It wasn’t that long ago that breeders could access Havana Grey at £6,000. Time will tell if there’s another affordable stallion on the verge of following suit but regardless, there’s still plenty old and new to entice value hunters.
New names
From good two-year-olds to top sprinters and a champion middle-distance horse, this bracket has it all for breeders looking to support a first-year stallion on a budget.
Group 1-winning sprinter Bradsell (left) has been installed at £10,000 at the National Stud, where by all accounts the son of Tasleet is set to be very popular. Purchased by Victorious Racing following a nine-length debut win at York, Bradsell became a regular fixture at the top level thereafter for Archie Watson, winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot at two and King’s Stand Stakes back at the same meeting the following June. He also returned from injury arguably better than ever at four when successful in the Nunthorpe Stakes and Flying Five Stakes.
Ballyhane Stud’s new recruit Sakheer (€6,500) was also a high-class two-year-old for Bahrain interests, in his case KHK Racing who paid a sale-topping €550,000 for the son of Zoffany as an Arqana May breezer. He was highly impressive when winning the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury by a wide margin and now joins the stud that cultivated Dandy Man and more recently Sands Of Mali to such great effect.
Aesop’s Fables (€6,500; Starfield Stud) is another Group-winning two-year-old, his breakthrough success for Aidan O’Brien coming in the Futurity Stakes at the Curragh. A fast horse in keeping with the speed often associated with his sire No Nay Never, Aesop’s Fables was also placed in the Prix de l’Abbaye and Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at three and was a Listed winner at four.
Go Bears Go (€8,000; Oak Lodge Stud), winner of the Railway Stakes as a two-year-old, retires with the support of his owner Amo Racing. A four-time winner in total, his performances also included placings in the Phoenix Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and Norfolk Stakes during a busy two-year-old campaign and a pair of sprint Group 3 victories at three.
Isaac Shelby (£7,000; Newsells Park Stud) also brings good two-year-old form to the table as winner of the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket. That was only the second start for Isaac Shelby, who subsequently won the Greenham Stakes and ran second in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at three. He is the first son of Night Of Thunder to stud and retires to Newsells Park Stud with the support of his increasingly powerful owners Wathnan Racing.
Shouldvebeenaring (€6,000; Irish National Stud), meanwhile, is an affordable option for breeders looking to tap into the Havana Grey line. The winner of six of 30 starts, his career highlight came when successful in the Prix de Ris-Orangis at three. However, this 118-rated performer was also beaten only a neck when second in the Betfair Sprint Cup and also ran third in the Prix de la Foret.
As for the dual-purpose market, it has gained an elite campaigner in Luxembourg, who retires under the Coolmore banner to the Beeches. A fee of €7,000 gains breeders access to a well-bred son of Camelot who boasts Group 1 wins at two, three, four and five years, namely the Vertem Futurity, Irish Champion Stakes, Tattersalls Gold Cup and Coronation Cup.
First foal anticipation
The busiest new sire of 2024 was Triple Time (£10,000; Dalham Hall Stud), a horse who offers Group 1 form and pedigree. The son of Frankel gained his top-level victory in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, thereby kickstarting a Royal meeting family tradition that has also come to celebrate Rosallion and Inisherin, successful in last year’s St James’s Palace Stakes and Commonwealth Cup. The common link here is Triple Time’s accomplished dam Reem Three, the dam of ten winners in total.
Triple Time’s debut book consisted of 155 mares, narrowly ahead of another Royal Ascot ‘victor’ Dragon Symbol (£8,000; Whitsbury Manor Stud) on a full book 140. This classy sprinter crossed the line first in the 2021 Commonwealth Cup but was demoted to second behind the filly Campanelle. Also placed in the July Cup and Nunthorpe Stakes, the son of Cable Bay is next in line from the farm that brought you Havana Grey and Showcasing.
