Expensive liaisons: Dubawi and Frankel stud fees soar higher

Dubawi will again be the highest-priced stallion in the world after Darley announced he will stand for an increased fee of £350,000 next year.

The 20-year-old son of Dubai Millennium has been offered at a price of £250,000 since 2017, but his season has been an exceptional one and he is in line to be crowned champion sire in Britain and Ireland.

At the Breeders’ Cup Dubawi produced two Grade One winners, with Modern Games and Rebel’s Romance striking in the Mile and Turf respectively.

Prior to that he saw his progeny win both the 2000 Guineas and the St Leger as Coroebus’ and Eldar Eldarov’s successes made him the sire of two British Classic victors, while Modern Games also triumphed in the French Guineas.

Sam Bullard, director of stallions at Darley, said: “There’s no bigger name in the business than champion sire Dubawi. He’s set even higher standards for himself in 2022, and it’s only right his new fee should reflect this. Equally, demand for his best stallion son Night Of Thunder is also extremely gratifying.”

The hike in his covering fee leaves him significantly more expensive than Juddmonte’s Frankel, whose £200,000 price has risen to £275,000 for 2023.

Like Dubawi, he has enjoyed a headline-making year, with his progeny winning the Irish Derby (Westover), French Oaks (Nashwa), Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Alpinista) and Dewhurst Stakes (Chaldean).

He is the sire of the four highest-priced yearlings at Tattersalls Book 1 headlined by the world’s most expensive yearling sold in 2022 at 2.8million guineas.

Other notable alterations are Kingman’s reduced fee of £125,000, down from £150,000, and the addition of Perfect Power and Naval Crown at Darley who have been introduced at £15,000 and €15,000 respectively.