Hunting for value

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Where better to start than those sires talented enough to have produced a Classic winner?

Ballylinch Stud’s Make Believe made an immediate impact as sire of the brilliantly versatile Mishriff in his first crop. The Prix du Jockey Club was among the trio of top-flight races secured by Prince A A Faisal’s homebred and in 2025 he was joined on Make Believe’s Classic roll of honour by Klaynn, the wide-margin winner of the Italian Oaks and 1,000 Guineas. The filly, who was snapped up by Teruya Yoshida prior to her Oaks romp, was one of nine stakes winners sired by Make Believe during the year – and nor was she the most accomplished since the list also includes a pair of Group 1 winners in Sajjir, the Prix Maurice de Gheest hero and another Prince Faisal homebred, and Royal Supremacy, successful in the Metropolitan Handicap in Australia.

With all that in mind, it was no surprise to see Make Believe’s fee increased slightly to €10,000.

With the post Cachet crops bred off a high of £10,000 set to hit this year, now could be a good time to take advantage of him at a fee of €6,500

It was announced last month that Rathasker Stud had enhanced its roster by acquiring Aclaim, a tip top 7f performer who threw 1,000 Guineas winner Cachet in his first crop. The high-class  sprinters Purosangue and Royal Aclaim have also represented the son of Acclamation to good effect and with the post Cachet crops bred off a high of £10,000 set to hit this year, now could be a good time to take advantage of him at a fee of €6,500.

Aclaim adds further Group 1 weight to a Rathasker roster that also offers Bungle Inthejungle (€7,500). Breeders know by now what they’re going to get with this particular stallion – a horse that is fast and precocious – and barely does a season go by when he isn’t represented by a quality performer. His list of 14 stakes winners is headed by the 2021 Nunthorpe Stakes heroine Winter Power and it was her full-sister Revival Power who helped advertise him to good effect in 2025 when the dominant winner of the Flying Childers and Roses Stakes.

The Rathasker line up is completed by Gregorian (€4,500), whose octet of stakes winners is headed by the high-class fillies Plainchart and Queen Jo Jo, and Coulsty (€5,500), who won fans after his small first crop produced American Grade 1 winner Shantisara and the Group 3-winning juvenile Santosha. His first sizeable crop (117 foals) have just turned three and so far contain close to 25 winners. Waiting in the pipeline is another good sized crop that includes a half-sister to Derby favourite Pierre Bonnard.

Top-flight success has also been quick to arrive the way of St James’s Palace Stakes winner Without Parole (Newsells Park Stud; £10,000). The son of Frankel had looked a smart young stallion in  the making in 2024 when his first crop of two-year-olds included the stakes-placed fillies Fiery Lucy and Sea To Sky, a notion that was validated when his second crop of 43 contained Zavateri. This likeable sort took the July and Vintage Stakes for Eve Johnson Houghton before denying Gstaad in a thriller to the National Stakes at the Curragh. Unsurprisingly, Johnson Houghton and Anthony Bromley returned to the Without Parole well during the sales season, snapping up three more yearlings by the sire.

Fellow three-year-olds Sticktoyourguns, the impressive winner of his debut at Sandown, and dual winner Suspended Sentence are also members of that second crop who could advertise Without Parole further this year.

Speed aplenty

Overall, Group 1 sires are plentiful at this level. Looking for speed? Darley’s Harry Angel (£10,000) is a particularly popular name in Australia, not unsurprisingly given he ended the 2024-25 season as a top eight sire when his earnings of A$15.2 million were buoyed by the exploits of Group 1 winners Private Harry, Tom Kitten and War Machine.

However, this Group 1-winning sprinter  is pretty effective here too, as illustrated by the events from 2025 when Fair Angellica won the Sceptre Stakes and Tiger Bay took a Listed race at  Newmarket to complement a list that already included the Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up A Lilac Rolla and high-class sprinter Marshman. He also returned a 52 per cent winners to runners  strike-rate with his two-year-olds last year while yearlings sold for up to 160,000gns.

Ardad (Overbury Stud), whose quick start at stud was fuelled by the Group 1 star Perfect Power, is priced at £7,500, down 40 per cent from last year despite the presence of five two-year-old stakes winners and yearlings that sold for up to 180,000gns.

This rare member of the Warning sire line can be used for just £5,500

Champion sprinter Dream Ahead, meanwhile, boasts a record of close to 70 stakes horses. They include the Group 1 winners Al Wukair, Donjuan Triumphant, Dream Of Dreams and Glass  Slippers, yet this rare member of the Warning sire line can be used for just £5,500 at Bearstone Stud.

