In case any of you were similarly distracted by nuptials, holidays, or binge-watching The Dry, here's a handy TDN overview as to who's up, who's down, and who's new on the stallion scene. (And a tip to those of you entrusted with sending out press releases: try to send them well before 6pm. Certain members of the European desk get a little tetchy if the pouring of the first gin is delayed.)

The Big Boys

Some things in life remain reassuringly expensive, and that can certainly be said for the top stallions in Europe. In this elite sector, it is not usually a case of finding enough breeders to stump up the money, more a worry for the stallion owner as to how not to offend those who won't make the cut for said horse. 

Dubawi (Ire) became the most expensive stallion in the world earlier this year when his fee was raised to £350,000, and he remains at that level for 2024. He is now joined by Frankel (GB), who has gone up from £275,000 and is about to wrestle the champion sire trophy back from his Newmarket neighbour. 

While the rock-solid trio of Wootton Bassett (GB), Sea The Stars (Ire) and Siyouni {Fr) have all had their fees increased after yet more notable results on the track this season, some of the others in this higher bracket have been held at 2023 prices. 

We're including Invincible Spirit (Ire) in this section. He was at his highest price of €120,000 between 2016 and 2019 and dropped to €60,000 in 2022. He has been listed as private since this start of the 2023 covering season, but by dint of seniority (he will turn 27 in January) and influence, he deserves to be included here.

Dubawi £350,000 (-)
Frankel £350,000 (+ £75,000)
Wootton Bassett €200,000 (+ €50,000)
Sea The Stars €200,000 (+ €20,000)
Siyouni €200,000 (+ €50,000)
No Nay Never €150,000 (- €25,000)
Kingman £125,000 (-)
Lope De Vega €125,000 (-)
Night Of Thunder €100,000 (-)
Baaeed £80,000 (-)
New Bay €75,000 (-)
Invincible Spirit PRIVATE (-)

The Middle Ground

Those on the rise in this sector include this season's three 'buzz' sires, the freshmen Too Darn Hot (GB) and Blue Point (Ire), each of whom has been represented by at least one Group 1 winner, and leading second-season sire Havana Grey (GB), who shows no signs of stopping after his breakthrough season in 2022.

We also have the three most expensive new arrivals, led by the four-time Group 1 winner Paddington (GB).

Various press releases from studs last week referred to the challenging yearling sales in 2023 when announcing reduced fees. Often the top end of the market is immune to this, but that wasn't the case this year and there were retractions in most sales sectors, though it has to be said that these came after a frankly extraordinary 2022, the first fully normal season post-pandemic. 

There have been some notable reductions in fees at most levels of the market, and the results of the foal sales will no doubt determine how many deals there are to be done.

Too Darn Hot £65,000 (+ £25,000)
Havana Grey £55,000 (+ £36,500)
Blue Point €60,000 (+ €25,000)
Dark Angel €60,000 (-)
Zarak €60,000 (-)
Paddington €55,000 NEW
Camelot €50,000 (- €10,000)
Mehmas €50,000 (- €10,000)
St Mark's Basilica €50,000 (- €15,000)
Palace Pier  £45,000 (- £5,000)
Showcasing £45,000 (-)
Starspangledbanner €45,000 (- €5,000)
Ace Impact €40,000 NEW
Pinatubo £35,000 (-)
Sea The Moon £32,500 (+ £7,500)
Kodiac   €35,000 (- €5,000)
Modern Games £30,000 NEW
Churchill €30,000 (-)
Galiway €30,000 (-)
Teofilo €30,000 (-)

Twenty-Somethings

Sioux Nation is a big climber in this bracket but he too has had some fine representatives in his second season with runners. Congratulations are due to Caroline Hanly and Sean Ronan for breeding a horse as tough as his son Brave Emperor (Ire), whose 15 outings in two seasons have resulted in nine wins, including four group wins.

There's a number of young stallions here on the verge of being loved or loathed, depending on how their first runners fare. (Mind you, those decisions are now often made as early as the foal sales, with some later having to admit they were wrong to judge so harshly so soon.)

It is good to see the dependable Nathaniel (Ire), who had another Group 1 winner this year in Poptronic (GB), given a little boost, and similar comments apply lower down the fee scale to Golden Horn (GB), who has risen from £8,000 to £10,000. In both cases, however, they have covered plenty of National Hunt mares. 

By the way, Nathaniel and Cracksman are on the list as their sterling-to-euro price conversion elevates them to just beyond the 20,000 mark.

Chaldean £25,000 NEW
Little Big Bear €27,500 NEW
Sioux Nation €27,500 (+ €10,000)
Acclamation €25,000 (- €2,500)
Ghaiyyath €25,000 (-)
Persian King €25,000 (-)
Saxon Warrior €25,000 (- €10,000)
Sottsass €25,000 (-)
Hello Youmzain €22,500 (-)
Blackbeard €20,000 (- €5,000)
State Of Rest €20,000 (- €5,000)
Torquator Tasso €20,000 (-)
Cracksman £17,500 (-)
Nathaniel £17,500 (+ £2,500)

A Bit of Value

We won't name every stallion in the lower fee brackets here as Oliver St Lawrence provides the excellent service of a full list every year and we are reliably informed that his cards are already being printed in time for the sales.

