Cover image courtesy of Newbury Racecourse

Arrowfield Stud have announced that Lead Artist (GB), a Group 1-winning son of Champion Sire Dubawi (Ire) will join their roster. The G1 Lockinge Stakes winner will shuttle from Juddmonte to the Hunter Valley later this year for the 2026 breeding season.

Arrowfield Stud’s ability to create successful stallions was a key factor in the decision by Juddmonte to shuttle their Group 1 winning miler Lead Artist to the Hunter Valley.

“Arrowfield’s success with shuttling stallions along with a proven track record for producing Champion Sires such as Danehill, Redoute’s Choice and Snitzel will provide Lead Artist with the perfect platform to start his Southern Hemisphere career,” said Juddmonte’s Chief Executive Douglas Erskine Crum.

Thrilled with the opportunity

“We're absolutely thrilled that Juddmonte have agreed to send him down to us. He's got an amazing pedigree. He was a really high class racehorse," said Arrowfield's Jon Freyer.

“He's by the right sire in Dubawi, who has Too Darn Hot taking all before him, and Ghaiyyath looks a very promising young stallion." Freyer was fortunate enough to view Lead Artist in December 2025.

“He's a beautifully made horse, medium-sized, and has got a lovely length of rein, good girth, and just oozes quality. He has a great walk to him. He's a really stylish colt who is a lovely blend of Dubawi and Frankel.”

A blue hen mare and a stallion family

Lead Artist is the first foal of G2 Chantilly Prix de Sandringham winner and G1 Deauville Prix Rothschild-placed Obligate (GB) (Frankel {GB}) who descends from blue hen mare Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}).

“Australian breeders should expect a strong, well-balanced horse with a wonderful outlook, physically very difficult to fault with a good, easy action.

“In terms of pedigree, this regally bred Group 1-winning miler comes from the family of outstanding Blue Hen mare Hasili, whose descendants are responsible for a staggering 59 Group 1 performances,” said Erskine Crum.

“Lead Artist possesses all the credentials to continue the significant influence of the Dubawi line in Australia.”

Obligate is out of unraced mare Responsible (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who is a half-sister to five individual Group 1 winners and two Group winners. Blue hen mare Hansili, herself victrix in the Listed Nantes Prix des Sablonnets, had seven foals to race, and all of them were group winners.

Not just that, but several of her Group 1 winning colts went to stud with G2 Saint-Cloud Prix du Muguet winner and four-times Group 1-placed Dansili (GB) crowned Champion Sire in France in 2006.

Hasili’s Group 1 winners are led by Champion 3YO Filly in Europe and triple Group 1 winner Banks Hill (GB) (Danehill {USA}), dam of G1 Deauville Prix Jean Romanet winner Romantica (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). Champion Turf Female in USA and dual Group 1 winner Intercontinental (GB) (Danehill {USA}) has also been a stakes producer, while her dual Group 1 winning full brother Cacique (Ire) went to stud enjoying excellent results from small numbers.

Champs Elysees (GB) was crowned Horse of the Year in Canada with two Group 1s there and another in America. He sired five Group 1 winners including dual G1 Australian Cup winner Harlem (GB).

Dual Group 1 winning mare Heat Haze (GB) (Green Desert {USA}) has been a successful broodmare in Australia with her two imported gallopers being G1 Metropolitan Handicap winner Mirage Dancer (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Listed Matrice Stakes winner and G1 Northerly Stakes-placed Ironclad (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

A race record of excellence

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Lead Artist made his debut as an early 3-year-old, beaten a nose over a mile, before he strode to victory over the same distance at his next start. Thrown immediately into stakes company, he put together two Group 3 victories and two stakes placings from his next four starts. Sent to Bahrain to conclude his season, Lead Artist ran second in the G2 Bahrain International Trophy.

At four, he mixed his form a little, as colts are known to do, but put it all together for an impressive victory in the G1 Lockinge Stakes to record the second fastest time in history, while beating four Group 1 winners, including three Guineas winners being Rosallion (Ire), Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), and Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). Rosallion now stands at Dalham Hall Stud for £40,000 (AU$78,500).

“The Group 1 that he won, the Lockinge, is a stallion making race. There's been some very successful stallions that have won that race. He beat a really high class field that day and established what he was really capable of. He was a horse that was a very nice 3-year-old, and an outstanding spring 4-year-old with all the credentials behind him to be a success,” said Freyer.

At the two furlong pole in the Lockinge, the field was spread across the track and anything might have won. But it was Dancing Gemini (Ire) (Camelot {Ire}) and Lead Artist who strode clear with Lead Artist half a length behind the leader, and he reeled him in for a tough victory with the rest of the field left in their wake, stretched out behind them.