Speaking of Havana Grey, there is only one other son of his sire Havana Gold standing in Europe. The horse in question, El Caballo (right) (£5,000; Culworth Grounds Farm), was one of the best three-year-old sprinters of his generation, winning the Sandy Lane Stakes and Spring Cup. He is backed by an enthusiastic syndicate of commercial investors headed up by Culworth Grounds Farm and with 100 mares covered last year, he has already has a good foundation behind him.
There’s no shortage of two-year-old form on offer in this group. The Antarctic (€5,000; Coolmore) was a hardy juvenile for Aidan O’Brien, winning the Prix de Cabourg and running second in the Middle Park Stakes. The son of Dark Angel, a brother to Battaash, covered over 120 mares at Castle Hyde Stud while another Middle Park Stakes runner-up Castle Star (€3,000; Capital Stud), received close to 100. One of only two sons of Starspangledbanner at stud in Ireland, Castle Star was trained by Fozzy Stack to win the Marble Hill Stakes.
Rathbarry Stud should know a good Acclamation when they see one so its notable that they have taken a chance on Group 3-winning sprinter Bouttemont (€5,000). Acclamation’s legacy looks assured through the likes of Dark Angel and Mehmas; that aspect alongside the fact that Bouttemont was a fast and durable horse most likely drove his first-year book of 81.
Dubai Mile, who was a two-year-old Group 1 winner in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud, switches to Coolagown Stud in Ireland. The only son of Roaring Lion at stud, and therefore a member of the Kitten’s Joy sire line, he heads into the second season at €4,000 with the full weight of support from his new connections not to mention his owner Ahmad Al Shaikh.
As far as durability is concerned, they don’t come much tougher than Marie’s Diamond (€5,000; Diamond Stud). Almost a throwback to another era, the son of Footstepsinthesand won seven of 65 starts over seven seasons led by the Anglesey Stakes at two and Paradise Stakes at four, the same season in which he ran third in the Queen Anne Stakes.
The market speaks
This sector of the market, as a stallion’s first progeny come under the hammer, can be the most brutal. It’s where early opinions are formed, for better or worse.
In the case of Darley’s Perfect Power (right), the market has decided unequivocally that this is a horse worth following. That in itself shouldn’t come as a surprise. Having sold well as a breezer, Perfect Power went on to pull off the Norfolk Stakes – Prix Morny – Middle Park Stakes treble and trained on into a Group 1-winning sprinter when successful in the Commonwealth Cup at three.
Yet initially breeders weren’t fully convinced. A moderate first book of 89 dropped to 58 last year and in turn his fee has been reduced to £7,500 for 2025, half that of his opening season.
Chances are, however, that the phones at Dalham Hall Stud are hot right now for the son of Ardad following the reaction to his first foals at auction. He was well represented with 30 catalogued, 28 of whom changed hands for an average of 40,407gns. Ten made north of 50,000gns led by a colt out of Mutrecy who made 130,000gns to Peter and Ross Doyle. A number of major pinhookers also got on the bandwagon.
Darley also stands another Group 1-winning sprinter in Naval Crown (€9,000), successful in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. A good-looking and well-bred son of Dubawi, his 26 foals sold the ring included a pair of €60,000 colts knocked down to leading pinhookers Brendan Holland and Eddie O’Leary.
Dubawi is also represented in this category by the Group 1-placed two-year-old Dubawi Legend (Starfield Stud; €6,000). Another well-bred sort, he supplemented his accomplished juvenile campaign by taking the Goldene Peitsche over 6f at three.
There was also a good word for the first foals belonging to Persian Force (€8,000). A Group 2-winning two-year-old like his sire Mehmas, he returned an average of 25,985gns led by a 68,000gns colt. He has the benefit of the Tally-Ho machine behind him and it’s not hard to envisage his progeny finding favour with trainers and the breeze-up community at the yearling sales.
Similarly, Caturra (£5,000; Overbury Stud) is a quick Group 2-winning son of Mehmas. From the same farm that launched Ardad, this horse was also successful in the Flying Childers Stakes and was well supported in his first season as the recipient of just over 100 mares. His early auction representatives included a 55,000gns colt.