It is worth remembering that bloodstock journalists generally have lemonade pockets, even if they have champagne tastes. In solidarity with small breeders, we are looking here at a selection of stallions whom we consider to offer value for a variety of reasons. 

Vadeni, €18,000 NEW
Let's not forget how brilliant he was at three.

Shaquille, £15,000 NEW
Extremely fast horse who is introduced at a level which is bound to have breeders beating a path to the new Dullingham Park stallion yard. 

Oasis Dream, £15,000
Tremendous value for a horse of this class. Yes, he's rising 24, but it was only two years ago that he was represented by the champion two-year-old Native Trail (GB), who joins Kildangan Stud this year at €17,500.

Mostahdaf, £15,000 NEW
A whole lotta horse who had a humdinger of a season and is rated only one pound behind Equinox (Jpn). And he's by Frankel, no less.

Earthlight, £15,000
Not all sons of Shamardal will take off in the way that Blue Point did with his first runners, but Earthlight's stock have been popular as foals and yearlings, and it's worth sticking with him at this unchanged fee at what could turn out to be his cheapest level.

Study Of Man, £12,500
His fee has also been held at his 2023 price after a year in which a number of people sat up and took notice of his first runners, led by the G2 Beresford S. winner Deepone (Ire). Classily bred, and as a son of Deep Impact (Jpn) his stock should only improve with age.

Erevann, €8,000 NEW
Failed narrowly to notch his Group 1 win, but he was a solid performer. By Dubawi out of Siyouni's first Classic winner Ervedya, Erevann has the pedigree to succeed and is pitched in at a reasonable starting price.

Dream Ahead, £6,500
He remains woefully underrated and should not be overlooked at his lowest price in 12 seasons at stud in three different countries. 

Iquitos, €6,000
A horse that produces two stakes winners from his first crop of only five foals is going to get noticed, and this treble Group 1-winning son of Adlerflug (Ger) has moved from his home farm of Gestut Ammerland to Gestut Graditz and now Gestut Rottgen. His fee is up from €4,000 last year but remains enticing. 

Awtaad, €5,000
The Irish 2,000 Guineas winner remains at the same fee he's been for the last two seasons even after notching two Group/Grade 1 winners this year. Awtaad may not be prolific but he is more than capable of siring a good horse. 

King Of Change, €5,000
He has been clipped in from €6,000 ahead of his first runners hitting the track in 2024. It remains deeply regrettable that his sire Farhh (GB) does not have better fertility because he is plainly a good stallion. Time will tell if King Of Change can pick up the baton but he's a Group 1 winner from a decent enough family and it's worth taking a chance at this price.

The post Stallions Fees: That Was The Week That Was appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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There is plenty to digest from three years' intake and of course prices can often drop after a stallion's first year at stud, so there could be some value to be found for breeders willing to roll the dice on a stallion about to embark on his third season. He will have first runners before the resultant offspring of this year's matings make it to a sale. As always, results on the track are everything, and we are very much in unproven territory here. 

As with the earlier parts of this series, the sires have been divided into fee brackets and though there is of course some discrepancy between the euro and the pound, we are treating them as equals here.

Stallions standing at £/€25,000 and above

At £80,000, Baaeed (GB) is the most expensive young sire to retire to stud within this timeframe and it would not have been a surprise if he had commenced covering at a six-figure fee. Instead he is starting at almost exactly the same level as his sire Sea The Stars (Ire) and the problem for Shadwell won't be filling his book, rather deciding which breeders they have to let down. 

Some will baulk at Baaeed's absence of two-year-old form but, at 135, he is the highest-rated son of a brilliant stallion with a wonderful pedigree behind him, as well as a race record that includes victory in six coveted Group 1 races in Britain and France. He'll be given a great chance in his new career and in a few years £80,000 may look very reasonable at this upper level of the stallion market.

Baaeed got the better of Palace Pier (GB) in the 2021 Champion S., but until then the latter had compiled a similar race record, albeit his included maiden and novice wins at two. This top-class miler had his fee trimmed to £50,000 from £55,000 for this year, after a who's who of international breeders lined up to use him in 2022, when he covered 154 mares, including the dams of Cracksman (GB) and Farhh (GB).

On a swelteringly hot June day in Chantilly, Sottsass (Fr) became the first Group 1-winning colt for his Siyouni (Fr) when landing the Prix du Jockey Club of 2019. One could sense the joy Peter Brant derived that day from winning a French Classic, and that was multiplied the following year when Sottsass claimed the Arc, too. He is of course a son of the Monceaux super mare Starlet's Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and has been clipped to €25,000 from his €30,000 opening fee. His owner backed him strongly with his own mares and his first yearlings will take to the ring from August. A year behind him and bred on the same Siyouni-Galileo cross is the former champion juvenile St Mark's Basilica (Fr) who sailed through his 3-year-old seasons with a French Classic double followed up by victories in the Eclipse and Irish Champion S. A heftier price tag of €65,000 greeted his arrival at Coolmore, and his first foals will be arriving this spring, while his half-brother Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) will be represented by his first runners. A big year for the family.

