DREAM Ahead (Diktat) was among the stallions who had at least two Group 1 winners in Europe in 2020, a feat he also achieved in 2019, and this year he breaks fresh ground by having a son among the new crop of freshman sires.
Dream Of Dreams and Glass Slippers were his big two last year, whereas former juvenile Group 2 scorer Dark Vision won another one at that level at the age of four. Glass Slippers also struck the top in 2019, shortly before Donjuan Triumphant landed the Group 1 British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot. The latter stood his first season in 2020.
Dream Ahead, a brilliant sprinter at two and three years of age, got his first major winner in Al Wukair, an unbeaten juvenile mile listed scorer who excelled at three. The André Fabre-trained colt beat Group 1 winner National Defense by a length in the Group 3 Prix Djebel that April, but lost his unbeaten record next time out, albeit it in a performance that enhanced his reputation.
Churchill won that edition of the Group 1 2000 Guineas by a length from Barney Roy, with Al Wukair and Lancaster Bomber a neck and a head back in third and fourth, followed by Dream Castle and Eminent. Of those, only Eminent does not have a Group 1 win on his CV now, and that Group 2 scorer, who is at stud in New Zealand, was a Group 1 Ranvet Stakes runner-up, Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes third and Group 1 Derby fourth.
Al Wukair chased home Taareef in the Group 3 Prix Messidor two months later but then short-headed Inns Of Court to win the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville.
The Timeform 124-rated bay is out of the juvenile winner Macheera (Machiavellian), and Witches Brew (Duke Of Marmalade) is one of his two blacktype siblings. Her talented daughter Antonia De Vega (Lope De Vega) added last year’s Group 3 Princess Royal Stakes to the Group 3 Prestige Stakes she won in 2018.
Macheera’s half-sister La Nuit Rose (Rainbow Quest) was placed in both the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas and Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches-French 1000 Guineas before producing the US Grade 2 scorer Tam Lin (Selkirk), and her siblings also include Star Mie (A.P. Indy) who is the dam of the Group 1-placed Japanese pattern winners Curren Mirotic (Heart’s Cry) and Hikaru Amaranthus (Agnes Tachyon).
Caerlina (Caerleon), the grandam of Al Wukair, won the Group 1 Prix de Diane-French Oaks, and her relations include the South African Grade 1 star and young Drakenstein Stud stallion One World (Captain Al) and the high-class Sri Putra (Oasis Dream).
Al Wukair’s best juvenile results may come in the autumn and beyond that, and he looks likely to get his best in the six-to-10-furlong range. His yearlings made up to €95,000.
AL WUKAIR (IRE), Bay 2014. Won four races, £477,349, from 7 furlongs to 1 mile, at 2 and 3 years including, P. Fresnay le Buffard Jacques Le Marois, Deauville, Gr.1, Prix Djebel, Maisons-Laffitte, Gr.3, Prix Isonomy, Deauville, L, also placed second in Prix Messidor, Maisons-Laffitte, Gr.3, and third in Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1.
Retired to Stud in 2018, first crop now two-year-olds.
Stands at: Haras de Bouquetot, Domaine de Bouquetot, 14130 Clarbec, France.
Contact: Jeffroy Benoit, Sebastien Desmontils, Antoine Gronfier
Telephone: +33 (0)2 31 32 28 91
Email: nominations@bouquetot.com
Web: www.alshaqabracing.com
Fee: €6,000