If milers make the best sires, then this win demonstrated Lead Artist’s grit over the mile, and the time of 1:35.06 is second only to the race record of 1:33.59 set by Rakti (GB) in 2005.

Other notable winners of the G1 Lockinge Stakes include Frankel (GB), Night Of Thunder (Ire), Belardo (Ire), Cape Cross (Ire), Selkirk (USA) and Polar Falcon (USA). More recently, Baaeed (GB), Palace Pier (GB), and Modern Games (Ire) have won the Lockinge, as did Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the dam of dual Derby winner and shuttle sire Auguste Rodin (Ire).

A stallion making race? Definitely.

Dubawi sireline emerging across Australia

Too Darn Hot (GB) is the poster boy for the Dubawi sireline in Australia thanks to his first crop Champion 2-Year-Old and four-time Group 1 winning son Broadsiding who stood his first season in 2025. Too Darn Hot has also sired local group winners Rivellino, Shanwah (NZ), Shiki, Too Darn Discreet, Too Darn Lizzie, Tropicus, and Tornado Valley, as well as several Listed winners.

“That was one of the attractions (to Lead Artist). He’s the son of one of the great stallions (Dubawi) out of a mare who is by (Frankel), probably the leading sire in the world at the moment, and from a family that is one of Juddmonte's very best families that's produced a number of successful stallions,” said Freyer.

“He is a beautiful horse and I know for a fact that anyone who saw him at the sales in December came away thinking he was the most impressive of all the first season stallions.”

Lead Artist was paraded to the public during Newmarket’s open week during the Tattersalls December Sale in England.

A proven cross globally

“It’s a similar cross to Ghaiyyath and Night of Thunder, who are both out of Galileo mares. Night Of Thunder is one of the hottest sires in Europe at the moment. He's had an amazing 12 months,” said Freyer.

Night Of Thunder was crowned Champion Sire of GB and Ireland for 2025. Both Night Of Thunder and Ghaiyyath are out of Galileo (Ire) mares, while Lead Artist is out of a Frankel mare, creating a similar cross given Frankel is by Galileo out of Danehill mare Kind (Ire).

Champion Sire in GB/Ireland and in France, Dubawi began his stud career reasonably unsung, shuttling to Australia where he stood for $33,000 including GST for his first two seasons, then $16,500 in his third and final Australian season before he stayed in Europe. His ability to sire Group 1 winners soon became apparent, with those three crops here resulting in Group 1 winners Secret Admirer, Shamal Wind, Tiger Tees (NZ), and Srikandi, as well as fan favourite and four-time Group 2 winner Catkins among others.

Internationally, the triple Group 1 winner now has 316 stakes winners and 64 individual Group 1 winners.

His sire sons are led by Night Of Thunder who has 80 stakes winners as well as Makfi (GB) with 48, Zarak (Fr) with 34, and exciting shuttle sire Too Darn Hot who already has 31 stakes winners with his oldest crops only 5-year-olds in the north and 4-year-olds here.

Young sire Ghaiyyath (Ire) has made an excellent start with nine stakes winners led by Group 1 winners Observer and this month’s G1 Jebel Hatta victor Opera Ballo (Ire).

A suitable blend for Australian broodmares

With Dubawi and his sons already proving successful in Australia, with the addition of Frankel in the mix, Lead Artist has a pedigree that should work well across Australia’s broodmare band.

“I've looked at our broodmare band and I think he'll go particularly well. There's a lot of our mares that will suit him perfectly. It's interesting that Dubawi himself is something of an outcross to the broodmare population here, and that has helped the likes of Too Darn Hot,” said Freyer.

With Dubawi having a reputation for a certain style of physical type, Freyer believes Lead Artist has more scope thanks to the rest of his pedigree.

“He's a type of horse physically that you can mate all types of mares to. He’s not a horse that you would say, ‘oh, he needs a big mare’ and likewise, you'd be happy to put a big mare to him or a small mare to him.

“He's in that Goldilocks range in terms of physical matchup, yet he has a good deal of refinement and quality that you expect in a European horse. He’s like a George Ryder Stakes winner - but by Dubawi from a Frankel mare, and from an outstanding stallion-producing family. It’s a bit of a no-brainer.

“And he’s particularly good looking. So there's very little to be critical about.”

Perhaps the only critique for local breeders is that Lead Artist didn’t race at two. “He had a little setback, which is the reason why he didn't race at two - the stable had a big opinion of him. We won't blame him too much.”