One name that we can expect to make a big splash at the yearling sales this year is the 2020 Horse of the Year Ghaiyyath (Ire). The first foals of the son of Dubawi (Ire) and Classic heroine Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) returned a six-figure average just above 100,000gns, with a 375,000gns top lot. He is competitively priced at €25,000 and he has covered some smart mares, including G1 Fillies' Mile winner Lyric Of Light (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}), G2 Rockfel S. winner and 1,000 Guineas runner-up Lucida (Ire) (Shamardal), and dual Group 3 winner Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who is also the dam of G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}).

Pinatubo (Ire) carried all before him in his unbeaten juvenile season, ending 2019 as the champion in Europe. It is easy to imagine that his offspring could show similar precocity, thus making it a decent bet that his first yearlings will sell well this year. For these reasons, along with strong support from breeders, he has remained at €35,000 since his retirement to stud. His sire Shamardal had started out at €40,000 and dropped in years four and five to half that amount. We all know what happened after that: his fee climbed steadily, along with his reputation for excellence. 

Persian King (Ire) was an early star and a first Classic winner for his sire Kingman (GB). A Group 3-winning juvenile, beating Magna Grecia (Ire) in the Autumn S. at Newmarket, he took the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and then added a further two Group 1 wins to his credit at four in the Prix d'Isaphan and Prix du Moulin. A first try at a mile and a half on his swansong saw him finish third behind Sottsass in the Arc. He entered stud at a sold €30,000 and has been trimmed slightly in this, his third year, to €25,000.

Last season's champion juvenile Blackbeard (Ire) will remain a brilliant 2-year-old in our memories as he has been retired to stud off his dual Group 1 strikes in the Prix Morny and Middle Park S. From his eight starts, he won six, as early as the beginning of April and including the G3 Marble Hill and G2 Prix Robert Papin. 

At a time when many breeders will struggle to get near his sire No Nay Never, Blackbeard looks an appealing alternative at €25,000 and it's unlikely that he will lack support. 

Stallions standing at £/€15,000 to £/€24,999

Godolphin had an embarrassment of Shamardal riches in 2019 with Pinatubo stealing the show but Earthlight (Ire) more than holding his own when, just like Blackbeard three years later, he won the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park. Earthlight's foals sold well last year and, now trimmed from an opening fee of €20,000 to €15,000, he could well be good value at this level. Victor Ludorum (GB), who completed Godolphin's hat-track of homebred Group 1-winning sons of Shamardal that year, stayed in training through his 4-year-old season after winning the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Poule d'Essai des Poulains in his first two years in training. His final win was in the G3 Prix Messidor, and he too is at €15,000 at Haras du Logis.

Hello Youmzain (Fr) has Shamardal on his dam's side and is a rare son of Kodiac (GB) in France. He's a durable one, too. In three seasons to race, he was a Group 2-winning juvenile before landing the G1 Sprint Cup at three and the G1 Diamond Jubilee at four. Starting out at €25,000, he's now at €22,500 in his third season.

At the same stage in their stud careers are two Group 1-winning milers: Kameko and Mohaather (GB). The former, by Kitten's Joy and a top-level winner at two and three, has had a £10,000 reduction from his opening fee and is now at £15,000, while Mohaather, a sleek son of Showcasing (GB), has also been at that fee for two years, having started at £20,000.

Like the aforementioned Victor Ludorum, Lucky Vega (Ire) also represents the Shamardal line, has his first foals arriving, and is also pitched in at €15,000. He has received significant backing by his owner Yulong Investments, and is one of a number of young sons of Lope De Vega (Ire) at stud. It is doubtless hoped by his connections that he will pick up the baton for this line which is increasingly flourishing in Europe.

Similar comments can be applied to Space Blues (Ire) and the Dubawi sire-line. The hardy little chestnut really hit his stride as an older horse after being Group 1-placed and a listed winner at three. His top-level wins came in the Prix Maurice de Gheest (beating Hello Youmzain) at four, before he signed off at five with an international G1 double in the Prix de la Foret and Breeders' Cup Mile. He has been competitively priced at €16,000 this season.

The G1 July Cup winner Starman (GB) was one of the busiest Flat stallions of 2022, with David Ward's statuesque homebred given a rousing reception at Tally-Ho Stud when covering 254 mares at a fee of €17,000. That has been trimmed his season to €15,000.

Entering stud this season in this bracket are the Group 1 winners State Of Rest (Ire) at €25,000, and Mishriff (Ire) and Torquator Tasso (Ger) at €20,000. Perfect Power (Ire) begins at a fee of £15,000 in Newmarket, while in Ireland Bayside Boy (Ire), Minzaal (Ire) and Naval Crown (Ire) are all starting off at €15,000.

