Hukum, one of the world’s leading racehorses and a full-brother to our brilliant six-time Group 1 winner Baaeed, has been retired from racing to join the Darley Japan roster in Hokkaido for the 2024 breeding season.

The Owen Burrows flagbearer enjoyed a stellar racing career including two famous top-level successes, namely this year’s vintage renewal of the Gr.1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, where he beat six individual Gr.1 winners of 15 Gr.1 races in a titanic battle up the Ascot home straight, as well as a superb four-and-a-half length victory in 2022’s Gr.1 Coronation Cup Stakes at Epsom. Hukum retires with 11 wins from 18 starts including 9 Stakes triumphs with 8 of those in Group company. He achieved an excellent career high official rating of 128 and a Timeform rating of 131.

The homebred son of Sea The Stars, a full-brother to Baaeed, is out of the Listed-winning Kingmambo mare Aghareed, who in turn is out of 2007’s Champion Turf Mare in the USA Lahudood, a descendant of Sheikh Hamdan’s celebrated producer Height Of Fashion, the dam of Nashwan, Nayef and Unfuwain.

Stephen Collins, European Bloodstock Manager: “Shadwell are delighted that Hukum, a full-brother to Baaeed, the highest-rated turf horse in the last decade, will stand at Darley Japan.

Hukum has all the attributes to be a hugely successful stallion. A top-class racehorse, possessing a wonderful physique, he hails from one of Shadwell’s most successful families tracing back to the highly influential broodmare Height Of Fashion. We are thrilled that Japanese breeders will be able to avail of such a wonderful bloodline that his late HH Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and his family have developed and maintained at the highest level over the last 40 years.

Sheikha Hissa and her family very much look forward to following Hukum’s new career very closely and it wouldn’t surprise me if Shadwell were to support him with some high-quality broodmares going forward as he is held in the highest regard by us all.”

Owen Burrows, trainer: “It has been an absolute pleasure to train Hukum over the last four seasons. I will forever be in his debt as he has brought my career to a whole new level. His enthusiasm for work and racing made my job easy. His win in the Coronation Cup by over four lengths and King George win this year showed off all his fine attributes perfectly. Class, guts and will to win. That race will live long in, not just mine, but many racing fans’ memory for years to come.

A superb looking and athletic individual, a full-brother to Baaeed, whom I’m sure will be very popular with breeders in Japan.”

Nomination details will be announced in due course

Shadwell