ONE of the best sons of champion sprinter Oasis Dream, the handsome bay Charming Thought was assessed as the second best two-year-old colt in Europe in 2014, winning three times including the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes and being placed second in his only other start that season. Unfortunately he was unable to race as a three-year-old because of an injury and he has now retired to start his stud career at Dalham Hall in 2017 at the very modest fee of £8,000 with a special live foal concession.

Beaten only half a length when second on his debut at Nottingham in August 2014, Charming Thought was a comfortable two-length winner of the Casino Stakes at Lingfield three weeks later, then another three weeks after that he added the Kegworth Stakes at Leicester, again over six furlongs. These impressive successes earned him the opportunity to represent Godolphin in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in mid-October and he fully justified their confidence by battling ahead of the very speedy Ivawood in the last few strides, with subsequent champion sprinter Muhaarar third, while Capella Sansevero and Kool Kompany were further behind them.

Charming Thought was assessed on 118 in the 2014 ratings of the best juveniles, just 1lb behind the champion colt Belardo and 2lbs above Gleneagles, with Highland Reel and Golden Horn lower in the list. Great things were expected of him in 2015, but he chipped a knee and was unable to race at all that year. Though he made a brief return as a four-year-old, he was fourth in a listed race on his reappearance and it was decided to retire him to stud.

The good looks of Charming Thought are underlined by the fact that he was one of the top 10 yearlings at the Newmarket October Sale of 2013 when purchased for Sheikh Mohammed at 625,000gns. His sire Oasis Dream also won the Middle Park Stakes before this son of Green Desert became the champion sprinter in the following year and he already has several sons who are showing great promise as stallions, among them Showcasing and Power, both rated lower than Charming Thought as two-year-olds.

Annabelle’s Charm, the dam of Charming Thought, was a listed winner in England and also group-placed in both Ireland and Italy. She is by Indian Ridge out of a Sadler’s Wells mare who is an own-sister to the Group 1 stars Ballingarry and Aristotle. The former won the Grade 1 Canadian International, while Aristotle was successful in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy and they both became good sires, as also did their half-brother Starborough, who won the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes. One of their half-sisters was the dam of European champion St Nicholas Abbey.

2nd top rated 2yr old colt in Europe in 2014. Won three races, £137,072, over 6 furlongs, at 2 years including, vision.ae Middle Park Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1.

Retires to stud in 2017.

Stands at: Dalham Hall Stud, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 9HE, England.

Contact: Dawn, David, Franziska, Antonin or Lucie

Telephone: +44 (0)1638 730070

Email: hello@darley.co.uk

Web: www.darleystallions.com

Fee: £8,000