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.
Douglas Erskine Crum | Image courtesy of Juddmonte
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.
“We're absolutely thrilled that Juddmonte have agreed to send him down to us.” - Jon Freyer
“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.”
Jon Freyer | Image courtesy of Inglis
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.”
“Lead Artist possesses all the credentials to continue the significant influence of the Dubawi line in Australia.” - Douglas Erskine Crum
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.
Lead Artist (GB) | Image courtesy of Goodwood Racecourse
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).
Champs Elysees (GB) | Image courtesy of Coolmore
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).
John and Thady Gosden | Image courtesy of Emma Berry
“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.
“The Group 1 that he won, the Lockinge, is a stallion making race.” - Jon Freyer
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.
Too Darn Hot (GB) | Standing at Darley
“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.”
“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.” - Jon Freyer
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).
Night Of Thunder | Standing at Darley
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.
Dubawi | Standing at Darley
“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.
Danehill | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“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.
