Dubawi wrests BBA Silver Cigar Box back off Frankel to claim award for ninth time in last ten years

Following a superb 2022, Dubawi came out on top among the sires in the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s (TBA) annual Flat statistical-based awards.

The awards, calculated from racecourse results throughout the calendar year, include both British and Irish statistics for British-based stallions and breeders.

The BBA Silver Cigar Box, which is awarded to Britain’s leading sire by earnings over the calendar year, was reclaimed from Frankel. Dubawi has now won the accolade nine out of the past ten years. The Dalham Hall Stud resident ended the campaign with 99 winners in Britain and Ireland for a total prize-money haul of £6,387,336.

Among those 99 winners of 152 races was Eldar Eldarov, the Kirsten Rausing-bred grey who came out best in a fine renewal of the world’s oldest Classic, the St Leger. Earlier in the campaign the Roger Varian trainee had captured the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot.

Also at the royal meeting, there was success for the Godolphin homebred Naval Crown, who was victorious in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes. Another homebred success came courtesy of Yibir in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket’s July meeting.

The now 21-year-old son of Dubai Millennium was also represented on the domestic front by the George Strawbridge homebred Mimikyu, who was successful in the Park Hill Stakes on Town Moor in September.

Also leading the way in terms of individual Flat winners, Dubawi is the recipient of the Barleythorpe Stud Silver Cup, a trophy he has now won for the past six seasons.

The Tattersalls Silver Salver, awarded to the leading British-based first season sire by Flat earnings, is given to Havana Grey. This is the third time in the past nine years that the Harper family have received this award.

Havana Grey’s own sire Havana Gold was the recipient of the award in 2017.

Havana Grey: Tattersalls Silver Salver winner for 2022Credit: Whitsbury Manor Stud

Sire of five stakes winners from his initial crop – three in Britain and two in France – his progeny in Britain and Ireland accrued £1,070,064. Among the 36 individual winners was the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes winner Rumstar, the Listed scorers Cuban Mistress (St Hugh’s Stakes) and Shouldvebeenaring (Champion 2yo Trophy). Maylandsea, a winner at Nottingham on her debut, went on to be runner-up in the Queen Mary Stakes and in the Cornwallis. 

The Queen’s Silver Cup for leading British-based Flat breeder was awarded to Godolphin. Sheikh Mohammed’s thoroughbred breeding operation retained the award for the 11th consecutive year, topping the lists in terms of earnings. Its flagbearer was the aforementioned Naval Crown, while there were Group wins for Yibir, Flying Beauty (Zetland Stakes) and Wild Beauty (Fred Darling Stakes).

Nathaniel takes BEBF Stallion Special Merit Award

Voted on by an industry panel, Nathaniel is the recipient of the British European Breeders’ Fund’s Stallion Special Merit Award for results from the 2022 Flat racing season.

The award, with a shortlist drawn from the British EBF-supported Stallion Focus in the European Bloodstock News, recognises British-based stallions that reward breeders through value for money, accessibility and performance, without necessarily the advantages of large books of mares or the high fees such popularity commands.

Having supplied an Oaks winner and heroine of the turf in Enable from his first crop, Nathaniel’s sixth contained last season’s Derby victor Desert Crown. He was ably backed up by the multiple Group scorer Quickthorn, and the Group 3-winning three-year-olds Poptronic and Zechariah.

All five awards will be presented at the annual TBA Flat Breeders’ Awards Evening, which will take place at Chippenham Park on Wednesday, July 12.

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