Stallions standing at £/€7,500 to £/€14,999

In France, where Wootton Bassett (GB) is almost certainly missed, his fast son Wooded (Fr) was added to the ranks at Haras de Bouquetot in 2021 after winning the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye. Starting off at €15,000, his first yearlings are on the horizon and his fee has been snipped to €12,000.

Wooded went head-to-head in Normandy with Golden Horde (Ire), another Group 1-winning sprinter who joined the Sumbe team and will also have his first yearlings for sale this year. His opening mark of €10,000 has been reduced to €8,000.

Circus Maximus (Ire) has tended to sail a little under the radar, but it should not be forgotten that he is a treble Group 1-winning miler by Galileo (Ire) out of a classy mare in the Group 2 winner Duntle (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). His fee has been halved from his first year to €10,000 in his third year, and he has some potentially smart offspring to represent him, including Proxima Centauri (Ire), a filly out of his breeder's four-time Group 1 winner Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and a colt out of the smart racemare Banimpire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire})

Another well-bred son of Galileo, Japan (GB), joined the German stallion division at Gestut Etzean in 2022 and has remained at €11,000 for his first two seasons. The National Stud's Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) is another with first foals arriving and his fee has also been maintained at £8,500, while the G1 Middle Park S. winner Supremacy (Ire), one of a number of young sons of Mehmas (Ire) to retire to stud in the last two years, has been trimmed from €12,500 to €10,000 at Yeomanstown Stud. A year behind him is another Mehmas horse, Persian Force (Ire), who starts out at Tally-Ho Stud, where he was conceived, at €10,000.

The Chehboub family's Haras de Beaumont sets out its stall as one of the newest stallion operations in France by standing their own Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Champion S. winner Sealiway (Fr) at an opening fee of €12,000.

If you set a stallion's fee against the number of miles covered in their careers then Stradivarius (Ire) would certainly represent value as he raced over almost 65 miles during his 35 races, 20 of which he won, including 18 group races. In fact, any way you look at it, you get plenty of bang for your buck (£10,000, to be precise) when booking a mare to the charismatic stayer, for his noted soundness is exemplified by his elastic movement which has turned many heads since he joined the stallion yard at the National Stud. Throw in the Stradivarius breeder bonus offered by his owner Bjorn Nielsen, which rewards the breeders of his first ten 2-year-old winners with £25,000 each, and first-crop group winners with £100,000 for Group 2 or 3 races and £250,000 for a Group 1 victory, then he is certainly worthy of serious consideration.

Stallions standing at less than £/€7,500

Farhh (GB) may have covered only limited books since retiring to stud in 2014 but he now has four sons at stud. Two of those, Far Above (Ire) and King Of Change (GB), stand alongside each other at Starfield Stud and have their first yearlings on offer later this year. Yes, it's a chancey time to use any third-year stallion, but at €5,000 and €6,000 respectively, they look well-priced, and the Group 1-winning miler King Of Change in particular came in for some compliments from shrewd operators when his first foals were in the sales rings last November.

We may have trouble saying his name, but Sergei Prokofiev did not go unnoticed when his first foals hit the sales last year either, and the son of Scat Daddy is another ensuring that the Whitsbury Manor Stud stallion barn remains plenty busy over the coming months. At £6,000 he is competitively priced, and the same can be said for River Boyne (Ire), Tara Stud's Grade 1-winning son of Dandy Man (Ire), who has remained at €5,000, the same fee set this year for Shaman (Ire), the Wertheimer-bred son of Shamardal who is at Yeomanstown Stud.

One of the most interesting horses in this fee bracket is Sands Of Mali (Fr), winner of the Gimcrack at two, followed by the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint at three among his four group victories. He's by a stallion that has some people scratching their heads, the dual Group 3 winner Panis, himself a son of the influential Miswaki. At €5,000, Sands Of Mali is an easy horse to breed to, but not just because of his largely outcross pedigree: he was also talented and is good-looking to boot. He has recently been joined at Ballyhane Stud by Space Traveller (GB), a son of Bated Breath (GB) who raced until he was six, having won the G2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang S. and G3 Jersey S. at three. His final start came last season when denied by a head to finish second in the GI Frank E Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita, and he starts his new career at a fee of €6,500.

Also at €5,000 at Castlefield Stud in Ireland is Alkumait (GB). We can be certain that his half-brother Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will end up at stud eventually, but in the meantime this Group 2 winner has stolen a march and joins an increasing throng of sons of the popular Showcasing (GB) now at stud.

No Nay Never is another stallion with increasing representation among the stallion ranks and his young sons include Arizona (Ire), who is at Castleyhde Stud and the Molecomb S. winner Armor (GB), a recruit last year to Haras de Bouquetot. Both stand at €5,000, while Armor has been joined at Bouquetot by the G1 National S. winner Thunder Moon (Ire), who stands for €6,000.

A'Ali (Ire), a son of the late Society Rock who notched up four Group 2 wins during his career with Simon Crisford, joined the throng at Newsells Park Stud last season and his fee has been reduced from an opening mark of £7,500 to £5,000 this year, making him another to be a potentially value option for breeders. 

