There is little in the bloodstock industry that prompts more interest during the winter months than the progeny of the latest first-crop sire to come under the hammer. As ever, there will be no shortage of opportunity to judge those horses at either the Goffs November or Tattersalls December Sales, at which there are no fewer than 760 entries by first-crop sires.
GROUP 1 BRILLIANCE
CHALDEAN
Frankel – Suelita (Dutch Art)
Stands: Banstead Manor Stud
2024 fee: £25,000
2024 book: 173 mares
Chaldean’s debut book contained nearly 100 black-type performers and/or producers from an array of leading European breeders. Indeed he covered more Group winners, stakes winners and black-type runners than any other sire of his generation in Britain and Ireland.
That level of respect from breeders emanates from a package underpinned by wins in the 2,000 Guineas and Dewhurst Stakes for Andrew Balding. The latter success capped a juvenile season that began with a win at Newbury in July and also included wins in the Acomb and Champagne Stakes. Chaldean is the first son of Frankel to stand alongside his illustrious sire at Banstead Manor Stud. He was a 550,000gns foal purchase by Juddmonte and is one of four stakes winners out of his high-flying dam Suelita.
Chaldean is particularly well represented in the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, where his 29 entries include the half-brothers to Grade 1 winner Max Player and Group 1-placed fillies American Sonja and Melo Melo.
GOOD GUESS
Kodiac – Zykina (Pivotal)
Stands: Tally-Ho Stud
2024 fee: €17,500
2024 book: 250 mares
The next stallion off the production line at Tally-Ho Stud, who have cultivated Kodiac, Mehmas and Starman to such great success in recent years. Few farms boast such a following, which is borne out in the case of the Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Good Guess, who was Europe’s busiest first-crop sire of 2024 with a book of 250 mares. That in turn has translated to a bold showing at the foal sales; he has nearly 60 entries in the Goffs November Sale and another 20 at Tattersalls.
A Group 1-winning son by the ever-popular Kodiac, Good Guess has attracted wide-spread praise for his good looks (420,000gns), all of which makes him a potentially attractive commercial
proposition.
LITTLE BIG BEAR
No Nay Never – Adventure Seeker (Bering)
Stands: Coolmore
2024 fee: €27,500
2024 book: 156 mares
A championship juvenile season for Little Big Bear culminated in a wide-margin winning display in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh, won by seven lengths from the likes of Persian Force and Bradsell. He was also forward enough to strike at Royal Ascot as the dominant winner of the Windsor Castle Stakes, and returned at three to land the Sandy Lane Stakes.
While it helps that Little Big Bear is a good-looking No Nay Never member of the Wildenstein’s All Along family, it also says plenty for his talent that his trainer Aidan O’Brien is among the breeders to have strongly supported him at stud.
He has a well-bred group to represent at the sales, among them a half-brother to the progressive stayer Pendragon at Goffs and a colt out of Listed winner Easter at Tattersalls.
MODERN GAMES
Dubawi – Modern Ideals (New Approach)
Stands: Dalham Hall Stud
2024 fee: £30,000
2024 book: 141 mares
Relations to the lines of Kalpana, Total Gallery and Sajir head the 14 foals on offer in Britain and Ireland this winter by Godolphin’s exceptional miler.
Overall, his debut book contained nearly 60 stakes performers belonging to some of Europe’s leading breeders. Such is reflective of the regard for an international record that consisted of five Group 1 victories at two to four years, among them the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Lockinge Stakes and back-to-back Breeders’ Cups (Juvenile Turf and the Mile).
Sound, consistent and genuine, he is also bred on the same Dubawi – Galileo cross as leading sire Night Of Thunder.
MOSTAHDAF
Frankel – Handassa (Dubawi)
Stands: Beech House Stud
2024 fee: £15,000
2024 book: 90 mares
Mostahdaf won six of his first seven starts including his 7f debut early on at three and the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown. However, he really came of age in 2023 when his wins included the
Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and Juddmonte International at York, the former sealed with a good turn of foot from the back of the field and the latter with some efficient front-running fractions.
A half-brother to Group 1 winner Nazeef from the family of top sprinters Pastoral Pursuits and Goodricke, this son of Frankel has been supported by a broad base of breeders, which is reflected in a sales entry of 26 foals to the Tattersalls December Sale. They include a colt out of Group 3 winner Divine and a half-sister to Group 3 winner Yourtimeisnow.
