Lope de Vega (Ire) (Shamardal), who has enjoyed a stellar year with his progeny on the track, has seen his fee increased to €125,000 from €100,000 at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland. In 2020, the sire of 77 black-type winners total, has enjoyed four Group 1 winners, including juveniles Lucky Vega (Ire) in the G1 Phoenix S. and Aunt Pearl (Ire) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Previous Grade I winner Newspaperofrecord (Ire) scored in the GI Just a Game S. Stateside and Gytrash (Aus) saluted in the G1 Lightning S. Down Under. Overall, there have been 18 black-type winners by the Ballylinch resident in 2020, 12 at the group or graded level.
Freshman sire New Bay (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})’s fee has been set at €20,000. The 8-year-old is already on the black-type board with group winners New Mandate (Ire) and Saffron Beach (Ire), while two other first-crop juveniles have placed at listed level.
Arc hero Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire})’s first foals will soon be at the breeding stock sales. He covered 117 mares in his first season with 63 stakes performers or producers in the book and will stand for €17,500.
G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero Mishriff (Ire) was the star performer for Make Believe (GB) (Makfi {GB}), whose eldest foals are sophomores. Mishriff was supported by Group 3 winners Rose of Kildare (Ire) and Believe in Love (Ire), as well as a brace of additional group-placed 3-year-olds. His fee is €15,000.
Rounding out the roster is first-season sire and MG1SW Fascinating Rock (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) at €5,000. From just 16 runners so far in 2020, he has sired three winners and it is notable he did his best running as an 4- and 5-year-old.
“We are thrilled with the results of our stallions this year, and very grateful to the breeders who made these achievements possible,” said Ballylinch’s John O’Connor. “We feel we have priced our stallions fairly to give breeders every opportunity to continue our shared successes into the future. Lope de Vega’s rise to the very top of the stallion ranks continues. This year’s crop of 2-year-olds included his 11th and 12th Group 1 winners.”
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