Tally-Ho Stud is represented as the breeder of a growing number of stallions at stud, including A'Ali and also Overbury Stud's new recruit Caturra (Ire). The Flying Childers winner is the first son of Mehmas to stand in the UK, and he has joined another Tally-Ho-bred, Ardad (Ire), at the Gloucestershire farm, where he will start off at £6,500.

The latest son of Wootton Basssett to retire to stud in France is last season's Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up Texas (Fr), who now stands at Haras de Hoguenet for €3,800.

Big Shuffle's son Areion (Ger) made a pronounced mark on the German breeding scene over many years, and died last year at the age of 27. He has been succeeded in that country by the Group 1 winner Alson (Ger), who retired to Gestut Fahrhof last year and stands at €6,000, while Rubaiyat (Fr), a five-time group winner in Germany and Italy, is his latest son to take up stallion duties, and he is at Gestut Ohlerweiherhof, where he commands a fee of €4,500.

Value podium:
Instead of selecting a gold, silver and bronze medallist, as is the norm for this feature, I am opting instead for three stallions across the distance range whom I believe represent value at this early stage of their careers. There are no prizes for guessing that Stradivarius is one, and he is joined by the miler Mohaather and the sprinter Sands Of Mali.

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A classy sprinter for Hugo Palmer, Dubawi Legend chased home Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket before signing off on his juvenile campaign with a rating of 115.

He achieved Group 3 success as a 3-year-old and put in another notable performance to finish third to subsequent Group 1-winning sprinter Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) in the G3 Hackwood S. that same season.

Dubawi Legend's fee has been set at €6,500 for his debut season at the County Westmeath stud where he will stand alongside fellow newbie King Of Change (GB), Far Above (Ire), Kuroshio (Aus) and Smooth Daddy.

Orlandi said, “At a fee of €6,500, we are delighted to offer breeders the opportunity to use a precocious son of the champion sire Dubawi. Not only is Dubawi the champion sire but he is also a renowned sire of sires, and can call upon Night of Thunder (Ire), New Bay (GB)  and Zarak (Fr) to name a few.”

He added, “We haven't yet reached the crest of Dubawi's wave as a sire of sires so to stand his Group 1-performing son is very exciting. Dubawi Legend is the second-highest rated 2-year-old to retire to stud in 2023.

“A top class sprinter, he is an exciting addition to the Compas Stallions roster. Limited breeding rights are available.”

Dubawi Legend finished up in 2021 as the joint second-highest rated 2-year-old in Europe, with that 115 rating higher than what Night Of Thunder, New Bay and Zarak achieved at two. Dubawi's dominance as a sire of sires is illustrated by the fact that five of his sons have sired Group 1 winners in their own right in Europe.

Director of Racing at Rabbah, Bruce Raymond revealed how he holds Dubawi Legend in the highest of regard, and commented, “A speedy, well-bred son of Dubawi. He was an impressive debut winner and Group 1-placed at two and was even quicker at three when easily winning a Group 3 over six furlongs. We saw him as a Group 1-level sprinter.”

Out of a Raven's Pass mare, the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas winner Lovely Pass (Ire), Dubawi Legend is bred on the same successful cross as Mishriff (Ire) and Saffron Beach (Ire).

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   After a hectic few months perusing this year's foal and yearling crops, we asked the buyers to share their thoughts on the young stallions with first foals and yearlings. From leading bloodstock journalist Nancy Sexton to top pinhooker John Cullinan, the pulse was taken on the ground at Tattersalls where opinions have now been formed on first-crop sires Ghaiyyath (Ire), Earthlight (Ire), Sergei Prokofiev and much more.

Dermot Farrington, agent, on Advertise (GB) & Kameko:

“If you look at the list of people who have bought yearlings and foals by Advertise, it's a long time since a young stallion has attracted the who's who of the bloodstock world, and that's exactly what he has done. Whether it be yearlings to breeze, yearlings to race or foals to pinhook, Advertise has attracted what I would call the best horse men and women in the industry. He's hugely popular among the right people and it truly is amazing. People will say I am biased given I bought the horse and my father-in-law [Martyn Meade] trained him, but I genuinely think he'll be a big success.

“Of the first crop of foals, Kameko is producing some very nice stock. I was actually very disappointed not to buy a colt on Thursday night by Kameko. I was the underbidder on him and Mick Fitzpatrick bought him. Kameko was a classy racehorse and I'd be backing him to do well from what I have seen so far.”

John Cullinan, pinhooker, on Pinatubo (Ire) and Blue Point (Ire):

“Everyone loves the new kids on the block and I'm no different. Ghaiyyath is the new exciting stallion and I was delighted to get a colt by him this week for 240,000gns. He's producing fantastic stock but sure he was the outstanding racehorse of his generation and is by a sire of sires in Dubawi (Ire). Look at Night Of Thunder and New Bay for example. Hopefully Ghaiyyath can carry on in that direction because they are a nice bunch of horses.

