Good Times For Darci Brahma

Singapore star Alibi has turned the spotlight on Danehill stallion Darci Brahma after winning the first two legs of the 4YO Challenge at Kranji.

The entire, bred by Terry and Vicki Pascoe, will attempt a clean sweep of the Singapore Triple Crown when he lines up in the $S1.15 million Singapore Derby on July 9.

The Derby is Singapore’s second richest domestic race behind the Singapore Gold Cup and a win would help Darci Brahma retain his crown as Singapore’s champion sire.

The Oaks Stud stallion has reigned supreme in recent years, winning the title in four of the last five seasons.

“He’s got a fantastic record in Singapore,” said The Oaks Stud general manager Rick Williams.

“He’s having a really good run in Hong Kong too. He’s a really good all round sire.”

The rising 15-year-old stallion is set to serve about 120 mares this coming season.

“He is perceived as an older stallion now and we don’t expect to get more than 120 mares,” Williams said.

“That’s a good number for him. He served that number last year and we are happy with that amount.”

Another horse flying the flag for Darci Brahma in Singapore is the Stephen Gray-trained Darc Bounty.

The gelding made it three wins in a row last weekend when he won the $S80,000 Kranji Stakes.

A New Zealand Bloodstock sales graduate, Darc Bounty was bought for $100,000 at the NZB 2015 Premier Yearling Sale.

Two further progeny added additional international flavour to Darci Brahma’s week.

Lucky Wan Feng, known as Parallel Universe in New Zealand, scored a comfortable victory at Happy Valley in Hong Kong while former Hong Kong runner Riyadh won the David Bourke Provincial Plate at Flemington.

Riyadh was purchased out of Little Avondale’s 2011 NZB Premier Yearling Sale draft for $100,000 by Paul Beamish and began racing in Hong Kong in 2012.

Lucky Wan Feng was bought by Regal Farm out of Curraghmore’s NZB 2013 National Weanling sale draft for $85,000.

Rick Williams said he has some Darci Brahma fillies coming on as late two-year-olds including a daughter of the top race mare Seachange.

“I’ve got four or five Darci Brahma fillies, all rising three, that are some of the best fillies I’ve had in work,” he said.

“Hopefully it will be a good spring for The Oaks racing team.”

Williams said the Seachange filly will trial at Te Teko next week and will then be aimed at the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas at Riccarton in November.

“Her dam won it and Darci Brahma won the 2000 Guineas so there is a bit of genetics there that suggest she will be above average,”Williams said.

Bought by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $1.1 million at the 2004 NZB Premier Yearling Sale, Darci Brahma won 10 of his 19 starts for trainer Mark Walker including five G1 races.

He was crowned champion New Zealand two and three-year-old as well as champion New Zealand Sprinter.

Standing his eighth season at stud in 2017, he has sired seven individual G1 winners and 6.5 per cent stakes winners to runners.