More to the point, he carries the blood of Arrowfield’s wonderful Champion Sire Danehill, through Frankel. And with that, the final word comes from the man who found Danehill for Australia.

“Lead Artist reminds me of Danehill, also bred and raced by Juddmonte. His third dam is the greatest mare of the modern era, both his sire and broodmare sire are prepotent and, significantly, he is from a stallion-producing family,” said Arrowfield Stud’s John Messara.

Cover image courtesy of Australian Turf Club

Caballus bolts home at Rosehill

Bjorn Baker-trained Caballus (I Am Invincible) bolted home in heat 1 at Rosehill on Thursday morning, winning by 12.58 lengths from the rest of the field, who were all trained by Chris Waller. With Tommy Berry on board, Caballus covered the 1000 metres in 1:00.56 doing his final 600 metres in 34.26 seconds.

The last start G3 George Moore Stakes winner has won six of his 18 starts. Behind him, essentially in a different trial, was Lord Penman (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) with Group 2 winner Lazzura (Snitzel) in third.

The extreme result was mimicked at Caulfield in heat 1, which gives punters something to contemplate as we head into the autumn.

Treasurethe Moment steps out at Caulfield

Matt Laurie-trained four-time Group 1 winner Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) began her autumn campaign with a tidy third in the first heat at Caulfield. The trial was won easily by former Hong Kong galloper Nervous Witness (Star Witness) who put ten lengths on the rest of the field.

“Yeah, I was really happy. Obviously, the horse out in front is very quick,” Laurie said.

“I love the way she left the gates… the feedback from Damian was really good, so, yeah, very happy with that. She’ll have one more trial and then we’ll be away.

She will run in the G1 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield on February 21 with her main target being the G1 All-Star Mile at Flemington on March 7. “She’ll pretty much have a replica lead-in to what she had for the Memsie. I’d like to keep her here for The All-Star Mile… after that, we’ll just play it by ear.”

Nervous Witness won five times in Hong Kong for trainer David Hayes, and was seventh in the G3 National Day Cup in October 2024 at his final start there. He’s now with the Hayes brothers at Lindsay Park.

My Gladiola beats home Giga Kick

Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) will resume in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington on February 14, and was a nice second in heat three at Caulfield behind John McArdle-trained 3-year-old filly My Gladiola (I Am Invincible).

“Yeah, it was nice work. He looked nice and fresh,” Giga Kick’s trainer Clayton Douglas said.

“He began good, travelled nice and strong and finished off lovely. That trial will bring him on… it’s perfect timing. He’ll head to the Challenge Stakes second-up, then the TJ Smith, and all going well the All Aged.”

The pair will face off again in the Lightning with McArdle pleased with his filly’s effort. “She needed a hit out and the best part of it was that she relaxed during the run. She quickened well, and floated a bit at the front and ran out of fitness a bit,” McArdle said.

“She’ll kick off in the Lightning, or possibly the Oakleigh Plate if we aren’t happy with the barrier for the Lightning. That will tell us where we are heading, whether it be the Newmarket or to Adelaide for the Sangster. She is in good order and I think she can be competitive against those horses.”

Caulfield’s juvenile trials

Stakes class juveniles Eternal Warrior (Extreme Warrior) and Stretan Ruler (Wild Ruler) ran second and third in heat 11 behind Adrian Corboy-trained colt Closer To Free (Street Boss {USA}).

Closer To Free hasn’t debuted at the races yet. He’s the second foal of Listed winner Lady Naturaliste (Choisir), and was sold by Milburn Creek to Polaris Bloodstock at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $60,000.

Eternal Warrior, trained by Lloyd Kennewell, won the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes in November at his only start, while Stretan Ruler was second in that same race at his only start.

Video: Watch Closer To Free at Caulfield trials, video courtesy of Racing.com

Mark Walker-trained Harry Met Sally (Yes Yes Yes) won heat 12. He had a jump out a fortnight ago, his first public outing since his debut ninth in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes back in October. Clayton Douglas-trained filly Fly Baby (Hanseatic) pushed him to a nose, with two lengths back to Phillip Stokes-trained filly Rebel Tuesday (Rebel Dane).

Heat 13 was not unlucky for Ben Brisbourne-trained filly Grinzinger Heart (Toronado {Ire}) who has yet to be seen at the races. She recorded a half-length win over fellow unraced filly Aroused (Snitzel) who is trained by Grahame Begg. The pair were three lengths ahead of the rest of the field.