Bearstone is also home to one of the value success stories of 2025 in Washington DC, who leapt to prominence at Royal Ascot when American Affair won the King’s Stand Stakes for Jim Goldie.  Washington DC was a hardy, high-class performer himself who packed in six wins in 32 starts and a number of his progeny are in a similar mould, the Abernant Stakes winner Washington Heights being another example. A fee of just £3,500 grants access to this Group 1 sire.

A similarly inexpensive horse who hit Royal Ascot heights was Mickley Stud’s Massaat, another £3,500 option who supplied one of the year’s top milers in Docklands. Docklands’ seasonal  highlight came when he nosed out Rosallion in the Queen Anne Stakes but he also filled the frame in another three Group 1 miling events. He belongs to Massaat’s first crop while German Group 3 winner Queues Likely is the headline act of his second.

Norton Grove Stud welcomes Group 1-winning sprinter Mayson, who returns to Britain following a spell in Ireland. Another priced at £3,500, he is is well regarded as a source of speed, a case in point being his rapid son Oxted who emulated his sire by taking the July Cup.

As for Juddmonte’s reliable veteran Bated Breath, he has been reduced for £5,000, surely an enticing figure for a horse whose season in 2025 included the Richmond Stakes winner Coppull, Grade 2 winner Breath Away and the Aga Khan Studs’ high-class homebred Surabad. Another whose overall record consists of close to 70 stakes performers, he was also represented in the broodmare sire department last year by Group 3 winner Afjan and possesses an interesting sire son in Beckford, whose first tiny crop of five foals has thrown four winners led by the Listed-placed Beckman.

Beckford operated early on as a private stallion for Maurice Regan’s Newtownanner Stud, in whose colours he won the Railway Stakes, and is now available at €5,000 at Kedrah House Stud.

 

Opportune moment

Coolmore’s Saxon Warrior sits within this bracket for the first time, having been reduced to €10,000. A first crop headlined by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road amid seven other stakes scorers drove his fee to a high of €35,000 in 2023, the resulting foals of whom turn two this year. That could make this year a good time to use the son of Deep Impact, especially in light of recent results; Group 2 scorer Garden Of Eden and leading German juvenile Gostam headed a group of eight stakes winners in 2025.

Coolmore also house two affordable yet very proven veterans in Footstepsinthesand and Holy Roman Emperor, both of whom are advertised at €5,000. Between them, they are the sires of close to 180 stakes winners; Holy Roman Emperor’s record consists of 14 Group/Grade 1 winners while Footstepsinthesand boasts seven. In the case of Holy Roman Emperor, the likes of Porta Fortuna and Caballo De Mar have helped drive his reputation as a respected broodmare sire.

Awtaad, who stands under Shadwell’s Irish arm at Derrinstown Stud, has been identified by a number of judges in recent weeks as being one of the standout options for 2026 at €8,500 – and little  wonder when his body of work includes champion Anmaat among 21 black-type performers. Ethical Diamond’s win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf was the highlight of 2025 and helped fuel the €380,000 sale of his full-brother at the Goffs November Sale.

Shadwell’s British arm at Beech House Stud, meanwhile, has an emerging young stallion on its books in Mohaather. The Sussex Stakes winner broke through as a Group 1 sire with his first crop thanks to the Sprint Cup winner Big Mojo, one of five stakes horses overall for the stallion. Others include second-crop standout Cape Orator, who signed off his year with a third in the Criterium International. Despite those Group 1 flag-bearers, Mohaather can be used at a reduced fee of £10,000.

It is well documented how Al Kazeem’s stud career has been blighted by fertility problems and it is to his credit that small numbers haven’t prevented him from making an impact. Despite never siring a crop larger than 27 foals, he has a Group 1 winner on his books in Aspetar alongside the talented sprinter Saint Lawrence. Oakgrove Stud, his breeder and long-term home, has priced him at £5,000.

In terms of statistics, however, few in this bracket can rival Raven’s Pass. Now into the veteran stage at Kildangan Stud and listed at a private fee (€7,500 in 2025), he operates at six per cent black-type winners to foals of racing age with a stud record of 39 stakes winners underpinned by four Group 1 winners. A broodmare sire record highlighted by the likes of Mishriff an Saffron Beach adds further weight.

Rarefied air

Four stakes winners from just 30 runners has placed King Of Change in rarefied territory and it is very much to British breeders’ advantage that he has been snapped up by David Redvers’  Tweenhills Farm and Stud.

A top-class miler who won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and ran second in the 2,000 Guineas, King Of Change – for one reason or another – did not catch the imagination in his first two seasons at Derrinstown Stud. A first crop of 45 foals has yielded three stakes winners in Lady Of The Lamp, Miss Of Change and Onemoredance while a second crop of just 25 is headlined by the Listed-winning two-year-old Shayem.

The son of Farhh covered a book of 124 mares at Starfield Stud in 2024 off the back of several promising breeze-up results, so he has plenty of ammunition waiting in the wings.

