Darley's global good times keep rolling with first crop Grade 1 winner for Tower Of London

Darley's global reach was emphasised again on Sunday morning when Panja Tower, a first-crop son of Darley Japan's homebred stallion Tower Of London, won the Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo to become the first top-level winner for his sire.

Tower Of London is a son of Darley's Breeders' Cup Classic winner and Kildangan Stud stalwart Raven's Pass, and was foaled in Japan out of the Dalakhani mare Snow Pine, another homebred for Sheikh Mohammed's organisation although her family has its origins in David and Diane Nagle's Barronstown Stud in County Wicklow.

Winning rider Kohei Matsuyama said, "It's the best. I was in a good place. Before the race I thought I would just run at Panja Tower's rhythm without thinking too much about the position, but I could settle him in a good position. He got off a good start, and I think he was able to run a good race with a good rhythm. 

"I thought he was a very powerful horse from the time he made his debut, and he has won graded stakes at Tokyo. He's a horse who can use good stride at the finish, so I tried to race in that way today. I think he still has room to grow, so I'm really looking forward to it. It's been a while since I've won a Grade 1 race, but I'll keep working hard to win more."

His victory in the championship for three-year-old milers over the fast-finishing Magic Sands was the third win in five starts for Panja Tower who is trained by Shinsuke Hashiguchi for Deep Creek Co Limited.

Panja Tower became his sire's first stakes winner when successful in the Grade 2 Keoi Hai Nisai Stakes last season, a race that Tower Of London himself won during his juvenile season.

Darley's Tower Of London sired his first Grade 1 winner at Tokyo on SundayCredit: Masakazu Takahashi

He is one of a pair of black-type performers for the five-time Graded stakes winner with the other being Arlington Row who was third in the Grade 3 Kokura Nisai Stakes last year.

Their sire retired to Darley's Japan stallion station at a fee of ¥1,500,000 (£7,752/€9,165) in 2021 and it was increased for the first time ahead of the 2025 breeding season with his fee this year set at ¥2,000,000 (£10,337/€12,220).

His first Grade 1 winner was bred by Champions Farm out of Clarksdale, a nine-year-old Victoire Pisa half-sister to the 2009 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winner and champion three-year-old colt Logi Universe. It is also the family of the globe-trotting Deirdre whose exploits encompassed victories in the Nassau Stakes and Shuka Sho and the daughter of Harbinger was also placed in the Dubai Turf, Hong Kong Cup and Champion Stakes.

Clarksdale has a two-year-old filly by Declaration of War, a yearling colt by Pyro and foaled an Admire Mars colt this spring.

Tower Of London's dam Snow Pine is a daughter of Shinko Hermes who was bred by the Nagles and is a Sadler's Wells full-sister to Oaks and Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Imagine, dam of two sons who were successful in Group 1 contests as juveniles, and a half-sister to the Derby, King George, Irish Derby and Dewhurst hero Generous.

Raven’s Pass: Tower Of London is one of four top-level winners by the Breeders' Cup Classic heroCredit: Darley

Placed at three in Japan, Shinko Hermes' branch of the family has flourished around the world for Sheikh Mohammed. She is the dam of the British Listed winners Sixth Sense, a son of Shamardal, and Lake Toya who is a daughter of Dalakhani's sire Darshaan. 

As a broodmare Lake Toya is the dam of Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winner and Nassau Stakes third Sobetsu, who in turn is the dam of Group 2 Balanchine Stakes winner and Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes runner-up English Rose. Other black-type performers descended from Lake Toya include the Japanese Listed winner Light Back who was third in the both the Japanese Oaks and 1,000 Guineas and the Sandown Listed winner Lady Hamana.

Tower Of London is the second Grade 1-winning grandson of Shinko Hermes to earn himself a place at stud: her daughter Hermes Tiara produced the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) winner Dee Majesty by Deep Impact.

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