Rosehill’s juvenile trials

Peter Snowden’s colt Short Sea (Ole Kirk) won heat 4 for two and 3-year-olds over 1030 metres with a tidy run down the centre from mid-field for jockey Sam Clipperton. He is yet to make his debut at the races and was a $170,000 purchase from North Bloodstock’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. It was a nice effort from Paul and Martha Cave-trained pair of 3-year-old filly Ouragan (Yes Yes Yes) and 3-year-old filly Quadria (American Pharoah {USA}) to finish in second and third.

Video: Watch Short Sea at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW

Ole Kirk added a second 2-year-old trial winner in heat 9 when Terry Croft-trained filly Thrill Hunter won by three-quarters of a length from Chris Waller-trained Lorax (Zoustar). Thrill Hunter won the Kirkham Plate on debut during the spring.

In heat 7 over 900 metres for juveniles, John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained filly Coco Affair (Home Affairs) beat home Chris Waller-trained colt Campiona d’Italia (Snitzel) by a nose with the Snitzel colt’s stablemate Siumai Knight (Toronado {Ire}) five lengths in arrears in third. None of the trio have raced yet.

Coco Affair was sold to her trainers by Mill Park Stud for $270,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and is a half-sister to Group 3-placed Written Swoosh (Written Tycoon).

Snitzel provided the quinella of heat 8, over 900 metres with race day experience showing out for Brad Widdup-trained colt Tenenbaum who beat home Chris Waller-trained Attorney General by three-quarters of a length. Tenenbaum’s only start came in the Max Lees Classic during the spring.

Cover image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Won by My Wish (Flying Artie) last year, the Listed Classic Mile is the first leg of Hong Kong’s 4-Year-Old Series. The series consists of three races, the Classic Mile, the Classic Cup over 1800 metres, and the Listed Hong Kong Derby over 2000 metres.

The 2025 series had three different winners across the three races with the Cup won by Rubylot (Rubick) and the Derby won by Cap Ferrat (Snitzel).

Series of champions

The 4-Year-Old Series unveils the next round of Champions for Hong Kong, a region renowned for producing horses with incredible longevity.

Four-time G1 Hong Kong Cup winner Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) who chalked up his 12th Group 1 victory last weekend won the Classic Mile in 2022. He won the Classic Mile and the Hong Kong Derby, but was fourth in the Classic Cup.

And 2020 victor Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), who won 26 of his 31 starts, remains the most popular plushie in the Hong Kong Jockey Club merchandise shop, even though he’s been retired since 2024. One of only two horses have won all three legs of the 4-Year-Old series, Golden Sixty was Hong Kong’s highest earner until overtaken by Romantic Warrior.

The other horse to win all three legs is the ill-fated Rapper Dragon (Street Boss {USA}) winner of nine races, who won the G2 Chairman’s Trophy the start after winning the Derby, but sadly fractured his pelvis during the G1 Champions Mile at his next start.

Last year’s winner My Wish, who ran second in the other two legs of the series, has gone on to add two group wins this season. The 2024 winner Helios Express (Toronado {Ire}), who also won the Classic Cup, has run into Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) eleven times since then, for ten placings behind the Horse Of The Year who has won 17 in succession to equal the record of Silent Witness (El Moxie {USA}). Snitzel’s Sun Jewellery is another who won the first two legs, while Snitzel also has a Derby winner with last year’s victor Cap Ferrat.

In 2023, the year between Helios Express and Romantic Warrior, the Classic Mile and the Derby were won by Voyage Bubble (Deep Field) who become only the second horse in Hong Kong history to win their older horse triple crown last season with the G1 Stewards’ Cup, G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup, and G1 Champion and Chaters Cup.

With such a stellar record of producing horses with talent and longevity, the Listed Classic Mile on Sunday at Sha Tin is a race that everyone who endeavours to sell a horse into Hong Kong should be paying attention to. It’s the beginning of the trio of races that define the emerging talent in the region.

Purton and Hayes go head-to-head

A field of 14 has been assembled, and all eyes will be on the highest rated runner Sagacious Life (Brz) (Put It Back {USA}). The former Brazilian Group 1 winner has been selected by Zac Purton as his best chance. Purton, who is streets ahead on the Jockey’s Premiership, had a choice between at least four of the runners. Purton, who rides Ka Ying Rising for David Hayes, will go up against him with the Pierre Ng-trained Sagacious Life who he won on last start.

David Hayes-trained pair of Akashvani (Alpine Eagle) and Public Attention (Written Tycoon) will get much support from Australian punters. Public Attention won last season’s G3 Eskimo Prince Stakes and has had three starts in Hong Kong this season, running second, third and fourth.