King Of Change is advertised for £8,500 at Tweenhills, where he stands alongside the Sussex Stakes winner Lightning Spear (£3,000) in this bracket.

Showcasing duo

This bracket also offers access to a pair of proven sons of Showcasing in Advertise and Soldier’s Call. Triple Group 1-winning sprinter Advertise (€5,000) switched Knockmullen House Stud last year fresh off the achievements of Cool Hoof Luke and Secret Satire, successful in the Gimcrack and Musidora Stakes respectively. The Oh So Sharp Stakes winner Calendar Girl followed in 2025 to add further momentum; she could well be a Group 1 candidate this season.

Mickley Stud has added Flying Childers Stakes winner Soldier’s Call (£3,500). An influence for speed typical of the sire line, he has produced a stakes-winning two-year-old in each of his first three crops so far and is responsible for 12 stakes horses overall.

Twilight Son (Annshoon Stud: €4,000), a top-flight sprinter in his day, enters his second season in Ireland with a record that consists of 11 stakes winners, many of them in his own fast mould. He had a handful of yearlings through the ring in 2025 but they represented him well, selling for up to 80,000gns.

Rajasinghe has won fans at the National Stud as a good source of tough, durable sprinters

Another fast horse, Rajasinghe, has won fans at the National Stud as a good source of tough, durable sprinters, as illustrated by his 2025 winners to runners strike rate of 54 per cent in Britain and Ireland (matched only by Night Of Thunder among active stallions with ten runners or more).

Last year’s move by owner Phil Cunningham to offer him for free to approved mares resulted in an increased book of 53 mares. At the same time, Rajasinghe enjoyed his most successful year on the track, notably as the sire of Two Tribes, whose lucrative handicap wins earned £240,000, and Run Boy Run, the earner of £190,000.

Rajasinghe has returned to a fee of £3,000.

Mattmu is one stallion who also punches above his weight. A hardy Group 2-winning two-year-old, he doesn’t have numbers on his side yet has made his presence felt, with the 95-rated Favourite Child emerging out of a first crop of just nine foals and last year’s Listed-winning two-year-old Argentine Tango among just a dozen foaled in 2023. Part of a growing roster at Norton Grove Stud, he stands for just £2,000.

Also priced at £2,000 is another fast horse, Molecomb Stakes winner Rumble Inthejungle (Norman Court Stud). Jack Channon’s classy sprinter Getreadytorumble leads the way among the winners from his first two small crops.

Group 1 talent underpins the March Hare Stud roster, which is home to 2,000 Guineas winner Magna Grecia (£5,500) and Middle Park Stakes hero Charming Thought (£3,000).

Magna Grecia, an Invincible Spirit half-brother to St Mark’s Basilica, sired Listed winner Myconian in his first crop and has several good-sized crops to run for him from his time at Coolmore while  Charming Thought’s record is headed by the US Grade 3winner Amy C.

Those with an eye on the Deep Impact sire line have the option of his Australian Group 1-winning son Tosen Stardom (€3,000) at Zenith Stallion Station in County Westmeath. He has sired plenty of winners from his time in Australia and his first Irish-bred crop are now two-year-olds.

 

Dual-purpose gold

As far as dual-purpose careers are concerned, the bar has been set high by 2015 Derby and Arc hero Golden Horn, whose stud record ranges from popular Group 1-winning stayer Trawlerman on the Flat to the Champion Hurdle heroine Golden Ace. The pair helped gild a productive season for their sire, which also consisted of Group wins by Santorini Star, Karmology, Divina Grace and  Lady Charlotte on the Flat and Poniros’ victory in the Triumph Hurdle.

As such, Golden Horn enters his fourth season at Overbury Stud as one of Britain’s success stories and will deservedly be popular at an unchanged fee of £10,000.

Cracksman has followed a similar path, being a multiple Group 1-winning product of Hascombe and Valiant Stud who has enjoyed his time in the sun as a stallion from his time at Darley. The son of Frankel produced one of the stars of the modern era in Ace Impact, the unbeaten winner of the Arc, out of a first crop that contains eight stakes scorers in total. He never stood for less than £12,500 at Darley, meaning that he has several well-bred crops waiting in the pipeline while yearlings sold for up to 150,000gns in 2025. With all that in mind, he could be an interesting play at his new home of Yorton Farm Stud at £8,500, especially for owner breeders.

Yorton also stands Postponed (£6,000). The son of Dubawi was another to enjoy a successful year on the Flat thanks to Amiloc and Waardah; Amiloc was highly progressive for Ralph Beckett,  capturing the King Edward VII Stakes and running second in the Irish St Leger, while Waardah won the Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood.

Emerging talent

The leading British-based first-crop stallion by winners of 2025 was Lope Y Fernandez, whose tally of 24 placed him behind only Starman. While Starman is full at €40,000, Lope Y Fernandez is advertised at £6,000 at the National Stud in Newmarket.