NATIVE TRAIL
Oasis Dream – Needleleaf (Observatory)
Stands: Kildangan Stud
2024 fee: €17,500
2024 book: 179 mares
Native Trail carried all before him for Godolphin during a championship season at two when his unbeaten campaign included wide-margin wins in the National and Dewhurst Stakes. Although not
quite so dominant at three, he was the authoritative winner of the Irish 2,000 Guineas having previously run a close second to stablemate Coroebus in the Newmarket equivalent.
A good-looking son of Oasis Dream from a fine Juddmonte family, it’s easy to see how Native Trail was so popular in his first season for Darley’s Irish arm. In turn, he has 45 entries to the Goffs November Sale and another 19 entries in Tattersalls, among a half-brother to Dewhurst Stakes winner Gewan and close relation to recent Fillies’ Mile third Evolutionist.
PADDINGTON
Siyouni – Modern Eagle (Montjeu)
Stands: Coolmore
2024 fee: €55,000
2024 book: 145 mares
A €420,000 yearling from a successful Wildenstein family, Paddington had looked a potentially high-class prospect at two when taking his second start, a back-end maiden at the Curragh by five lengths. However, what unfolded over the next 12 months marked him down as not only one of the most talented colts of his generation but also one of the toughest.
In the space of three months, the hardy son of Siyouni rattled off successive wins in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes, Eclipse Stakes and Sussex Stakes to confirm his place as the top-rated three-year-old miler in Britain and Ireland of 2023.
SHAQUILLE
Charm Spirit – Magic (Galileo)
Stands: Ace Stud
2024 fee: £15,000
2024 book: 158 mares
Champion sprinter Shaquille is now under the management of Ace Stud, an emerging and ambitious outfit who were aggressive players at last year’s foal sales. Should that be the case again this winter, then expect Shaquille’s first crop to assume a major presence in the team’s buying strategy. There will no shortage of opportunity given that Shaquille has 51 representatives in Tattersalls, including the half-siblings to Group winners Simmering, Ajaya and Persic, and another eight in Goffs.
The winner of three of his four starts at two, Shaquille developed into an excellent sprinter at three, when his four wins included the July Cup over older horses and Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
TRIPLE TIME
Frankel – Reem Three (Mark Of Esteem)
Stands: Dalham Hall Stud
2024 fee: £10,000
2024 book: 155 mares
A Group 1-winning miler, Triple Time is also supported by one of the most active pedigrees of recent years as a son of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid al Maktoum’s remarkable mare Reem Three: the Listed-placed daughter of Mark Of Esteem has produced five other stakes winners including fellow Group 1 winner Ajman Princess (herself dam of Group 1-winning sprinter Inisherin) while another daughter, Rosaline, is the dam of last year’s Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Rosallion.
Triple Time did plenty to uphold the family himself by winning the Ascendant Stakes at two and the Queen Anne Stakes as an older horse, in which he made all to defeat a good field in a quick time.
The son of Frankel is particularly well represented at Tattersalls, where his 32 entries include a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Bellstreet Bridie.
CLASSY SPEED
BOUTTEMONT
Acclamation – Basilia (Fastnet Rock)
Stands: Rathbarry Stud
2024 fee: €5,000
2024 book: 81 mares
No farm is in a better position to appreciate the merits of Acclamation than Rathbarry Stud, which managed the stallion’s successful stud career for 21 seasons prior to his death last year. As such, it would be wise to take note of the Cashman family’s support of Acclamation’s fast son Bouttemont.
A six-time winner at two to five years, Bouttemont’s career was capped by a win in the 2022 Prix de Meautry at Deauville.
Bouttemont, who shares his sire with Dark Angel and Mehmas, is particularly well represented at the Goffs November Sale as the sire 12 entries including a half-brother to Coventry Stakes winner Buratino.
CASTLE STAR
Starspangledbanner – Awohaam (Iffraaj)
Stands: Capital Stud
2024 fee: €5,000
2024 book: 91 mares
Castle Star offers breeders an affordable route into the Starspangledbanner line, which has been advertised to such good effect this season within the juvenile ranks by Gstaad and Precise. It has long been well regarded for throwing quick and precocious horses, for which Castle Star was a fine example as winner of the Marble Hill and First Flier Stakes. He was also runner-up in the Middle Park Stakes.
DRAGON SYMBOL
Cable Bay – Arcamist (Arcano)
Stands: Whitsbury Manor Stud
2024 fee: £8,000
2024 book: 140 mares
From the farm that developed Havana Grey and Showcasing into such important names within the British stallion scene, Dragon Symbol was first past the post in the 2020 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot also placed in the Nunthorpe Stakes and July Cup.