The Group 1 miler Space Traveller (€6,000; Starfield Stud), meanwhile, hit the headlines when supplying the top lot on the opening day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. The colt in question was knocked down for 82,000gns to Mick Carty of KGS Bloodstock and led the way among a 25-strong group of foals who averaged 18,840gns.
It was also encouraging to see the market’s reaction to Stradivarius (£10,000; The National Stud), whose representation at Tattersalls included a flashy colt in his sire’s mould who was sold by Brook Stud for 40,000gns to Newnham Lodge Farm.
Stradivarius was a remarkable horse over six seasons, winning 18 Group races including seven at the highest level. The son of Sea The Stars has a dual-purpose profile but has deservedly been given every chance by connections to succeed on the Flat; indeed, he has covered three-figure books in both his seasons at stud to date.
Nor should Wells Farhh Go (£2,500; Norton Grove Stud) be underestimated. The son of Farhh won three stakes races, ranging from the Acomb Stakes over 7f as a two-year-old to Bahrain Trophy over 1m5f at three.
Crunch time
Sires with the first two-year-olds – the bracket where expectations and risk run hand in hand. Breeders use these horses in the knowledge that they must hit the ground running. Against that, the rewards can be high. For that, look no further than Havana Grey, who stood for just £6,000 in the year his first two-year-olds hit the track.
Time will tell if there is another Havana Grey lurking among this group but buyers certainly seemed to like the look of the first yearlings by July Cup winner Starman (€10,000; Tally-Ho stud). No fewer than 14 made six-figure sums to help push his overall yearling average to 42,266gns. Plenty have ended up in a number of leading yards and as is typical of Tally-Ho Stud, he has a series of large crops to follow his two-year-olds through. In a nutshell, this son of Dutch Art has been given every opportunity.
Buyers were also positive towards the first crop of Yeomanstown Stud’s Middle Park Stakes winner Supremacy (€8,000). The first son of Mehmas to stand at stud and related to Harry Angel, Supremacy was responsible for six yearlings who broke the 100,000gns barrier while a list of buyers that includes the likes of Shadwell, Karl Burke, Clive Cox, Wesley Ward and Stonestreet Stables illustrates that his stock found favour with a number of sharp eyes.
Expectations are that the progeny of A’Ali (£5,000) will also be quick and precocious. An expensive breezer himself who won the Norfolk Stakes, Prix Robert Papin and Flying Childers Stakes before training on into a Group 2-winning sprinter at three, A’Ali returned a yearling average north of 30,000gns bolstered by the presence of three six-figure yearlings, all of whom were knocked down to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock. They included a 200,000gns colt out of Royal Empress sold at the Tattersalls October Sale.
High-class two-year-old form is also offered by Capital Stud’s Alkumait (€3,000), a Showcasing half-brother to Chaldean who won the Mill Reef Stakes, the Irish National Stud’s Nando Parrado (€6,000), who won the Coventry Stakes and has around 100 two-year-olds to run for him, and Mickley Stud’s Ubettabelieveit (£5,000), the Flying Childers Stakes winner whose first yearlings sold for up to 70,000gns. Nando Parrado and Ubettabelieveit both offer access to the Kodiac sire line, which has been showcased to such good effect in recent seasons via the likes of Hello Youmzain and Ardad.
Lope Y Fernandez (£8,500; The National Stud) was another to offer plenty of return in the ring for breeders, with his name advertised to good effect by yearlings who sold for €175,000, 140,000gns and 125,000gns. He was a tough son of Lope De Vega who was Group 1-placed on five occasions, including in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Breeders’ Cup Mile, and has covered over 400 mares in his first three seasons.
Miler class is also offered by Roseman (£4,000; March Hare Stud), a well-bred son of Kingman who ran second in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, as well as Century Dream (£3,000; Norton Grove Stud), a ten-time winning half-brother to King Of Change whose career highlight came in the Celebration Mile.