Lope Y Fernandez was an accomplished juvenile for Aidan O’Brien but his best performances came at three and four years when he was multiple Group 1-placed. As a scopey son of Lope De Vega, it stands to reason that a number of his winners should have arrived during the second half of the season. If that trend continues, then his stock should be more effective at three; as it is, he returned a winners to runners strike-rate of 39 per cent in 2025 – more than any other second-crop stallion at this level – while his runners include the stakes horses Isle Of Fernandez and Spanish Waltz.

Coventry Stakes winner Nando Parrado (Irish National Stud; €7,000) also made an impression with his first runners, which included the Harry Rosebery Stakes scorer Chairmanfourtimes and the £110,000 earner Howd’yadoit among 19 European winners.

Supremacy (Yeomanstown Stud: €5,000), the first son of Mehmas to stud who won the Middle Park Stakes, wasn’t far behind with 17 winners to his credit. They included one of the heartwarming stories of 2025 in Anthelia, whose busy season for Middleham Park Racing and Rod Millman was highlighted by wins in the Dick  Poole Stakes, National Stakes and Weatherbys Super Sprint.

Indeed, Middleham Park went to €105,000 to secure another one by the stallion last autumn. The colt in question was one of four six-figure yearlings sold last year by Supremacy.

A’Ali’s collection of 13 winners included two stakes performers in Ali Shuffle, who won each of her first three starts prior a close second in the Prix du Bois, and the Listed-placed Alarming. Another daughter, Society Kiss, also looked smart when equalling No Nay Never’s 5f track record on her debut at Ascot for Ralph Beckett. A’Ali’s yearling average of around 31,500gns held steady from 2024 and his fee remains unchanged at £5,000 at Newsells Park Stud.

Similarly, the yearling average for the Flying Childers Stakes winner Ubettabelieveit (Mickley Stud: £4,000) held steady, in his case at around 20,000gns. Iriseach, who was beaten under a length when second in a Californian Grade 3 in November, leads the way among his winners while there should be more to come from the 99-rated dual scorer Hilitany, a £300,000 breezer.

Of those stallions with a handful of runners, mention must go to Chapel Stud’s Bangkok (£3,000), the sire of four winners from just seven runners led by the well-rated Rising Empire and lightly-raced Eastern Veil. Both are trained by Andrew Balding, who sent out Bangkok to win six races including the York Stakes.

The Group 1-placed miler Roseman (March Hare Stud: £4,000), a son of Kingman from the Immortal Verse family, is also off the mark from a small collection of runners.

Century Dream has yet to have any runners but this half-brother to King Of Change was a high-class performer who won ten races over a six-season career led by the 2020 Celebration Mile, so it  will be interesting to see how he fares once his first three-year-olds hit the track. The son of Cape Cross stands for £3,000 at Norton Grove Stud.

 

Crunch time

Is there a Havana Grey or Mehmas lurking within this group? Time will tell but it’s an interesting collection of young sires, plenty of whom won the market seal of approval when their first  yearlings went under the hammer last year.

There is deservedly plenty of goodwill behind Stradivarius (The National Stud; £10,000) as a brilliant stayer whose seven Group 1 wins consisted of four Goodwood Cups and three Ascot Gold  Cups. It is vital to the future of the breed that horses like this are given their chance in the Flat sphere and in the case of Stradivarius, a number of good breeders have certainly taken up the opportunity. As far as the sale ring is concerned, Derek Veitch of Ringfort Stud was rewarded with the 100,000gns sale of his colt to Stroud Coleman at Tattersalls while Gestut Fahrhof sold its colt for €140,000 to Jeremy Brummitt at BBAG. In all, Stradivarius returned an average of around 55,000gns for 17 yearlings sold.

Granted, his stock are likely to come into their own with time but with his first crop in  the hands of John and Thady Gosden, William Haggas, Andrew Balding and Joseph O’Brien among others, he will have every chance to make an impact. He is, after all, a well-bred son of Sea The Stars.

Outside of Stradivarius, few can match the record of Perfect Power, who swept the Norfolk Stakes, Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes at two and the Commonwealth Cup at three. However, it was when the market had exposure to his first foals that he really caught the imagination and that trend continued into 2025, when his first yearlings sold for up 260,000gns (a colt bought by Shadwell Estate Company) and returned an  average of 60,647gns. In fact, seven sold for in excess of 100,000gns while his progeny found their way into hands of Andrew Balding, Robson Aguiar, Ramiro Restrepo and Amo Racing as well as his own trainer Richard Fahey. He covered an increased book of 134 in 2025 off the back of the reception to his first foals and remains unchanged at £7,500 at Dalham Hall Stud.

