Blue Point and Too Darn Hot set to shuttle to Darley bases in Australia

Darley will shuttle European champions Blue Point and Too Darn Hot to Australia later this year, when local Group 1 winner Microphone will also commence his stallion career for Sheikh Mohammed's operation.

Blue Point will stand at Northwood Park in Victoria, while Too Darn Hot and Microphone will join the roster at Kelvinside in New South Wales.

Covering fees for all three will be announced later this month.

Blue Point, a Shamardal half-brother to Railway Stakes winner Formosina, won the Gimcrack Stakes and finished placed in the Middle Park Stakes and Dewhurst at two, before establishing himself as a crack sprinter.

He went on to win the Pavilion Stakes and Bengough Stakes at three and the King's Stand Stakes at four, and was unbeaten in five starts at five last year – including a famous Royal Ascot double in the King's Stand and Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

Blue Point is currently serving his first book of mares at Kildangan Stud in County Kildare at a fee of €45,000.

Too Darn Hot was crowned European champion two-year-old after an unbeaten season that took in victories in the Solario Stakes, Champagne Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes.

After finishing placed in the Dante Stakes, Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes on his first starts at three, he confirmed his immense talent with a three-length triumph in the Prix Jean Prat and victory in the Sussex Stakes.

A homebred for Lord and Lady Lloyd-Webber's Watership Down Stud, Too Darn Hot has an impeccable pedigree being by Dubawi and out of top-class racemare Dar Re Mi, making him a brother to Group 1 performers Lah Ti Dar and So Mi Dar.

He is standing his first season at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket at a fee of £50,000.

“To be able to offer Australian breeders these two prospects is a huge privilege,” said Alastair Pulford, Darley's head of sales in Australia.

“We’ve seen what the Darley shuttle stallions have done for Australian racing with horses like Street Cry, Teofilo, Medaglia D’Oro and recently Night Of Thunder making a massive impression.

“The sires of both these horses, Dubawi and Shamardal, stood with distinction on the Darley roster in Australia and the availability of such a quality pair as Too Darn Hot and Blue Point is set to give Australian breeders access to elite outcross bloodlines that are already proven in Australia.”

Local hero Microphone, by Darley's venerable longstanding shuttler Exceed And Excel, was anointed champion two-year-old in Australia on the back of four wins that season including in the prestigious Inglis Sires'.

He also scored in the Skyline Stakes and Talindert Stakes and ran second in the Golden Slipper as a juvenile.

Microphone, out of the Listed-winning Anabaa mare Sung, returned at three to win the Autumn Stakes and finish a close second in the Randwick Guineas.

“Microphone was a genuine champion colt from a stellar crop that has since proven itself against older horses,” Pulford said.

“He’s by the world’s best sire of two-year-olds, there are stakes winners right through his maternal family and he’s a very good-looking horse in the mould of his father.

“This trio is as good as any group of new stallions Darley has offered in Australia.”

Vin Cox, managing director of Godolphin Australia, added: “Microphone, Blue Point and Too Darn Hot represent true class – these three stallions are absolutely mouthwatering prospects.”

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