I Overview
Charyn, the newest recruit for Nurlan Bizakov’s Sumbe, is a son of top sire Dark Angel, as is last year’s Sumbe newcomer Angel Bleu. Like Angel Bleu, Charyn is a champion, but the former was a dual Group 1 winner at two and a champion French juvenile, whereas Charyn, though a Group 2 winner at two, is a champion European older miler who was best at age four in 2024 as the winner of three Group 1 races in England and France. Both were best from sprint distances to 1600m, and that’s a feature of their sire’s profile, as is siring precocious stock that frequently stay on in training as older horses. In other words, the Dark Angels are not namby-pamby types; they are fast, tough, and genuine, and Angel Bleu, with 18 starts, and Charyn, with 19, typify this.
All told, Dark Angel, who covered mares in Ireland for €60,000 in 2024, is the sire of 106 black-type winners, more than half of them at Group level, including 17 Group 1 winners. In the face of competition from the ubiquitous Sadler’s Wells/Galileo, Danzig/Danehill, Dubawi, and Green Desert sire lines, that’s quite a feat. A good omen for both Angel Bleu and Charyn is that Dark Angel’s sons at stud are starting to make some noise towards carrying the line forward, including Group 1 winner Harry Angel, Group 2 winner Gutaifan, and Group 1 winner Lethal Force — each a sire of a Group 1 winner. In fact, Lethal Force’s champion sprinter Golden Horde also stands at Sumbe, giving the farm a number of options for breeders patronizing this unique and specialist line of Dark Angel, who traces to Northern Dancer through a series of sires of specialist sprinter-milers that goes like this: Acclamation / Royal Applause / Waajib / Try My Best / Northern Dancer. It’s a sire line built on type that’s stayed consistent through five generations, and that is very much a part of its appeal and reason for its success.
I Race record
Dark Angel began his career inexpensively as an “unfashionable” sire and made his way up the ranks the old-fashioned way, siring fast, early, and durable runners that succeeded in a narrow window as sprinter-milers and muscled their way to prominence.
Charyn, in contrast, will go to stud at the height of fashion. His dam, Futoon, a daughter of Kodiac — the half-brother to Invincible Spirit — has not only produced Charyn in partnership with Dark Angel, but also Group 2 winner Wings of War, and there is more. Futoon’s family is also responsible for the Dark Angel Group 2 winner Estidhkaar and the Dark Angel Listed winner Darkanna. It’s a family that, through generations and branches, has shown an obvious affinity for Dark Angel.
Charyn was a 250,000gns purchase by Sumbe from Tattersalls October Book 2 in 2021, and the stud presciently paid 850,000gns for his own sister Shinara as a yearling in 2023 before Charyn’s Group 1 runs, but in 2024, after Charyn had established his championship form, another own sister, catalogued in Book 1 at Tattersalls, was sold in a wholly different stratosphere, bringing 2,900,000gns from Godolphin.
This stamps Charyn as the hottest prospect to retire to France for 2025, both in terms of race record and pedigree.
I Analysis
It’s only fitting to look for pedigree patterns with Dark Angel when analysing what could potentially work with Charyn. We did this last year with Angel Bleu and noted that “mares by various branches of Danzig sires have succeeded with Dark Angel, with Green Desert particularly noteworthy through Group 1 winners Battaash via Lawman, a son of Invincible Spirit; Alfareeq through Cape Cross, the sire of Sea The Stars; and Lethal Force with Desert Style. Other Green Desert-line sires whose daughters have produced stakes winners with Dark Angel include Oasis Dream, Showcasing, Vale of York, a son of Invincible Spirit, and Kheleyf.”
However, there’s a caveat. The numbers for different sires may matter. We are providing statistics below from Werk Thoroughbred Consultants’ LyonScore for Dark Angel to illustrate this point.
For example, Dark Angel gets six percent black-type winners from foals and a tad more than eight percent when using superior runner—such as non-black-type winners that may have placed in Group 1 races—as a benchmark. Dark Angel’s strike rate for superior runners with Oasis Dream anywhere in the pedigree is 6/68 (9%), which is above his average, but he’s only 1/33 (3%), or well below average, with Cape Cross, but that one stakes winner is Group 1 winner Alfareeq.
Likewise, Dark Angel is 2/74 (3%) with Invincible Spirit, but one of them is Group 1 winner Battaash, whose broodmare sire is the Invincible Spirit horse Lawman, with whom Dark Angel is 2/14 (14%). Dark Angel’s strike rate with Galileo, the Coolmore icon, is only 3/67 (4%), yet again it resulted in Angel Bleu, a dual Group 1 winner at two.