In the case of Darley’s Group 1-winning sprinter Naval Crown, a €320,000 filly out of Seagull knocked down to Hill of Allen Stud Ltd and Kerri Lyons at Goffs led the way among three six-figure  yearlings. Those results in turn helped produce an average close to 50,000gns.

Winner of the Platinum Jubilee Stakes for Godolphin, Naval Crown is the latest son of Dubawi to come under scrutiny at Darley, which has cultivated Group 1-producing sons such as Night Of  Thunder, Too Darn Hot and Space Blues – and is the least expensive at €9,000 at Kildangan Stud.

The Dubawi line can also be accessed through Dubawi Legend (Starfield Stud: €5,000), the Dewhurst Stakes runner-up who was a Group 3 winner at three. Trainers Marco Botti, Richard Hughes and David Loughnane were among those to come away with his first yearlings last year.

Starfield is also home to the Group 2-winning miler Space Traveller at €5,000. A sound horse who packed in five wins in 25 starts, the son of Bated Breath was represented in the ring by a half- brother to the Nunthorpe Stakes runner-up Ain’t Nobody who sold for 240,000gns to Kevin Ryan.

The next off the production line at Tally-Ho Stud is Persian Force, who returns to €10,000 following two seasons at €8,000. Persian Force’s career boasts plenty of similarities to that of his sire Mehmas, notably the single season of racing as a juvenile when he won the July Stakes and was multiple Group 1-placed. His progeny were well liked at the sales, with a 200,000gns filly knocked down to Jason Kelly heading his group of five six-figure yearlings. His owner Amo Racing was predictably among his most enthusiastic supporters, coming away with two of that quintet and five by him overall.

Another Mehmas son, Flying Childers Stakes winner Caturra (Overbury Stud: £5,000), hit a high of 60,000gns in the ring. Karl Burke, Richard Hughes and Tim Easterby were among the trainers  to buy his progeny while expect to see a few go breezing.

The Easterby family have also thrown support behind Nunstainton Stud’s Wells Farhh Go (£2,000), who was trained by Tim Easterby to win the Bahrain Trophy and Acomb Stakes. This dual-purpose son of Farhh – as his name suggests – shares his sire with King Of Change.

Shaquille primed for popularity

A traditionally tricky period for a stallion’s career and indeed several studs have reacted by dropping the advertised fees for their horses in question from their opening level.

A number of noted pinhookers were quick to join the Shaquille bandwagon

One such stallion is the July and Commonwealth Cup winner Shaquille, who now commands £10,000 at Ace Stud having started out at £15,000. His first foals caught the imagination at the sales, selling for an average of close to 60,000gns for 46 sold. A number of noted pinhookers were quick to join the bandwagon although his top foal, a 210,000gns half-sister to Gimcrack Stakes winner Ajaya, was bought by an end user in the Japanese-based Paca Paca Farm.

Shaquille has attracted the kind of hype that goes in hand with pressure but it helps that he he has a powerful and ambitious operation behind him in Ace Stud. Whitsbury Manor Stud’s ability to develop stallions off affordable levels has undoubtedly been a driving force when it comes to Dragon Symbol.

This hardy sprinter, who was first past the post in the 2020 Commonwealth Cup and ran second in July Cup, has not only been booked full in both his seasons to date but also secured the approval of the market at last year’s foal sales, as illustrated by an average of close to 35,000gns for 48 sold. Among them were six foals who sold for north of 50,000gns headed by a 85,000gns colt out of Holloa bought by Peter and Ross Doyle. Dragon Symbol remains at £8,000.

The first foals by Mostahdaf (Beech House Stud) were also well received, selling for up to 100,000gns. The filly in question was bought by Shadwell Estate Company, which bred and raced the son of Frankel to success in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and Juddmonte International. Mostahdaf has been well supported by a deep bench of successful breeders yet Shadwell has been aggressive in its pricing for him, reducing his fee to £9,000.

Another son of Frankel, Darley’s Triple Time, also hit six-figure heights courtesy of a colt out of Miss Marjurie who realised €120,000 to Springwell Stud at Goffs. Responsible for six foals who sold for 50,000gns overall, Triple Time was the front-running winner of the Queen Anne Stakes. Breeders will also be savvy to the fact that a fee of £10,000 also gains access to the hot Reem Three family also responsible for Rosallion and Inisherin among others. He has duly been well supported at stud so far, with a first crop of around 100 foals including a handful bred by his late owner  breeder Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum.

The first foals by El Caballo (£4,000), a tough Group 2-winning sprinter, sold for up to 60,000gns. Supported by a strong syndicate at Culworth Grounds Stud, he is one of only two sons of Havana Gold at stud worldwide – the other is Havana Grey.

There is just one son of Speightstown at stud in Britain and Ireland in Norton Grove Stud’s Midnight Sands (£2,000), a six-time winner over 6f to a mile who scored at Group 3 level in Dubai.

