Book 1 sale-topper Darain to be unleashed by John Gosden on Wednesday

Darain - the top lot at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2018 - will face his first racecourse test when lining up in the second division of the 1m2f novice stakes at Newbury on Wednesday (7.40).

There will be sharp contrast between the behind-closed doors meeting and the packed Park Paddocks sales ring where the son of Dubawi and Dar Re Mi fetched 3,500,000gns, when signed for by David Redvers on behalf of Qatar Racing.

"I think he's the one we all wanted," said Redvers after the gavel came down. "The mare is quite extraordinary, as is the stallion. Sheikh Fahad and his brothers want the very best and to compete with the very best."

Oisin Murphy will take the ride on the John Gosden-trained colt, who was bred by the Lloyd-Webbers' Watership Down Stud out of their exceptional racemare and producer Dar Re Mi, the Yorkshire Oaks heroine whose runners are headed up by the exceptional miler Too Darn Hot and fellow Group 1 performers Lah Ti Dar and So Mi Dar, all of whom are by Dubawi.

Too Darn Hot was crowned champion two-year-old colt in Europe for his win in the Dewhurst Stakes and champion three-year-old miler in Europe for victories in the Prix Jean Prat and Sussex Stakes, while he commanded a £50,000 fee in his first year at Dalham Hall Stud this year.

In fact, four of Dar Re Mi's offspring have achieved a three-figure Racing Post Rating, with De Treville having struck in Group 3 company to earn a berth at stud at Haras du Mezeray in France.

Too Darn Hot counts as one of 42 top-flight winners for Dubawi, whose son Ghaiyyath toppled Enable in the Coral-Eclipse on Sunday to add to his victories in the Coronation Cup and Grosser Preis von Baden.

In what looks a competitive affair, Darain could be given most to do by the Lope De Vega filly Annie De Vega, who was second to the subsequent Listed winner King Carney on her only previous start in an extended mile maiden at Nottingham last October.

Interestingly, the third priciest youngster at Book 1 in 2018 was the 1,300,000gns yearling Amhran Na Bhfiann, a Galileo colt out of Alluring Park who took third behind Serpentine in the Derby last weekend.

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