Juddmonte Farms announced Sept. 25 that group 1-winning miler Lead Artist will join the stallion roster at its Banstead Manor Stud for the 2026 season.
The 4-year-old son of multiple leading European sire Dubawi is a Juddmonte homebred, hailing from the stallion-making family of Dansili. He is the first foal out of Frankel 's 2019 Prix de Sandringham (G2) winner and group 1-placed Obligate, who is a granddaughter of Juddmonte's outstanding blue-hen mare Hasili, whose descendants are responsible for 53 group 1 performances.
Lead Artist debuted in April of his 3-year-old season and soon broke his maiden in impressive fashion at York at about a mile. That marked the beginning of a progressive campaign, highlighted by victories in the 2024 Thoroughbred Stakes (G3) at a mile at Goodwood and the Darley Stakes (G3) over 1 1/8 miles at Newmarket. He stepped forward again at 4, his crowning moment coming in the stallion-making Lockinge Stakes (G1), defeating a high-class field that included four group 1 winners. Among them were 2024 Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Rosallion, 2024 Two Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Notable Speech, and 2024 Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Fallen Angel, as well as 2024 Sun Chariot Stakes (G1) winner Tamfana.
In winning this prestigious mile event at Newbury, Lead Artist recorded the second-fastest time in its history. Previous notable winners of the race include the successful stallions Habitat, Kris, Polar Falcon, Selkirk, Cape Cross, Medicean, Frankel, and Night of Thunder. More recent high-profile winners include Palace Pier and Baaeed.
Trainer John Gosden commented: "Lead Artist is a very powerful and well-balanced miler from a superb family."
General manager of Juddmonte UK, Simon Mockridge, added: "Lead Artist represents a fantastic opportunity to further strengthen our stallion roster. The extremely talented group 1-winning son of Dubawi is a product of Juddmonte's most prolific family, that of blue-hen mare Hasili, herself dam of five individual group 1 winners as well as the influential stallion, Dansili. Lead Artist is an outstanding physical with great balance, strength, and movement, all attributes which will appeal to the commercial breeder."
Lead Artist will be available to breeders for viewing over the course of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales, which will offer Book 1 during Oct. 7-9, Book 2 Oct. 13-15, and Book 3 Oct. 16-17.