“I also bid strong on a Pinatubo on Thursday night but I didn't get him unfortunately. I like what I have seen from him. I don't usually buy many foals by sires who have their first runners the following season because, when you are only buying a few every year, you could leave yourself open. It's a huge risk, huge exposure. Having said that, myself and Roger [Marley] had a chat the other evening, and I hope to God that I am not putting the kiss of death on him now, but we both think Blue Point will have a big season next year. For any horse to win twice in the one week at Royal Ascot, they have to be blessed with uncommon talent. We have one very nice colt by him to breeze next year and, on the strength of what he's been doing, we bought a foal by him this week for 72,000gns, but it's not something we'd do normally.

“The market has been interesting this week and I think we could be facing a tough spell, especially in Britain, which is why we have been concentrating on the top end. The thinking there is, if we do hit a little bump next year, we will have the horses to sell to the recession-proof buyers. And, sure if all else fails, we can go out in a blaze of glory! But in all seriousness, it's been very tough at the sales because everyone has had the same idea. We looked at 136 horses, only vetted 14 of them and came home with three. I'm after leaving myself a little light on numbers but I have some high-end horses, which was the plan. I bought 11 foals last year and the ones I bought cheaply were the ones who didn't make money. The ones I pushed on and gave the few quid for, they left money behind, so I decided to spend my money this year, but on fewer horses at a higher level.”

Nancy Sexton, journalist and pinhooker on Ghaiyyath, Earthlight and King Of Change (GB):

“It's no secret that Ghaiyyath has some lovely foals: they have a look of Dubawi about them but they also have scope and the ones I've seen have been good movers. It's easy to see why they were so popular at Goffs and at Tattersalls.

“I also liked the Earthlight foals: on the whole they were good movers and straightforward. King Of Change wouldn't have many soldiers, but from the small selection over the last two weeks I thought they were good-looking and good-moving horses. He was a little underrated on the track and as a well-bred son of Farhh (GB), anything could happen.”

Eddie O'Leary, Lynn Lodge Stud on Ghaiyyath, Earthlight, Arizona, and Advertise:

“The Ghaiyyaths are gorgeous. They are big lovely-walking foals and they have plenty of quality about them. I've seen plenty of nice Earthlights and there were a few Arizonas who caught my eye as well. I actually underbid the Arizona colt who Peter Nolan bought at Goffs for €60,000. Advertise has his first runners next year and, after what I saw on my gallops at home recently, I was keen to pick up a few foals by him and I'm happy I did. I think he'll do well next year.”

Clare Manning, Boherguy Stud, on Ghaiyyath & Earthlight:

“I'm going to have to nominate two because I have been very impressed by the first foals by Ghaiyyath and Earthlight. They really seem to be stamping their stock. The Ghaiyyaths have plenty of size and are good walkers. He was a brilliant racehorse and is producing fine-bodied individuals. Earthlight is out of a New Approach (Ire) mare, which is obviously a big plus for me, and I have been a fan of what I have seen from him so far.”

Julie Woods, owner, on Ghaiyyath, Sergei Prokofiev & Without Parole (GB): 

“Ghaiyyath is putting a nice stamp on his foals and Sergei Prokofiev seems popular as well. We bought a Without Parole because we like the Frankel (GB) line and followed Cracksman (GB) last year. There's a lot to look at but those are the ones we have really concentrated on.”

Freddy Tylicki, agent, on Ghaiyyath, Sergei Prokofiev, Advertise & Blue Point:

“I have been very taken by the Ghaiyyaths and the Sergei Prokofievs. Ghaiyyath is producing very good and attractive foals so let's see if they can run. The Sergei Prokofievs are going down as well as hot biscuits and he looks like he is stamping his foals. I bought an Advertise foal and it looks as though she was a giveaway as she cost just 2,500gns. I liked him when I saw him at stud and I loved him as a racehorse. I also bought a Blue Point foal and I think they will be fast.”

Joe Foley, Ballyhane Stud, on Sands Of Mali (Fr), Mohaather (GB), Soldier's Call (GB), Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and Too Darn Hot (GB):

“I have been very pleased with the Sands Of Malis. He did well at Goffs and a nice colt sold for 27,000gns so we're very happy with that. In other news, the Mohaathers have been catching my eye. He was a lovely yearling himself, a lovely horse and a very good racehorse, so I was very interested in his foals. They have come back in his real Showcasing (GB) shape and they have that action. They look like runners to me. We bought a few Soldier's Calls last week at Goffs and again this week and I fancy him to do well in his first season next year and to become a good sire. Ten Sovereigns is another stallion whose yearlings I have liked the shape of and we bought a foal by him last week at Goffs. But that's a risky game, buying foals in the hope that the stallion clicks with its first runners.

“Next year is probably one of the most competitive years I can remember for first-season sires but, you know what, the good ones will come through. People are clever nowadays and, with all of the statistics available to everyone, they will be able to spot the good ones at the different price ranges. The likes of Too Darn Hot, who was a very good racehorse, his yearlings look very racey and appear to have plenty of Dubawi about them. I bought a few by him this week so I took a gamble there.

