cloud, Nahrain, Qualify, The Fugue and Timepiece to look forward to, along with colts out of Dolniya, Fallen For You, Flotilla, Galikova, Odeliz, Sky Lantern, Taghrooda, Treve and Zagora. Not to mention half-siblings to Jack Hobbs, Kingman, Legatissimo, Line Of Duty, Talent and Ribchester.

Many of the sire's juveniles who came on to the market as yearlings last year unsurprisingly sold for small fortunes, with the brother to Too Darn Hot out of the brilliant middle-distance mare Dar Re Mi knocked down to Qatar Racing for 3,500,000gns and the colt out of Just The Judge going the way of Ballylinch Stud for €1.4 million.

Yes, it is crystal clear that Dubawi is in for a big 12 months ahead. But the sire's aptitude was not always so self-evident. It is to his credit that he has achieved elite status in spite of some market indifference during his first years at stud, with his early sales offerings the subject of misguided mutterings.

As Dubawi enters a year in which he could conceivably bring Galileo's near decade-long run as Britain and Ireland's champion sire to an end, it is astonishing to note that ten years ago this month his second crop of foals had just sold for a median of 14,000gns and he was about to embark on his fourth covering season at a cost of just £15,000.

Food for thought there about the vagaries of market perception.

More in our sires of 2019 series...

Why even better can be expected of 'star pupil' Dark Angel this year

Kingman's progeny provide the ammunition for a stunning sophomore season

Starspangledbanner ready to write next chapter in his remarkable story

Zoffany set to reap the rewards from his fabulous freshman season