Class and durability is also the potent mix behind Group 2 winner Bangkok (£3,000; Chapel Stud), a well-bred son of Australia who has been well supported so far at stud by his connections, among them King Power Racing.
Rare opportunity
It’s not often that breeders can access the current leading first-crop sire within a ‘value bracket’ but that is the kind of opportunity available for 2025 in the case of Sergei Prokofiev (right), whose fee at Whitsbury Manor Stud has been set at £8,000.
The son of Scat Daddy ended the year as the champion first-crop sire in both Britain and Ireland and Europe, his tallies bolstered by the presence of the high-class colt Arizona Blaze, the Marble Hill Stakes winner who signed off his year with a second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, and Listed winner Enchanting Empress.
Sergei Prokofiev’s overall record of 27 winners, which also includes one of the leading Saudi Arabian juveniles in Mhally, led the way among a sextet of first-crop sires to end the year with 20 winners or more. In 2025, they will stand for up to €40,000 – but that does not include the third -placed finisher Sands Of Mali, who switches to ‘private’ at Ballyhane Stud following three seasons at €5,000. The son of Panis was a fast, tough two-year-old who trained on into a Group 1-winning sprinter at three and early indications are that a number of his stock have inherited his precocity and speed, the Windsor Castle Stakes winner Ain’t Nobody and fellow Listed scorer Ellaria Sands being notable examples.
Group 1-winning miler Without Parole (£8,000; Newsells Park Stud) didn’t deviate from a strong winners to runners strike-rate throughout the season, ultimately winding up at around 40 per cent. There was plenty of quality as well among his 12 winners, among them the dual Group 3-placed Fiery Lucy, the Listed-placed Newmarket winner Sea To Sky and North American maiden special weight winners Serving Time and Without Caution. As a well-bred son of Frankel who hit full stride at three when successful in the St James’s Palace Stakes, it stands to reason that Without Parole’s stock will continue to progress into this season and beyond.
Yeomanstown Stud’s Shaman (€5,000) also hit 12 winners, his tally bolstered by the Group 3-placed Brian, who also captured a lucrative sales race, and Listed-placed Eternal Elixir. By Shamardal and from the famous Fall Aspen family, he also progressed himself into a Group 1-winning miler, so there should be more to come from his stock. His yearlings sold for up to €110,000 in 2024.
Far Above’s winning dozen included a pair of Italian Listed winners in Kabir and Nigrum Regina. With several sizeable books in the pipeline at Starfield Stud, the Palace House Stakes winner remains at €5,000, the same price commanded by his studmate King Of Change. Also a son of Farhh, the Group 1-winning miler captured the imagination back in the spring as his first crop hit the breeze-up market, with a trio of six-figure breezers undoubtedly driving his 2024 book of 131 mares, up from 52 the year before. Six winners have since emerged out of that crop, with Listed scorer Lady With The Lamp adding a measure of quality.
King Of Change is a sizeable individual who was best at three himself, so expect his progeny to thrive as time goes on. Similarly, Tara Stud’s River Boyne (€3,500) was a high-class older miler in the US whose nine wins were capped by the Grade 1 Frank E Kilroe Mile as a five-year-old.
Norman Court Stud offers Molecomb Stakes winner Rumble Inthejungle (£3,500), a son of Bungle Inthejungle who has sired a handful of winners to date, while Grade 3-winning sprinter Legends Of War (£1,000), a son of Scat Daddy who cost 900,000gns as a breezer, moves to Groomsbridge Stud.
Special mention must also go to Beckford (poa; Newtown Anner Stud). A Group 2-winning two-year-old for Maurice Regan’s Newtown Anner Stud, he has been used exclusively by his owner since retiring to stud in 2021. There are only five foals in that first crop but despite that, Regan’s belief in the son of Bated Breath has already been vindicated to some degree by the 96-rated Beckman, who followed up his debut Curragh success for Ger Lyons with a placing at Listed level.