“And, speaking of Dubawi, Ghaiyyath has done well with his first foals. He was the highest-rated horse in the world at one point and is a very good-looking horse with a great attitude and a wonderful pedigree. Not only that, he showed good acceleration for a horse who stayed 10 furlongs. I'd like him as well. There are some very nice horses coming through the ranks which is great because we need some more good stallions. There are very good stallions coming through over the next few years and that's what makes this game so interesting.”

Liam Norris, agent and pinhooker, on Kameko:

“For me the Kameko foals are all a similar type. I like to see a stallion stamping his stock and I have seen a good few of his foals that I've liked.”

Larry Stratton, agent and pinhooker, on Sergei Prokofiev:

   “There's a real consistency to the Sergei Prokofiev foals. One after another they have been really strong; he's really stamping them. They have lovely strong tops like himself.”

Amy Lynam, agent, on Mohaather, Without Parole, Too Darn Hot, Magna Grecia (Ire) and Masar (Ire):

“Of those with first foals, I have liked the stock of Mohaather. He's stamping his stock and obviously if they take after him you'd definitely like that. I've liked some of the Without Paroles as well; I think they are good walkers with a bit of quality about them.

“From the first yearlings I liked the Too Darn Hots. They were probably a bit too expensive for me, but I liked them all the same and I am excited to see what he can do. I also bought a yearling by Magna Grecia in Doncaster and he was one of my favourites that I bought. Invincible Spirit (Ire) is a proven sire of sires, Magna Grecia was top class himself and he is very impressive to look at. I also liked Masar's yearlings and it has been great to see his foals sell well this week as well.”

Harry Dutfield, pinhooker, on Earthlight, Sergei Prokofiev, and Kameko:

“Over in Ireland, the Earthlights made the list. At the cheaper end of the scale, Sergei Prokofiev has hit the mark repeatedly, and the Kameko foals are good-bodied sorts. But if you had a small mare, Sergei Prokofiev seems to be stamping them: they are big, brawny, lengthy horses with plenty of size and scope.”

Tom Whelan, pinhooker, on Sergei Prokofiev, Mohaather & Earthlight:

“For me the Sergei Prokofiev foals were the best. I underbid one at 92,000gns. I liked him a lot and I followed one in again today who made 70,000gns. They are good, strong foals.

“I also saw some nice Mohaather foals. Some of them look very like Showcasing and the way he has gone that can't be a bad thing. The Earthlights were also very consistent.”

John Bourke, Hyde Park Stud, on Ghaiyyath, Earthlight, and Soldier's Call:

“Ghiayyath is the one everyone is raving about and the Earthlights are nice as well. I'm not a big foal buyer but I buy a lot of yearlings and mares, they are my big thing, so I'm always watching the young sires coming through. That's one of the most interesting parts of this game for me.

“I might try and buy a mare who is in foal to one of the up-and-coming stallions next week. The way I look at mares is, I'll be looking at sending them to a stallion who will have his first runners next year. I sent two mares to Havana Grey (GB) in April when it looked like he was going to do the business. People can be panicking about getting their mares in foal but I will always keep a few back to see what first-season sires are going well and I'll take a chance on the ones who are showing the right signs.

“Soldier's Call is one I'll be backing. To be honest, I've one or two at home who are being prepared for the breeze-ups and they look like rockets. There's one filly in particular there and, if she can't gallop, I'll be very surprised.”

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At the top end of the market, Kingman (GB) dominated with three foals by the Juddmonte-based stallion selling for a combined €1,540,000 and one of Europe's leading pinhookers Philipp Stauffenberg signing for the €550,000 top lot by the sire. 

Tally-Ho Stud may be best known for being sellers but they pipped Stauffenberg for the biggest spenders title by signing for 19 foals for €1,429,000. Juddmonte, Yeomanstown, BBA Ireland and Camas Park Stud were also on the front foot at Goffs. 

Away from the top end, there were interesting trends to emerge last week that could well impact how this week's December Foal Sale plays out at Tattersalls.

What first-season sires do the buyers want? Who are the emerging forces in the stallion ranks and where might the value lie at Tattersalls? We've examined all of that and more.

Stock In Mehmas And New Bay Is Booming

It's been a breakout year for Mehmas (Ire) and New Bay (GB), who have had their fees for 2023 hiked off the back of memorable campaigns for their respective progeny and, judging by how well their foals went down at Goffs, they can again be expected to play a leading role at Tattersalls.

Let's start with Mehmas, a horse who began his stud career at Tally-Ho in 2017 at a fee of €12,500 and has justified his bump to €60,000 after another memorable campaign, highlighted by Group 1-winning sprinter Minzaal (Ire).

New Bay has done something similar at Ballylinch in that he has climbed the ranks the hard way. He also entered the stallion ranks in 2017, standing for €20,000, but has had his fee for 2023 increased to €75,000 from €37,500 with Bay Bridge (GB), Bayside Boy (Ire) and Saffron Beach (Ire) doing their bit to advertise their stallion's prowess at the highest level this season.

