ONE of the best sons of champion sprinter Oasis Dream, 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.

Unfortunately he was unable to race as a three-year-old because of an injury. He will have his first runners in 2020, one of which sold for £90,000 at Doncaster last autumn.

A close second on his debut at Nottingham, Charming Thought was a comfortable two-length winner 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 a run in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in mid-October and he fully justified Godolphin’s confidence by heading the speedy Ivawood in the last few strides, with subsequent champion sprinter Muhaarar third.

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 bone in his knee and was unable to race at all that year. Though he made a brief return at four, 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 meant 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 that 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, rated lower than Charming Thought as a two-year-old.

Annabelle’s Charm, the dam of Charming Thought, was a listed winner in England and group-placed in Ireland and Italy. She is by Indian Ridge out of a Sadler’s Wells mare who is own-sister to the Group 1 stars Ballingarry and Aristotle. Ballingarry 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.

CHARMING THOUGHT (GB), Bay 2012. 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.

Retired to Stud in 2017, first crop now two year olds.

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

Contact: Liam O’Rourke, Sam Bullard, Dawn, David, Franziska, Antonin, Claudia or Lucie

Telephone: +44 (0) 1638 730070

Email: hello@darley.co.uk

Web: www.darleystallions.com

Fee: £5,000