Nor are fast horses in short supply within this generation in Ireland. Coolmore’s The Antarctic (€5,000), a brother to Battaash who cost 750,000gns as a yearling, won the Prix de Cabourg and ran placed in the Middle Park Stakes and Prix Morny at two. Meanwhile, Capital Stud houses Group 3-winning juvenile Castle Star (€3,000), also runner-up in the Middle Park Stakes. Foals by the son of Starspangledbanner sold for up to €50,000 last year.

At Rathbarry Stud, Bouttemont (€5,000) has assumed a place on the roster that was served so well for so long by his sire Acclamation. A six-time winner from two to five years, he enjoyed his  career highlight in the Prix de Meautry at Deauville.

Marie’s Diamond (Diamond Stud Bellewstown; €4,000), a durable son of Footstepsinthesand whose seven wins included the Anglesey Stakes at two and a fast running of the Paradise Stakes at  four, was represented by a handful of foals at the sales and returned an average of €24,000.

Finally, don’t underestimate the Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Dubai Mile. The only son of Roaring Lion at stud, he has received plenty of support from his owner Ahmad Al Shaikh, whose first crop representatives by the stallion include those out of the Group 1-placed Zghorta Dance and a half-sister to the exciting Night Storm. Previously in Britain, Dubai Mile switched to Coolagown Stud last season and is unchanged at €4,000.

Second season generation

Unsurprisingly in light of the industry’s excitement at anything new, this cohort of young sires were not lacking for overall support during their first seasons in 2025.

Yeomanstown Stud threw its weight behind its July Cup winner Mill Stream (€10,000), sending him around 35 mares. The son of Gleneagles also received the support of a wide range of commercial  breeders that resulted in him covering a book of 170.

The Mill Reef Stakes winner Sakheer was also fully booked at Ballyhane Stud, the operation that developed Sands Of Mali to such good effect. For those breeders who target precocity, it’s worth remembering that Sakheer was precocious enough to command €550,000 as a breezer.

Shouldvebeenaring (Irish National Stud: €6,000), the sole son of Havana Grey at stud in Ireland, attracted 125 mares, 25 per cent of whom were black-type runners. A six-time winner who came to hand early for Richard Hannon, he fell within a whisker of landing Group 1 laurels in the Haydock Sprint Cup. Group 1 form also supports Aesop’s Fables (€6,000), a typically fast No Nay Never product who won the Futurity Stakes and ran third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and Prix de l’Abbaye at three. He received a first book of 110 at Starfield Stud.

Go Bears Go (€6,000) attracted 87 mares Oak Lodge Stud. Amo Racing, in whose colours the son of Kodi Bear won the 2021 Railway Stakes and a pair of Group 3 sprints at three, were particularly enthusiastic as the source of around ten mares.

Kiltown Stud, meanwhile, is home to the Prix Jean Prat winner Laws Of Indices. Also a Group 2-winning juvenile who defeated 46 Group 1 winners during his career, the son of Power stands for a private fee.

The intake of new stallions for 2025 to Britain was worryingly low, consisting of just Bradsell, Eldar Eldarov and Isaac Shelby within this bracket.

Champion sprinter Bradsell retired as the winner of six races, among them the Coventry Stakes at two, King’s Stand Stakes at three and Nunthorpe and Flying Five Stakes at four. Such a record  unsurprisingly earned him the support of a range of commercial breeders at the National Stud, where his first book consisted of 130 mares, among them the Group winners Ebony Flyer, Maureen, Please Sing and Shumoos. He is unchanged at £10,000.

Newsell Park Stud’s Isaac Shelby boasts the distinction of being the only son of Night Of Thunder at stud in Europe. A high-class two-year-old who won the Superlative Stakes, he was beaten a  short head in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at three. He hasn’t lacked for support from connections with his first-year book of close to 100 mares containing a number belonging to either Wathnan Racing or Newsells Park, and like his stud-mate A’Ali can be used on ‘pay when you sell’ terms.

As for Eldar Eldarov (Chapel Stud: £5,000), it’s remarkable that he is even serving at stud given the severity of his stalls injury suffered in Dubai in March 2024. By Dubawi from the outstanding Alruccaba family, he was trained by Roger Varian to pull off the Doncaster – Irish St Leger double (in 2022 and 2023) and would have undoubtedly continued to take high order among the staying ranks had that neck injury not ended his career.

New studs welcome

The British intake of new stallions for 2026 is much stronger than last year, thanks in part to the additions of Barton Stud and Genesis Green Stud to the list of domestic stallion operations.