Playing safe
Sometimes playing safe is the soundest option. Breeders know full well where they are with this category, with a number of proven Group 1 sires populating a group that offers a wealth of variety.
Looking to breed a middle-distance horse with the potential to appeal to an international audience? An outlay of around £10,000 gains you access to two such horses in the Derby winners Australia and Golden Horn. Meanwhile at the other end of the spectrum is champion sprinter Dream Ahead, another affordable proven Group 1 sire, this time at Bearstone Stud.
By its nature, this is a bracket that hosts various elder statesmen and it will probably come as no surprise that by the metrics, it is once again Raven’s Pass who leads the way.
Now 20-years-old, the Darley veteran has long won admirers for a stud career underpinned by strong statistics. At the time of writing, he was operating at six per cent stakes winners to runners alongside a figure of 47 per cent winners to foals of racing age. A quartet of Group 1 winners, including young Darley Japan sire Tower Of London, underline his ability to cater for the top level but he has also developed into a formidable broodmare sire, as we saw again in 2024 via the Group 1-winning French fillies Rouhiya and Ramatuelle.
All of which makes his fee of €7,500 at Kildangan Stud look pretty good value. The same can also be said of another Darley stalwart in Iffraaj (left) at £10,000. The 24-year-old has been overshadowed by the achievements of his leading sire son Wootton Bassett in recent years but he remains very capable in his own right as illustrated again last year when a trio of British and Irish stakes winners included the Lockinge Stakes hero Audience. Responsible for a 45 per cent winners to foals of racing age strike-rate, he’s already off the mark as a Group 1 sire in 2025 thanks to the win of Grail Seeker in the TAB Telegraph at Trentham in New Zealand.
At Derrinstown Stud, top miler Awtaad has developed something of a following with breeders and deservedly so given the past season yielded two Group/Grade 1 winners in Anmaat, who claimed some major scalps in the Champion Stakes at Ascot, and top Californian filly Anisette. The sire of 11 stakes winners overall with a 40 per cent winners to foals of racing age strike-rate, Awtaad covered over 120 mares in 2024 and should again be popular at his new fee of €7,500, which represents a minor uptick from last year.
Australia joins this bracket for the first time having been reduced to €10,000 at Coolmore. That’s a lenient price for a horse who was not only a champion on the track but is also the sire of 66 black-type horses, among them five Group/Grade 1 winners. There were seven stakes winners in 2024, ranging from the Ribblesdale Stakes heroine Port Fairy to the promising Aidan O’Brien-trained two-year-old Lambourn. As with several in this bracket, there are also some early indications that he will be worth watching as a broodmare sire; his eldest daughters are still only nine but have produced six stakes winners between them headed by last year’s Group winners Ancient Truth and Al Shabab Storm.
Other Coolmore-based options include the veterans Holy Roman Emperor, one of the last sons of Danehill left in production whose global roll call contains nine winners at the top level as well as one of last year’s leading juveniles in Rashabar, and Footstepsinthesand, who tasted Classic success in 2024 as the sire of the Oaks d’Italia heroine Tomiko. Both stand for €8,000.
Classic success was also tasted early on by Aclaim, the sire of 1,000 Guineas heroine out of his first crop. The Prix de la Foret winner is a welcome addition to Batsford Stud for 2025 – and given that he has the likes of high-class sprinter Purosangue in addition to a sizeable group of two-year-olds working for him on the track, he surely gives breeders plenty of breathing room at his new fee of £3,000.
Group 1 heights
Cheveley Park Stud’s Ulysses was another in this bracket to hit Group 1 heights in 2024, in his case courtesy of White Birch’s win over Auguste Rodin in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. The popular grey, whose yearling brother sold for 170,000gns later in the year, was one of five Group winners during the year for his sire – another was Group 2 winner Passenger – making a new fee of £8,000 for this Group 1-winning son of Galileo appealing.