“I think he’s been crying out for blinkers. I think he’s primed to run well in what is a really, really competitive race – probably the best this season. He has very good form in Australia. It’ll be first-time blinkers. We’ve resisted putting them on, but we’ve saved it for this race. He raced in them in Australia,” Hayes told hkjc.com of the Karen Lo-owned Public Attention. Lo also owns last year’s Hong Kong Derby winner Cap Ferrat.

Akashvani comes into the race off a last start three-length win. “That win got him in the race. He’s bred to get a mile, and he’s in form. We’re looking forward to it. Things weren’t going right. He was probably running short of his distance, and I think that triggered me that he’s probably a 1400 metre-miler. He’s a very good young horse, and he’s likely going to be the on-pace influence of the race.”

Newnham’s quartet led by impressive Invincible Ibis

Mark Newnham is leading the Hong Kong Trainer’s Premiership this season and has a quartet of runners on Sunday in the Classic Mile. He won the race last year with My Wish.

Invincible Ibis (Hellbent) will be ridden by Hugh Bowman, Crimson Flash (Showtime) gets the services of Andrea Atzeni, Winfield (Brz) (Rally Cry {USA}) will be ridden by Lyle Hewitson, and Alexis Badel rides Infinite Resolve (Snitzel).

“He’s putting up quite a good record now and the nice part about the race was when it got a bit tough and he had to stretch the last part to beat Beauty Bolt, he did. So, he’s got good ability, but he’s got good heart,” Newnham said after Invincible Ibis’ last start victory on January 11. He’s won four in succession leading into the Classic Mile.

“You can only keep winning and he’s put four together now, so he goes there (Hong Kong Classic Mile) in good form.”

Crimson Flash, who raced as He’s In Like Flynn in Australia, was a winner four starts ago in November and comes into the race off a last start seventh and a trial. Of note, Crimson Flash’s sire Showtime is the only stallion with two potential runners in the field with the first emergency Me Tsui-trained Pope Cody also by Showtime.

Winfield won two Group 1 races in Brazil in 2024, but has had just the one start since then, when ninth behind Sagacious Life in early January which was Winfield’s first outing in Hong Kong. Of the quartet, he would need to improve the most.

Infinite Resolve, second last start behind Little Paradise (Toronado {Ire}), was a winner the start prior and is in form heading into the Classic Mile.

Toronado could win two in three years

After Helios Express won this race in 2024, Jimmy Ting-trained Little Paradise could make it two from three for his sire in the race. He is in good form, having won his last two runs in succession. “I hope he can run well. I’ve already planned nearly a whole year for this race. This has been in our minds since he won his first race,” Ting said.

“We started preparing him back then to target the 4-Year-Old Classic Series.”

The only query is that it will be Little Paradise’s first attempt at the mile. “I think he is still improving. I hope he can keep going. Before his last race, I thought he could win, but I didn’t think he could win so easily. It exceeded my expectations. I think he can handle the mile, but I’m not sure how he will go further than it.”

The ultimate comeback story

Super Seth gelding Patch Of Cosmo (NZ) has already showcased trainer Manfred Man’s ability to rehabilitate a horse after he returned to the winner’s circle in mid-January after a ten-month hiatus.

Patch Of Cosmo sustained a left-fore tendon injury in March 2025 just after he’d won his fourth race in Hong Kong. He made it five wins when he returned this year, and goes into the Listed Classic Mile as a last start winner.

“I like this horse. He’s a lovely character and he’s got a lovely big stride on him. He’s always given me a good feel, and I was never certain where his ceiling was,” jockey Matthew Chadwick said.

“It was unfortunate he had that setback last season. I liked the way he was going about his work and his races. You’d like to think he’s got improvement for the run and having a win under his belt. The way it looked, it was a nice race to come back into – the way it was run, and he got a nice run through carrying top weight.

“They’re all positives coming back and I’m sure Manfred has him well. It seems he pulled up nicely and he’s ticking all of the boxes. It’s shaping up to be a very open, competitive field, so it’s going to be very interesting. But I don’t think he’ll be out of place. Last season, I was very happy with him.”

Patch Of Cosmo is one of five last start winners in the field. Only Sagacious Life, who has six career wins, has more victories, while Little Paradise is equal with Patch Of Cosmo on five career wins.

“It’s shaping up to be a good mile. Hopefully they go a nice even tempo that gives everyone a chance and then the best horse will win,” Chadwick said.

“It’s a very good year and the Club will be very happy. It looks like a lot of them haven’t hit their peak and it looks like there will be five or six who will be rated over 100 eventually. It’s an exciting race and hopefully it will be a good finish. This is exciting for Hong Kong racing. I’m excited and I rarely say that. It’s a race that you want to watch.”