Barton launches its stallion arm with the top-class two-year-old Scorthy Champ (£8,500), a son of the ever-popular Mehmas who defeated subsequent Classic winner Henri Matisse when  successful in the National Stakes. Scorthy Champ has the backing of a strong syndicate behind him and is sure to be well supported. 4

As outlined in other pages of this magazine, there is also plenty of momentum behind Royal Scotsman, who embarks on his stud career at Genesis Green Stud at a fee of £6,500. The son of  Gleneagles broke the 6f track record when taking the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood and having run second in the Dewhurst Stakes, went on to run placed in the 2,000 Guineas at three and win the Diomed Stakes at four.

Other such as Aesterius, Electrolyte and Elite Status each possess the profile to satisfy the commercial market’s enthusiasm for speed.

It says plenty for the physique of Elite Status (Whitsbury Manor Stud: £8,000) that he commanded 325,000gns as a yearling from Karl and Kelly Burke before his sire Havana Grey had really  taken off. He was quick to come to hand, winning his first two races including the National Stakes before taking the Prix de Cabourg. He was also a dual stakes winner at three when successful in the Carnarvon Stakes and Hackwood Stakes – over older horses – at Newbury.

Aesterius (Bearstone Stud: £6,500) was another excellent sprint two-year-old, precocious enough to sell for £380,000 as a breezer to Wathnan Racing prior to rattling off wins in the Dragon  Stakes, Prix d’Arenberg and Flying Childers Stakes. It’s a profile that tends to be typical of the Mehmas breed, an aspect that will suit commercial eyes.

Norton Grove Stud’s Electrolyte (£3,000) was also an expensive Wathnan breezer, selling for £220,000 ahead of a 6f debut win and nose defeat in Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot; the likes of  Camille Pissarro and Cool Hoof Luke were behind him that day. The son of Hello Youmzain later won the Prix Eclipse at Chantilly.

In Ireland, this group includes two Breeders’ Cup winners in Magnum Force, the Juvenile Turf Sprint winner and Unquestionable, the Juvenile Turf hero.

Magnum Force, a true 5f specialist who was also placed in the Flying Childers Stakes, represents another path into the ever-popular Mehmas sire line. He is new to Ballyhane Stud at €7,500.

As for Unquestionable, he retires to Rathbarry Stud at €10,000. Also second in the Prix Jean-Lagardere, he is a member of the famous Best In Show family via the branch responsible for Bated  Breath and Cityscape.

His sire Wootton Bassett is also responsible for Capital Stud’s new recruit Topgear (€7,500). A Group 3 winner at two, Topgear is likely to be best remembered in Britain and Ireland for his victory  in the 2024 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket. He won seven races overall, four of them at Pattern level.

“He offers very serious potential at a very accessible fee”

Fernando Laffon Lomba, agent

“As always, the stallion market is full of excitement, hype, and opportunity. While many chase the latest trends, I prefer to focus on genuine value – horses that offer strong upside relative to their fees, proven or promising attributes, and the ability to match well with the right mares.

“New sires: this category always generates the most buzz – the ‘shiny new toy’ effect is irresistible to many breeders every year. Personally, I tend to step back a bit and wait at least one year to see  what they actually produce on the track before committing top mares.

“That said, I consider Maranoa Charlie at Tally-Ho Stud a genuine standout for value. He was a very good-looking individual, and my cousin Christopher [Head] managed him to perfection.  Maranoa Charlie ticks the precocity box emphatically, which is huge for a dominant physical horse like him. He performed very well at three, culminating in a brilliant victory in the Prix de la  Forêt.  Standing at €20,000, he offers serious potential at a very accessible fee for breeders seeking speed and quality.

“Unproven sires: here Baaeed stands  out to me as representing the highest quality of any stallion in the book. Pre-trainers seem to be positive on the professional attitude of his progeny. The public saw only about a third to a quarter of his yearlings at the sales, forgetting that many owner-breeders who used him kept the rest at home. At £55,000, I believe Baaeed is a complete no- brainer. In fact, we are sending our Group 3-winning and Group 1-placed mare Maxux to him this season, which speaks to our confidence in his potential.

“Established sires: you can always make a strong case for several proven stallions here. For me, Gleneagles will always be one I classify as outstanding value. He consistently throws durable, sound horses at all levels, he can really elevate the class of a mare and you don’t have to break the bank to access him (€20,000). In my opinion, he represents one of the best families in the stud book and remains a strong value pick.

“On a higher-priced scale (though far from the most expensive), I consider Zarak to be very well priced at €80,000. He has his first ‘expensive’ crop now turning two, and he has covered healthy books since entering stud. His statistics have been rather impressive, and not only on soft ground as some people judge him – he produces quality across all conditions.”

Martin Stevens, bloodstock journalist

“Statistical over-achiever King Of Change might have been given a fee increase in his new home this season, but it doesn’t mean he now represents bad value. Quite the reverse, in fact: he is on a  steep upward trajectory and it’s easy to see his price rising even higher in future, if he maintains the strength in depth of his output.