How about the Danehill branch of Danzig? For one, Charyn himself is from a Danehill-line mare, and inbreeding to Danehill is certainly an option for him. Dark Angel is 27/285 (9%) with Danehill, and we noted last year that Group 1 winner Persuasive is from a mare by the Danehill Dancer stallion Choisir, and there are other Dark Angel stakes winners from mares by such as Dansili, Exceed and Excel, Kodiac, Foxwedge, Danetime, Camacho, and Mastercraftsman.
Dark Angel is 5/33 (15%) with Exceed and Excel, and it’s notable that Harry Angel so far also has two stakes winners, including a Group 2 winner, from Exceed and Excel mares. Dark Angel is 3/49 (6%) with Danehill Dancer, and from limited opportunity, 1/5 (20%) with Fastnet Rock, 1/3 (33%) with Mastercraftsman, 3/31 (10%) with Dansili, 2/8 (25%) with Choisir, and 1/4 (25%) with Dandy Man. These are all fine options for Charyn.
The Gone West line also has a lot of potential for both Angel Bleu and Charyn. Dark Angel’s classic winner Mangoustine is out of a mare by Zamindar, and Zamindar’s brother Zafonic is the grandsire of Wootton Bassett through Iffraaj — both of whose daughters are potential mates for Charyn. Dark Angel’s Group 1 winner Raging Bull is from a mare by another branch of Gone West in Mr. Greeley, and the Dark Angel stallion Heeraat got Group 3 winner Lammas from a Speightstown mare, the Dark Angel son Alhebayeb has listed winner Abama from a mare by Iffraaj, and so does Harry Angel with listed winner Iconic Moment.
What are some numbers for Dark Angel with Gone West and sons? He’s 14/115 (12%) with Gone West, 3/25 (12%) with Elusive Quality, 5/52 (10%) with Zafonic, and 3/9 (33%) with Zamindar.
Giant’s Causeway, particularly through Shamardal, is another potential match. Dark Angel has four stakes winners from Shamardal mares, including Group 1 winners Mysterious Night and Althiqa, and Group 1 winner Khaadem from a mare by Footstepsinthesand, a son of Giant’s Causeway.
Dark Angel is 4/40 (10%) with Giant’s Causeway and 3/15 (20%) with Shamardal.
In France, mares by Kendargent may suit both Charyn and Angel Bleu. Dark Angel’s Group 1 winner Art Power is from a mare by Keltos, a son of Kendor like Kendargent. Kendor is by Kenmare, with whom Dark Angel is 3/30 (10%). Another son of Kenmare is Highest Honor, with whom Dark Angel is 2/17 (12%), and Dark Angel is 2/10 (20%) with Verglas, a son of Highest Honor. Note that Gutaifan already has a stakes winner from a Verglas mare, as does Dark Angel.
Siyouni mares also may benefit Charyn and Angel Bleu. Dark Angel has Group 3 winner Dr Zempf from a mare by Siyouni, with whom he is 1/2, and the Sumbe-based Group 1 winner Golden Horde is by Dark Angel’s Lethal Force from a mare by Pivotal — the sire of Siyouni. Note, however, that Dark Angel is only 4/71 (6%) with Pivotal, though he is 2/10 (20%) with Kyllachy, another son of Pivotal.
Inbreeding to Machiavellian may also be beneficial for Charyn. Dark Angel is 12/63 (19%) with Machiavellian, and he is 4/18 (22%) with Medicean, a son of Machiavellian.
Other ancestors in the backgrounds of mares that may benefit Charyn include Secreto, who is 3/23 (13%) with Dark Angel; High Top, at 12/107 (11%); Derring-Do, at 19/153 (12%); Ahonoora, at 15/161 (9%); Young Generation, at 6/58 (10%); Cadeaux Genereux, at 5/52 (10%); Rahy, at 6/63 (10%); Gay Mecene, at 4/29 (14%); Troy, at 5/30 (17%); Top Ville, at 8/53 (15%); Sassafras, at 5/38 (13%); Royal Academy, at 4/28 (14%); Indian Ridge, at 7/61 (11%); Primo Dominie, at 4/12 (33%); and Dominion, at 7/35 (20%).
These numbers are instructive and can be used as guides, but they pertain specifically to Dark Angel, and should be used perceptively as the various influences on the distaff side of Charyn’s pedigree will be factored in. Nevertheless, pinpointing some of the above-named ancestors that have worked with Dark Angel and his sons should benefit Charyn as he establishes his own profile in the years to come. One thing is for sure, though: Charyn has the racing class and pedigree to make a name for himself.
Sid Fernando
OUR STALLIONS
Stay
tuned!
News
