'His stock has progressed from foal to yearling in an extraordinary way'

Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale begins an important week for the teams at Godolphin and Darley, with Darley's director of stallions Sam Bullard optimistic of a fine showing from first-crop sires Blue Point, Masar and Too Darn Hot.

Ahead of the Dubai Future Champions Festival at Newmarket, of which the team sponsor a number of marquee races including the Darley Dewhurst Stakes, Bullard recalled the Darley sires who had landed the showpiece juvenile Group 1, including proven top-class stallions Teofilo, New Approach and exciting young talents Too Darn Hot and Pinatubo.

Charlie Appleby's powerful team will be headed by a son of Teofilo in the shape of unbeaten dual Listed winner Naval Power, a fine example of Godolphin's homebred operation. The colt is out of a Dubawi mare, Emirates Rewards, a half-sister to the operation's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Outstrip.

Bullard said: "It frequently produces everything we require in a thoroughbred. So a certain precocity, while they need to have a certain temperament as Newmarket Heath doesn't suit everybody.

"It's usually a fairly run race, it's a perfectly fair one run over a straight course and it's got a stiff uphill finish; it tests in every aspect."

There is also the small matter of Book 1, with particular focus on yearlings by the aforementioned champion sprinter Blue Point, Derby hero Masar and champion two-year-old and Sussex Stakes winner Too Darn Hot all on show.

Bullard said: "It's a very exciting time with these young horses going through. We talk about how fickle the market is and how quickly we move on from one star to the next. We're incredibly lucky with the number of top young horses we've got coming through.

We've been looking around at the weekend and kept an eye on the stock throughout the summer, and Blue Point's stock has progressed from foal to yearling in an extraordinary way. Too Darn Hot and Blue Point should be right up there [for first-season sire honours next year], while Masar is also very exciting."

Bullard is also confident that first-season sires Cracksman and Harry Angel can continue to thrive, with the sons of Frankel and Dark Angel having made bright starts to their careers at stud this term.

He added: "I have to keep coming back to fashion; Cracksman this time last year was pretty lukewarm and he's been a sensation. Three stakes winners or performers and ten winners, while Harry Angel has done incredibly well.

"Just because Harry Angel was a sprinter doesn't mean he's all about precocity, he's now had 18 winners and Marshman is rated 114, that's a very high rating for a juvenile. I'll be interested to see how the market picks up on him this week."

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