“As is well-known by now, King Of Change posted four black-type winners from just 30 runners in Europe last year at a phenomenal strike-rate of 13.33 per cent, which outdid every other sire  except Dubawi by that metric that term.

“True, Lady With The Lamp, Onemoredance, Shayem and Miss Of Change were all ‘only’ Listed scorers but, then again, the first-named trio won in Britain and Ireland and the last struck in France, rather than in less competitive racing jurisdictions, so there was a real ring of quality about them.

“The big question with King Of Change is why didn’t a Group 1-winning son of Farhh with a good pedigree receive more support in the first place? Anyway, that’s history now, as he has been priced very fairly by Tweenhills at £8,500 and I look forward to seeing more of his talented runners in the coming years.”

Oisin Browne, Browne Brothers Bloodstock

“Palace Pier. Darley kept him at £32,000, which I thought was fair to the breeders. He had eight stakes horses in his first crop of two-year-olds and six horses rated over 90 including the likes of Royal Fixation.

They look like they should improve again as three-year-olds and he’s got some more well-bred crops coming through.”

Oliver St Lawrence, agent

“Baaeed. I liked enough of his yearlings and with the quality of mares he covered it’s hard to see him completely flop. Being decently discounted by the stud this year.

“Nathaniel consistently  produces quality, middle-distance performers and has a yearling median and average four to five times his covering fee.

“Ardad had five stakes performers in 2025 with 41 individual two-year-old winners. He missed a flagship runner but could very easily produce one with some big crops to come.”

Kelly Thomas, Maywood Stud

“At his reduced fee of €60,000, Camelot could represent tremendous value. He was a champion on the track, he possesses deeply good looks which he imparts on his stock and as recently as 2024 was the European Champion Sire. To add, he has the Derby favourite in the gorgeous and talented Pierre Bonnard. His sales results are none too shabby either and his supporters can expect to achieve a handsome profit with 2025 yearling average more than double his fee at time of covering.

“Starspangledbanner is reaching his twilight years but to see him you wouldn’t believe it. He is absolutely thriving, which makes him a credit to the team at Castlehyde. It’s no secret that he has had fertility issues but the way he is now managed means you have as good a chance of getting your mare in foal as with any other stallion. He had seven group/stakes winning two-year-olds in 2025, two of which were Cartier Champions and both are consequently heading the markets for their respective Guineas races. Although at his highest fee of €60,000, you still get a big bang for your buck especially if a few more make it through the gates of Ballydoyle!

“Oasis Dream once stood for as much as £85,000, so now at £15,000 I think he is a bargain. He retains his good looks and zest for life, not to mention 82% fertility in 2025. His stock inherit his  looks and a talent that sees them still able to perform at the highest level. He is also a very successful broodmare sire. An excellent prospect for owner breeders.

“I know you can’t judge a horse on a few early foals, but it seems to me Vandeek (£15,000) has already shown he can stamp his stock with the qualities I have come to expect from his family. Good- looking, good colour, strong and speedy stock, and if his all important will to win is also passed on, Vandeek has a great chance of making it a success at stud!.

“As a combination of Shamardal and Teofilo, Inisherin (£12,500) really is what it says on the tin giving you a physical that possesses both power and size. Inisherin was also a success on the track, he certainly looked the part the day he beat Vandeek in the Sandy Lane prior to his win in the Commonwealth Cup. You might forgive him for not being the most precocious at two, perhaps his stout physical as a juvenile meant he needed a bit of time, but crucially once dropped back in trip began to flourish on the track.

“Beauvatier showed a lot of precocity to beat Ramatuelle, France’s best filly of 2023, and was later only narrowly beaten by Rosallion. He’s well-related, being by Lope de Vega and out of a Sea the Stars mare, and could represent value to breeders with mares based in France at €7,000.

“Finally, Frankel needs no introduction, but it might just be an opportunity to appreciate just what he has achieved with a mere 11 crops of racing age. If you are lucky enough to have the resources to use Frankel, you would have a 66% chance of having a starter, that starter would have a 47% chance of winning and furthermore an 11% chance of achieving the all important blacktype and a 7% chance of being placed.

“Although there was a slight dip in the percentage of yearlings sold through the auction ring in 2025, possibly reflecting the difficulty vendors were having with valuing their stock after the inflated market prices achieved in 2024, in the main you will have between an 80 and 100% chance of selling your Frankel yearling, and in 2025 prices averaged £725,000, with a median £500,000 and a high of £3.6 million! All from a fee of £275,000. With the forthcoming yearling crops conceived at a fee of £350,000 and Frankel showing no signs of slowing, having become the fastest sire to 100 Group/Graded winners in history, you’d have to be believe you would have an extremely good chance of getting a very healthy return.”