Lockinge Stakes (G1) winner Lead Artist will shuttle to Arrowfield Stud in Australia in 2026.
The 5-year-old son of Dubawi will start overlaying his first ebook of mares at Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud in February at a price of £12,500 and can start his Southern Hemisphere profession later within the yr.
Arrowfield chairman John Messara stated the long-term deal represented a major acquisition for the farm and described Lead Artist as probably the most thrilling pedigree prospect he had encountered since international phenomenon Danehill.
“I have never been extra excited a few stallion since Danehill,” Messara stated. “I have never seen a pedigree like this, with that degree of prepotency on either side, wherever.”
The John and Thady Gosden-trained Lead Artist was the winner of 4 of his 11 begins and raced solely in stakes firm after successful his second begin by virtually 5 lengths over a mile at York as a 3-year-old.Join BloodHorse Each day
He added successes within the 2024 Thoroughbred Stakes (G3) at Goodwood and Darley Stakes (G3) at Newmarket to his CV that season earlier than returning at 4 to say the Lockinge at Newbury, the place he defeated the classic-winning trio of Rosallion , Notable Speech , and Fallen Angel .
Messara stated Lead Artist’s pedigree was central to Arrowfield’s curiosity.
“He is by Dubawi, who’s one of many hottest stallions on the earth; he is out of a Frankel mare—it is a pedigree from heaven,” he stated. “You may get horses who’re nice however cannot move on their genes. However there is a historical past right here of monumental prepotency on this household.”
Lead Artist is out of the Frankel mare Obligate, herself a twin black-type winner at a mile in France, and is a grandson of Hasili, Juddmonte’s Broodmare of the 12 months in 2006 and dam of 5 group 1 winners.
Messara added, “It is an incredible household, and one which’s not typically let loose of Juddmonte’s grasp; they’ve stored all of the females. However we’re accessing it by way of a male.”
Arrowfield’s bloodstock supervisor, Jon Freyer, was despatched to examine Lead Artist earlier than concluding the deal.
“Jon got here again with a really optimistic report,” Messara stated. “He is simply over 16 arms and is a beautiful, well-balanced particular person. Other than his bodily look and his race efficiency, the very fact he is acquired a household like his made us very desperate to safe him.”
Lead Artist will stand alongside different sons of Dubawi in Australia, and the cohort consists of Too Darn Scorching , who stands at Darley’s Kelvinside base. In the meantime, Benbatl , one other of his sons, shuttles to Woodside Park Stud in Victoria, whereas Henry Longfellow calls Rosemont residence throughout his time within the Southern Hemisphere. One other son of Dubawi, Night time of Thunder , beforehand stood one season in Australia and has since sired 9 stakes winners from 70 runners there.
Messara stated Lead Artist’s profile as a European miler added to his attraction.
“Once you get a high European miler, you’ve got acquired a tip-top horse,” he stated. “A miler offers you good versatility. You possibly can ship shorter-distance mares to him and get a sprinter, or mares with extra stamina to get a visit.”
Arrowfield will announce Lead Artist’s Australian price after the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in March and plans to offer robust inside help.
“We’ll help him properly ourselves,” Messara stated. “I feel he’ll be an excellent industrial horse in addition to turning into one thing fairly particular as a stallion.”
The New South Wales operation has had a long-standing affiliation with Juddmonte, which beforehand included the acquisition of Danehill and Bellotto, and the shuttling of Zafonic in 2002.
“We’re delighted to be doing enterprise with Juddmonte once more,” Messara stated. “There hasn’t been a timeframe set on his shuttling, however it’s a long-term state of affairs. They take a long-term view on their breeding applications, and so can we.”
Juddmonte chief government Douglas Erskine Crum stated the operation was assured Arrowfield would offer a really perfect platform for Lead Artist.
“Arrowfield’s success with shuttling stallions, together with a confirmed monitor file for producing champion sires equivalent to Danehill, Redoute’s Alternative, and Snitzel will present Lead Artist with the right platform to start out his Southern Hemisphere profession,” he stated.
“When it comes to pedigree, this regally bred group 1-winning miler comes from the household of excellent blue-hen mare Hasili. Lead Artist possesses all of the credentials to proceed the numerous affect of the Dubawi line in Australia.”