Bated Breath (right) has long been a friend of the British breeder, with his 60 black-type performers led by the Grade 1-winning American filly Viadera. His yearlings also averaged over 40,000gns and made up to 170,000gns in 2024, all of which should garner plenty of support at his fee of £8,000 at Banstead Manor Stud.
Harry Angel (£10,000; Dalham Hall Stud) is another who has forged a niche as a reliable source of precocious and fast stock. Last year was a highly productive and international year for this son of Dark Angel, with stakes winners in Britain, Ireland, France and Italy complemented by another bold showing in Australia. Group 1 winner Toms Kitten leads the way among a quintet of stakes scorers down under for Harry Angel and he came close to getting off the Group 1 mark in Europe last year as the sire of Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up A Lilac Rolla.
Similarly Bungle Inthejungle (€7,500) is a proven sprint source at Rathasker Stud. Previously the sire of such speedsters at Winter Power (winner of the Nunthorpe Stakes) and Living In The Past (Lowther Stakes), he hit the headlines again in 2024 thanks to Givemethebeatboys, who struck in the Phoenix Sprint Stakes. With yearlings selling up to 150,000gns in 2024, he is well regarded for producing ‘trainers horses’, just like his stud mates Coulsty (€5,500) and Gregorian (€4,500).
Grade 1 winner Shantisara and Princess Margaret Stakes scorer Santosha emerged out of Coulsty’s first crop of 44 foals. Needless to say, he’s been well supported since then, with a crop of over 110 two-year-olds to go to war with this year. As for Gregorian, he boasts a roll call of 14 stakes performers led by the Group 2-winning juvenile Plainchart.
Make Believe (€8,000) was quick to make his presence felt as the sire of multiple Group 1 winner Mishriff in his first crop and consequently had a large crop of well-bred two-year-olds working for him off the back of that early success in 2024. They came to include a pair of Italian Group 2 winners, which helped the Ballylinch Stud stallion end the year as Italy’s champion sire. It was also interesting to see Mishriff’s co-trainer Thady Gosden go to 125,000gns for a Make Believe colt at the yearling sales.
Golden Horn has developed a real fan base as a high-class source of dual-purpose talent since his switch to Overbury Stud, underlined by the fact that the past season ranged from a Cheltenham Festival winner in Golden Ace, to Ascot Gold Cup runner-up Trawlerman and French Group 3 winner Higher Leaves. A champion racehorse in his time, he stands for £10,000.
The same figure also gains access to Al Kazeem (£10,000) at Oakgrove Stud. Although blighted by fertility problems, he’s a very capable stallion as illustrated by a record that consists of a 57 per cent winners to runners strike-rate headlined by the German Group 1 winner Aspetar.
Also extremely capable is the veteran Sixties Icon, who stands for just £3,000 at Norman Court Stud despite owning a record highlighted by a trio of South American Group 1 winners.
Lanwades Stud’s Bobby’s Kitten, meanwhile, stands for £5,000 having supplied an early star in Sandrine, a Group 2 winner at two, three and four years. She is one of five stakes horses overall for the Grade 1-winning son of Kitten’s Joy, whose current representatives also include leading Saudi Arabian performer Almohahed.
All of the above are ideal for getting a young mare going, something which also applies to Dream Ahead (£6,500). Sire of Group 1 winners Al Wukair, Donjuan Triumphant, Dream Of Dreams and Glass Slippers among 65 stakes horses from his time in Ireland and France, Dream Ahead switched to Bearstone Stud in 2022 and has around 80 two-year-olds from that first British crop to run for him this year. He’s easy to use, being a grandson of Warning out of a Cadeaux Genereux mare, and is also now starting to make his presence felt as a broodmare sire.
The Bearstone roster also includes the hardy sprinter Washington DC (£3,500), sire of last year’s Abernant Stakes winner Washington Heights, as well another proven Group 1 sire in Belardo (£5,500), a top miler in his time who is responsible for 13 stakes winners including the Grade 1-winning Californian miler Gold Phoenix. His first British-bred crop are yearlings this year but in the meantime he has a team of 124 three-year-olds from his time in Ireland to work for him. As it was, he returned 50 per cent winners to runners in 2024.
