Lockinge hero Lead Artist headlines Group double for Frankel as a broodmare sire at Newbury

Juddmonte had plenty to celebrate at Newbury on Saturday when their homebred Dubawi colt Lead Artist added a first Group 1 win to his record with a victory in the Lockinge Stakes. 

A high-class performer at three, claiming Group 3 wins in Goodwood’s Thoroughbred Stakes and the Darley Stakes at Newmarket, the four-year-old was bidding to bounce back after a disappointing return to action last month when last of eight in the Group 2 bet365 Mile at Sandown.

The colt is a valuable prospect for Juddmonte as a Group 1-winning son of Dubawi out of Frankel's Group 2 Prix de Sandringham scorer Obligate. He is the third top-level winner for Frankel as a broodmare sire and second in as many weekends, following Zarigana's promotion in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at Longchamp last Sunday. Overall, Frankel is the broodmare sire of 13 stakes winners, with Prix de Diane scorer Sparkling Plenty another Group 1 winner out of one of his daughters. 

Lead Artist hails from one of the operation's finest distaff lines with Obligate being out of Oasis Dream's daughter Responsible. She is in turn a daughter of blue hen Hasili, the dam of top-level winners Banks Hill, Heat Haze, Intercontinental, Cacique and Champs Elysees. 

Her influence also continues through her son Dansili, a Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed performer on the track, who developed into a brilliant sire for Juddmonte. 

Obligate, who was also Group 1-placed when third to Laurens in the Prix Rothschild, has a yearling Dubawi sister to Lead Artist. Her three-year-old colt by Siyouni and two-year-old colt by No Nay Never sadly both died. 

Lead Artist became the 61st individual top-flight winner for Darley's superstar Dubawi, while he is one of two Group winners by the stallion out of daughters of Frankel, with the nick also producing this season's Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes winner Zanzoun, another homebred for Juddmonte. 

Lead Artist pictured as a foal at JuddmonteCredit: Juddmonte Farms

Frankel is also the broodmare sire of Prince Faisal's homebred Eydon, who sprang a surprise in the Group 3 Sky Sports Racing Aston Park Stakes, the opening race on the Newbury card. A winner of the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket at three, the son of Olden Times has had a truncated career but has shown plenty of talent.

His record includes a fourth-placed finish in Coroebus’s 2022 2,000 Guineas, while he was also a close-up third in the Listed Doonside Cup to the high-class Persica last September. 

He is the first foal out of Moon Mountain, a half-sister to Listed winners Arctic Gyr and Festivale and from the family of Niarchos-bred Group 2 winner and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches runner-up Hydro Calido. Moon Mountain, now sadly deceased, produced two other winners Hopeful (by Make Believe) and Teeran (Kingman).

Double on the day for Pinatubo

Darley's champion juvenile Pinatubo enjoyed a high-profile double at Newbury courtesy of Listed Childwickbury Stud Fillies' Trial Stakes winner Qilin Queen and London Gold Cup Handicap scorer Saddadd.

Qilin Queen, a 280,000gns Tattersalls Book 2 purchase by Sackville Donald, is another with an immaculate pedigree being out of Seagull, a Sea The Stars close relation to Classic heroine Nightime, the dam of Godolphin's world champion and exciting Kildangan Stud resident Ghaiyyath. 

Saddadd was bred by Godolphin and sports the silks of Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum. He is out of the stakes-winning Cape Cross mare Talmada, meaning he is closely related to Listed Heron Stakes winner and Group 2-placed Almaqam, by Lope De Vega, while he is a half-sibling to black-type performer Saleymm. 

Both Qilin Queen and Saddadd hail from Pinatubo's first crop, which also include Listed winner Tipinso, Group 2 Vintage Stakes runner-up Wolf Of Badenoch and Group 3-placed pair Diablo Rojo and Cavallo Bay.

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