NEW Approach (by Galileo) was the unbeaten juvenile champion of 2007, and any disappointment there may have been that he was beaten a nose by Henrythenavigator in the Group 1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, and again in the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh was all but wiped out by what he achieved subsequently.
He won the Group 1 Derby at Epsom, finished third behind the older horses Duke Of Marmalade and Phoenix Tower in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes, which was held over 10 furlongs at Newmarket that year, and then scored an odds-on success in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
It is arguably his final racecourse appearance that was his most brilliant performance, when he thrashed Twice Over by six lengths in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Newmarket.
That rival went on to take the next two renewals of that famous race, as well as one each of the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes and Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes, accumulating more than £2.5 million.
As a champion at two and three years of age, a classic-winning son of a champion sire, and the best of three top performers produced from the Group 1 Phoenix Champion Stakes heroine Park Express (by Ahonoora), New Approach was one of the most exciting new additions to the stallion ranks in 2009.
He was champion freshman sire in 2012, champion second crop sire in 2013, and the top third-crop sire by 2014 earnings in the countries listed in Part I of the International Cataloguing Standards. Overall in Europe last year he was the second-best third-crop sire.
The results achieved by his global first crop have been outstanding with two classic stars in Europe, a Group 1 winner in Australia, a leading older European filly of 2014, a Derby-placed Group 2 scorer, and others who have won stakes or pattern races.
His star son is Dawn Approach (dam by Phone Trick), the unbeaten dual Group 1-winning juvenile champion who took the Group 1 2000 Guineas by five lengths, added the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes, and is a Kildangan Stud-based stallion whose first foals are arriving now.
Something was apparently amiss with Dawn Approach in the Group 1 Derby at Epsom, but the New Approach colt Libertarian (dam by Darshaan), who beat the subsequent classic star Trading Leather in the Group 2 Dante Stakes on his previous outing, chased home Ruler Of The World, to give his sire a second classic colt from his first crop.
This fine effort came the day after New Approach’s daughter Talent (dam by Peintre Celebre) won the Group 1 Oaks by almost four lengths, and she later chased home Leading Light in the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster.
May’s Dream, who is out of the 12-furlong Group 1 winner and Group 1 Melbourne Cup runner-up She’s Archie (by Archway), heads the southern hemisphere half of that global first crop and her best win came in last year’s Group 1 Schweppes Australasian Oaks over 10 furlongs.
Just over three months later, Normandie Stud’s homebred filly Sultanina (dam by Zafonic), won the Group 1 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.
New Approach’s latest batch of two-year-olds include a string of six-figured buys, headed by a 600,000gns colt sold in Newmarket, and his handful of foals offered last season included a €290,000 filly sold in Goffs, out of a half-sister to Dawn Approach.
His own siblings include the classic-placed pattern winner Dazzling Park (by Warning), whose Group 1-winning grandson Alfred Nobel (by Danehill Dancer) was a successful freshman sire in 2014.
He is also a half-brother to the leading Japanese sprinter and successful European sprint sire Shinko Forest (by Green Desert), and also to Alluring Park (by Green Desert) who is the stakes-placed dam of the Group 1 Oaks heroine Was (by Galileo).
New Approach was a dual champion on the track and he has been champion in two restricted sires categories so far. He has juvenile stars, classic winners, a Group 1-winning older horse, and also a son at stud, and all of this bodes very well.
NEW APPROACH (IRE)
Race Record: Winner of 8 races, from 2-3 years, over 7-12f inc Derby Stakes, Gr.1, Irish Champion Stakes, Gr.1, Champion Stakes, Gr.1, National Stakes, Gr.1, Dewhurst Stakes, Gr.1, Futurity Stakes, Gr.2, Tyros Stakes, Gr.3, 2nd 2000 Guineas, Gr.1, Irish 2000 Guineas, Gr.1, 3rd Juddmonte International Stakes, Gr.1, etc. European champion as 2yo and 3yo.
Stud Record: Retired to stud in 2009. 15 SW inc Dawn Approach (2000 Guineas, Gr.1, St James’s Palace Stakes, Gr.1, Dewhurst Stakes, Gr.1, National Stakes, Gr.1), May’s Dream (Australasian Oaks, Gr.1), Sultanina (Nassau Stakes, Gr.1), Talent (Oaks Stakes, Gr.1, 2nd St Leger Stakes, Gr.1), Libertarian (Dante Stakes, Gr.2, 2nd Derby Stakes, Gr.1), etc. European champion freshman sire in 2012. Yearlings made up to 600,000gns in 2014, foals made up to €290,000 in 2014.
Stands at: Dalham Hall Stud, Duchess Drive, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 9HE, England
Contact: Dawn Laidlaw, Franziska Schaertlin-Coffey, Sebastien Desmontils or Lucie Botti on +44 (0)1638 730070
Email: hello@darley.co.uk
Website: www.darleystallions.com
Fee: £80,000 1st Oct SLF