Another son of Lope De Vega, the Irish National Stud’s Phoenix Of Spain (€10,000), came close to tasting first-crop Group 1 success last year thanks to the admirable Haatem, who followed up his win in the Craven Stakes with placings in the Newmarket and Irish 2,000 Guineas. Also responsible for the unbeaten Listed winner Lady Of Spain, Phoenix Of Spain was one of Ireland’s busiest sires last season as the recipient of 217 mares.
On the move
Recent seasons have seen the Irish stallion ranks welcome several durable speed influences led by Mayson and Twilight Son, both of whom are former Cheveley Park Stud residents. July Cup winner Mayson (€4,250), the sire of Group 1-winning sprinter Oxted, arrived at Oak Lodge Stud for the 2024 season. His yearlings sold for up to 100,000gns last year, quite a return on his 2022 fee of £6,000, while fellow Group 1-winning sprinter Twilight Son hit similar heights thanks to a filly who realised €100,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale. The sire of 20 stakes horses including the Group 1 sprinter Twilight Calls, Twilight Son (€5,000) has relocated this year to Anshoon Stud.
Another top sprinter, Advertise, moves from Manton Park Stud to Knockmullen House Stud. Advertised at €5,000, the son of Showcasing made something of a resurgence last year thanks primarily to a trio of Andrew Balding-trained inmates; Al Shabab Storm and Secret Satire were Group 3-winning three-year-olds out of his first crop while Cool Hoof Luke emerged as one of the leaders of the juvenile generation when defeating Shadow Of Light to take the Gimcrack Stakes. There’s no doubt that some of his progeny stay better than he did, which might well open up some different avenues for the horse down the line.
Another son of Showcasing, Soldier’s Call (£6,000), made the reverse trip last season, switching from Ballyhane Stud in Ireland to Dullingham Park Stud in Newmarket where he covered a book of 70 mares. Another fast horse, his first crop contains five stakes horses, among them Group 3 winner Dawn Charger, while his second has to date added another three. He has several sizeable crops still to come, notably 113 yearlings.
Another new name to Britain this year is 2,000 Guineas and Vertem Futurity winner Magna Grecia (£5,000), who relocates to March Hare Stud from Coolmore. He covered 105 mares as recently as 2023, so there’s plenty of time for this half-brother to St Mark’s Basilica to add to a stud record led by French Listed winner Myconian. March Hare also stands Middle Park Stakes winner Charming Thought (£3,000), sire of the American Grade 3 winner Amy C who operates at 40 per cent winners to foals of racing age, Windsor Castle Stakes winner Southern Hills (£2,000) and Master Carpenter (£1,500), whose seven-time winning son The Craftymaster was recently named the ROA’s Outstanding All-Weather Horse of 2024.
Massaat (£3,500) continues to punch above his fee for Mickley Stud, with his first two crops containing the likes of Queues Likely and Coco Jambo, both Group 3-winning fillies, as well as the Group 1-placed miler Docklands.
Breeders also don’t require deep pockets to access either Mattmu (£2,500; Norton Grove Stud) or Swiss Spirit (£1,000; Batsford Stud), both high-class sprinters in their day. Despite operating with small numbers, Mattmu’s collection of winners includes the stakes-placed two-year-old Favourite Child while Swiss Spirit’s own speed is reflected by the deeds of stakes winners such as Tees Spirit and
One Night Stand, two extremely quick and hardy representatives.
Coventry Stakes winner Rajasinghe (right) (£3,000; The National Stud) continues to fire in the winners, as illustrated by his 57 per cent winners to runners strike-rate. His progeny seem well liked by trainers.
Richmond Stakes winner Land Force (£2,500; Hedgeholme Stud) has also sired plenty of winners out of his first two crops, among them two in Serried Ranks and Watcha Matey rated in excess of 90. He covered 114 mares in 2023 so has a large crop of yearlings on the ground who could yet bolster his record.
