Devamani lands Knickerbocker Stakes
Darley stallion Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) was handed his 191st stakes winner as Devamani (6 g ex Daryakana by Selkirk) broke through at stakes level in the Knickerbocker Stakes (Gr 2, 9f) at Belmont Park on Sunday.
The Chad Brown-trained six-year-old had been unlucky not to win at stakes level earlier in the year having run second in both the Tampa Bay Stakes (Gr 3, 8.5f) and Fort Marcy Stakes (Gr 2, 9f), but he was finally able to get his head in front when beating Olympico (Rajsaman) by two lengths, while En Wye Cee (Declaration Of War) was another neck away in third.
Bred by the Aga Khan, the six-year-old gelding started off life in France with trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre, before being purchased by American trainer Christophe Clement for €62,500 at the 2017 Arqana Arc Sale. He ran eight times for Clement, winning two of his starts and then was trained for a brief spell by Rob Atras and was then moved to Brown.
In winning the race the gelding became the fourth stakes winner - from four foals to race out of 2009 Hong Kong Vase (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Daryakana (Selkirk). Her three other stakes winners are Group 1 winner Daryian (Shamardal) and Listed-winning pair Dariyza (Dawn Approach) and Darabad (Dansili).
Daryakana herself is a daughter of dual Group 1 winner Daryaba (Night Shift), who produced four further winners, headed stakes-winning duo Daramsar (Rainbow Quest), who landed the 2006 Prix du Conseil de Paris (Gr 2, 2400m) and Listed winner Daraybi (Street Cry). Daryaba herself is out of Group 3 winner Darata (Vayrann).
Dubawi enjoyed a good weekend in Europe, headlined by The Revenant’s win in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Gr 1, 1m), which saw the stallion’s Group 1 tally move to 44.
The stallion stood at Darley’s Dalham Hall for a fee of £250,000 and he is represented in Australia this season by his multiple Group 1-winning son Too Darn Hot, who is standing his first season at Darley’s Kelvinside base for a fee of $44,000 (inc GST).
Arc Sale graduate DEVAMANI bought from @AgaKhanStuds takes the Gr.2 Knickerbocker at Belmont!
