When it comes to the freshman sires, I should start by saying I have already put my reputation on the line by purchasing a Caravaggio (out of a Galileo {Ire} mare) for $200,000 at Keeneland. With that kind of price tag it goes without saying that I really loved the horse and he was the Caravaggio that I wanted, so I'm confident he will make an impact when he hits the track this season.
The Profitable (Ire)s looked racy and they sold very well, particularly for a sire that started off at just €12,000. On paper you might expect them to need time given Profitable himself did not win a group race until he reached the age of four but putting that aside, as a bunch of physicals they looked racy and when you combine that with his sire and damsire it will be disappointing if they don't make an impact this year. Like Caravaggio, Profitable has a huge amount of soldiers to go to war for him in 2021. Whilst I didn't buy one myself, Aidan O'Ryan bought a particularly nice Profitable filly (out of Miss Azeza {GB}, now named Origintrail {Ire}). Ribchester (Ire) had some nice stock, the most expensive of which is named Ruthin (GB) with Wesley Ward and she is already on the worktab at Palm Meadows. I've seen a few nice breezers by him recently that will be selling soon so he too will make his mark.
Ardad (Ire) has some nice 2-year-olds–Pat Owens, a good judge who has recently started training in Newmarket, is particularly keen on one of his–while other horses like Aclaim (Ire), Churchill (Ire) and El Kabeir are bound to get their winners as well. Highland Reel (Ire) and National Defense (GB) might surprise a few people; it's just a pity the latter doesn't have the numbers to compete with the other stallions, because he possessed a great turn of foot.
Ultimately, however, I think the two sires that will battle it out for freshman honours are the Kildangan stablemates Ribchester and Profitable.
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