Chapel Stud also continues to offer the reliable Hellvelyn, another proven Group sire, at £2,500.
Longford House Stud has also added an interesting horse in De Treville (€2,500). A Group 3-placed Oasis Dream half-brother to Too Darn Hot, he has emerged out of his sibling’s shadow to some degree as the sire of a handful of stakes horses out of his early few small French-sired crops including last season’s Athasi Stakes heroine Gregarina.
“He’s the kind of stallion that could go supersonic”
Will Douglass, Charlie Gordon-Watson Bloodstock
“Sioux Nation (€30,000; Coolmore). I had a Group winner by him the other day at Happy Valley called Helene Feeling. He was purchased privately to race in Hong Kong and is now winner of over £1.4 million in prize-money. Another Sioux Nation that I purchased at the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale called Enacting won for James Fanshawe in late December. He’s a horse we really like and he now goes to Hong Kong. And there’s She’s Perfect with Charlie Fellowes. She also came from the Arqana breeze-up. She won first time out and struggled a bit on very heavy ground next time. We think she’s nice and one to follow.
I wanted to buy a few more by him last year but they’re hard to get. They are horses with scope and quality and they seem to do well all over the world, which is becoming more and more important with the strength of the secondary market. He also has some bigger books to come through. I really do think he is a stallion on an upward curve.”
Kiaran Lalor, Al Shira’aa Farms
“Gleneagles (left) (€20,000; Coolmore) in my opinion is exceptional value again this year. We have been very lucky with him. We have bred five by him to date, all winners and highlighted by [Derby runner-up] Ambiente Friendly last year.
He had an exceptional year in 2024, probably his best to date, with winners and placed horses at the highest level in several countries and over varying distances. You would have to think Mill Stream winning the July Cup was an eye-opener to many, including myself, as to how versatile he is as a sire.
Top that with his incredible family and race record, and a fee of €20,000 is a no-brainer. We will be going back to the well again this year.”
Matt Coleman, Stroud Coleman Bloodstock
“Zarak (€80,000; Haras de Bonneval). His price has been increased, but deservedly so. At 12per cent stakes winners to runners from a less than stellar pool of mares thus far, I expect his star to continue to rise.
Study Of Man (£15,000; Lanwades Stud). Bearing in mind the smaller books of mares that he has covered to date in comparison to many of his contemporaries, his 45 per cent winners to runners ratio including three Group winners and 11 stakes performers, all from just 60 total runners, indicates a very talented stallion with more to come in the future.”
Con Marnane, breeder and pinhooker
“I’ve got a great strike-rate with Bungle Inthejungle. We have Givemethebeatboys by him at the moment – they’re good, tough, fast horses. And Sands Of Mali, who I breezed has made a great start. They’re lovely, fast horses.”
Jack Cantillon, breeder and stallion master
“If the breeding shed was the poker table, we have moved our chips all in on Study Of Man. His group horses to runners ratio is like a computer glitch. We bought a number of mares in foal to him at Tattersalls (including a half sister to Golden Horn) and will be sending mares to support him. I have a nice filly by him that’s with Ollie Sangster that hasn’t run yet for Syndicates.Racing. He’s not there yet but he’s the kind of stallion that could go supersonic.”
Nancy Sexton, bloodstock editor
“Australia offers a lot at his new fee of €10,000 at Coolmore. Breeders know by now where they are with him – they’re likely to come into their own as older horses – but he’s long been a source of quality, as we saw again last year when Port Fairy and Shamida were among his seven stakes winners. It helps that they are regarded as sound, laid-back horses, which makes them liked by trainers, and there’s also his burgeoning broodmare sire record to consider.
“Cotai Glory has been raised marginally by Tally-Ho Stud to €15,000. He throws his share of sharp two-year-olds every year but they also train on – with that in mind it would be no surprise to see Mill Reef Stakes winner Powerful Glory land a Group 1 this year.”
