Epsom win a window back into Dubawi’s dominance

God’s Window’s success in the Epsom Handicap was a timely reminder of the legendary Darley sire Dubawi’s ongoing influence in Australia.

While in recent times it has been Dubawi’s sons and grandsons which have been making their mark in Australia, British-bred six-year-old God’s Window became the first elite winner for his sire in Australia in eight years.

The victory gave Chris Waller his seventh Epsom and apprentice Siena Grima her first Group 1 success at her first ride at that level. Waller trains him for Drakenstein’s Gaynor Rupert.

God’s Window became Dubawi’s 65th Group 1 winner worldwide and his 330th stakes winner. Arabian Crown subsequently took the worldwide Group 1 tally to 66 with victory in the Canadian International at Woodbine later on Saturday.

Significantly, the Epsom win took Dubawi’s Australian record to 25 stakes winners from 191 runners, a stakes-winner strike rate of 13.1 per cent. Of those, six have been Group 1 winners, four bred in Australia and two overseas.

Dubawi’s direct Australian breeding contribution came from just three seasons covering mares here: 2006, 2008 and 2009.

His three-crop Australian legacy came from realtively few opportunities. He stood at $16,500 in his final season in Australia. His fee at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket this season was over 40 times that at 350,000 pounds.

Out of those Australian crops came 22 stakes winners, with local Group 1 stars Srikandi, Secret Admirer, Tiger Tees and Shamal Wind joined by South African elite pair Happy Archer and Willow Magic.

God’s Window adds the success of Dubawi’s imported runners to that local breeding history. Dubawi has had 35 Northern Hemisphere-bred Australian runners, with seven of them becoming stakes winners here.

God’s Window joined Benbatl as an elite winner of that profile, while My Oberon, Captain Cook, First Light, Ironclad and Portland are the other stakes winners.  

He already has two Australian-bred Group 1 winners as broodmare sire through Militarize and Zardozi, while he is also the damsire of dual Cups hero Without A Fight.

The wider sire line has continued to build through sons whose own Australasian opportunities have sometimes been similarly limited.

Night Of Thunder’s only Australian crop produced five stakes winners from 46 runners, including Group 1 winner Kukeracha. Poet’s Voice had five Australian stakes winners too, one of them Group 1 winner Trap For Fools.

Across Makfi’s five seasons at Westbury Stud in New Zealand, 21 of 256 horses became stakes winners, among them three Group 1 winners.

Too Darn Hot and Ghaiyyath are among the Dubawi sons on Darley’s Australian roster for 2026, while Delacroix, Lead Artist, Benbatl and Henry Longfellow were also named for Australian rosters this season.

Too Darn Hot’s first Australian crop produced Broadsiding, who became his sire’s first Australian Group 1 winner in the 2024 Champagne Stakes. Now a four-time Group 1 winner, Broadsiding is in his second season at Kelvinside in 2026, alongside Too Darn Hot.

Ghaiyyath has also produced Observer, winner of the Australian Guineas and Victoria Derby, who retired to Northwood Park in Victoria for the 2026 season, but has since been sidelined after colic issues.

Beyond Darley, Benbatl stands at Woodside Park, while Delacroix and Lead Artist are at Coolmore and Arrowfield respectively.  Another son, Henry Longfellow, stands at Rosemont Stud, while Dubawi’s grandson Tropicus is embarking on his first season at Vinery.