Bred by Whitsbury Manor out of its fast Good Enough family, he was booked full for his debut season and again for this year – which suggests that breeders liked what they saw early on from his first foals.
He has no fewer than 48 representatives at Tattersalls, among them seven from Whitsbury Manor Stud, several out of mares who previously helped to get Havana Grey and Sergei Prokofiev going.
EL CABALLO
Havana Gold – Showstoppa (Showcasing)
Stands: Culworth Grounds Farm
2024 fee: £6,000
2024 book: 100 mares
A debut foray into the stallion market or Sophie Buckley’s Culworth Grounds Farm, Sandy Lane Stakes winner El Caballo possesses many of the attributes to appeal to the commercial market as a high-class sprinter by the same sire as Havana Grey. He’s supported by an ambitious and commercial group of shareholders on both sides of the Irish Sea, and is duly well represented at the foal sales with 26 entries in total.
MARIE’S DIAMOND
Footstepsinthesand – Sindiyma (Kalanisi)
Stands: Diamond Stud Bellewstown
2024 fee: €6,000
2024 book: 22
If Marie’s Diamond’s foals have inherited any of his own durability, then they will be in a very good place going forward. From the fine Aga Khan family of SInndar, the son of Footstepsinthesand won no fewer than seven of 65 starts, including the Anglesey Stakes at two and a fast running of the Paradise Stakes at four, and has six entries in the Goffs November Sale.
MUTASAABEQ
Invincible Spirit – Ghanaati (Giant’s Causeway)
Stood: National Stud
2024 fee: £6,500
2024 book: 53
Out of 1,000 Guineas winner Ghanaati from the famous Height Of Fashion family, the triple Group 2-winning miler stood one season at the National Stud in Newmarket prior to his sale to India.
He was a tough seven-time winner in total and leaves behind a select single British-produced crop that is represented by six entries in Tattersalls.
THE ANTARCTIC
Dark Angel – Anna Law (Lawman)
Stands: Coolmore (Castlehyde)
2024 fee: €6,000
2024 book: 121 mares
This full-brother to champion sprinter Battaash commanded 750,000gns as a yearling from MV Magnier and went on to justify that outlay by winning three races during a busy campaign at two, highlighted by the Prix de Cabourg.
He was also placed in the Middle Park Stakes and Prix Morny, and trained on at three to win the Lacken Stakes.
Unsurprisingly, the bulk of The Antarctic’s foal sale entries are at Goffs courtesy of a 16-strong representation.
UNBEATEN ARC HERO PRIMED TO MAKE AN IMPACT
A deep collection of French-based first-crop sires is led by the unbeaten Prix du Jockey Club and Arc hero Ace Impact. Europe’s champion three-year-old of 2023, Ace Impact stands at the Chehboub family’s Haras de Beaumont, a relatively new and ambitious operation, and was busy in his first season at €40,000, attracting 183 mares – a big number by French standards. The son of Cracksman is likely to be well represented at the Arqana December Sale but he also has seven foals to represent him at Tattersalls, including a colt out of 1,000 Guineas third Qabala, and another three at Goffs, among them a half-brother to Group 1 winner Onesto.
Nurlan Bizakov’s Sumbe welcomed a pair of Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winners for 2024 in Angel Bleu, a son of Dark Angel who also won the Criterium International, and Belbek, a Showcasing member of the Hasili family. Angel Bleu covered 94 mares in his first season at €9,000, while Belbek received 64.
2024 was also the season in which Sumbe relaunched the stud career of Mishriff. A brilliantly versatile performer whose wins ranged from the Juddmonte International, won by six lengths, on turf to the Saudi Cup on dirt, Mishriff’s debut season in 2023 was derailed by a foot injury. Thankfully, he was well supported second time round by breeders as the recipient of 112 mares. They included Prince A A Faisal, who bred the son of Make Believe from his Rafha family also responsible for Invincible Spirit and Kodiac.
The Aga Khan Studs, meanwhile, is home to the Prix du Jockey Club and Eclipse Stakes winner Vadeni, who covered 124 mares in his first season at a fee of €18,000, and Erevann, a Group 2-winning and Group 1-placed son of Dubawi and the Group 1-winning miler Ervedya. The latter was particularly popular at his debut fee of €8,000, covering 168 mares.
Haras d’Etreham, formerly the mastermind behind Wootton Bassett, also has a young Group 1-performing son of Frankel on its books in Grand Prix de Paris winner Onesto. Another from the famous Hasili clan, he covered over 120 mares in his first season.
Ace Impact: well represented. Photo – Bill Selwyn