Nine New Bays sold at Goffs for an average of €80,750, headed by colts who sold for €145,000 and €140,000, while Mehmas enjoyed a similarly productive sale with 26 foals selling for an average of €62,455. Four foals by Mehmas broke the €100,000 mark with BBA Ireland going to €160,000 to secure a colt by the stallion.

What's clear about last week's results is that Mehmas and New Bay are the emerging forces in the European stallion ranks. There are 30 foals by Mehmas and 16 New Bays at Tattersalls this week and it will be interesting to see how they perform.

Sergei To Make A Splash?

The Whitsbury Manor Stud team got to dip their toe into the market with some of the first foals by Sergei Prokofiev (Can) going under the hammer at Goffs. How that will prepare an operation who excelled itself with leading first-season sire Havana Grey is hard to know given the amount of foals due to be sold by Sergei Profkofiev at Tattersalls this week. 

The Goffs offering went down well; one colt made €52,000 while the WH Bloodstock team paid €45,000 for another. Of the six foals that sold at Goffs, they averaged at €34,167. Not bad going for a stallion who stood at £6,500 in his first season at stud. 

Indeed, Sergei Prokofiev hails from that Scat Daddy line that is proving so popular. He was clearly quite the looker, too, given he fetched $1,100,000 as a yearling before carving out a decent career without managing to win a Group 1 for Aidan O'Brien. 

There are 60 foals by Sergei Prokofiev at Tattersalls this week. They should provide a better sample size into the standing in which he is held in with the buyers.

Najd Stud Snap Up Foals

We have become accustomed to Najd Stud playing a major role at the horses-in-training sales but it was interesting to see the Saudi Arabian-based outfit sign for four foals at Goffs. Is that a sign of things to come at Tattersalls this week?

Najd Stud didn't shoot the lights out, either, at Goffs. A Ghaiyyath (Ire) colt topped the total spend of €134,500 across five foals. Interestingly, a filly by Shadwell's Commonwealth Cup winner Eqtidaar (Ire), who has his first runners next year, was among the purchases at €36,000 as was a €3,500 Belardo (Ire) colt on the final day of the sale. 

Kildangan-Based Sires Come Up Trumps

Speaking of Ghaiyyath, the Kildangan-based freshman sire enjoyed a rock-solid start at Goffs with 11 of his first foals selling for €824,000 which averages out at €74,909.

Leading pinhookers Pier House Stud bought the top two colts by the stallion for €185,000 and €145,000 respectively and few would be surprised if the offerings by the four-time Group 1 winner go down well at Tattersalls as well. 

Of the 11 foals cataloged by Ghaiyyath at Tattersalls, a filly out of a sister to New York Girl (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) and a half-brother to Global Giant (GB) (Shamardal) stand out on paper at least.

Fellow Kildangan-based stallions Blue Point (Ire) and Earthlight (Ire) also performed well. Earthlight had 17 foals sell for €942,500 at an average of €55,441 with Tally-Ho, Lynn Lodge Stud, Peter and Ross Doyle among the significant buyers of his progeny.

Even more impressive were figures posted by Blue Point, who had 20 lots sell for €1,011,500 at an average of €56,194. Top of the pops were colts knocked down for €200,000 apiece to Camas Park Stud and Katsumi Yoshida.

Blue Point's yearlings were similarly well-received. Famous for winning the King's Stand and Diamond Jubilee S. in the same week at Royal Ascot in 2019, Blue Point will have his first two-year-olds hit the track in 2023, with yearlings by the sire averaging over €100,000 this year. 

His stats performed favourably against proven sires Dark Angel (Ire), Showcasing (GB), Kodiac (GB), Starspangledbanner (Aus) and Acclamation (GB) in terms of average for a similar number of lots through the ring at Goffs last week. It will be interesting to see if he can carry over that sort of momentum at Tattersalls. 

First-Season Sires

Next year's race to be crowned champion first-season sire is being billed as one of the most exciting renewals for a long time with Too Darn Hot (GB), Blue Point, Waldgeist (GB), Magna Grecia (Ire), Ten Sovereigns (Ire), Calyx (GB), Advertise (GB), Invincible Army (Ire), Land Force (Ire) and Soldier's Call (GB) having their first runners in 2023.

As mentioned above, Blue Point performed well at Goffs while a number of leading pinhookers got behind the progeny of a number of the first-season sires. 

Advertise was one who came out nicely on the figures from a relatively small sample size at Goffs and one would imagine that Tattersalls will provide a more accurate barometer given he has 19 foals there.

But the Goffs results read well. Six foals sold for an average of €32,167 which was more than Invincible Army [14 for €29,773], Ten Sovereigns [15 for €26,833] and Soldier's Call [14 for €26,417]. Those figures could well average out this week. Time will tell.

First Crops Of Note

Along with Ghaiyyath, Earthlight and Sergei Prokofiev, who we have already mentioned, a number of stallions had their first crop go under the hammer at Goffs. 

Some of the more interesting results were posted by Arizona (Ire), perhaps unsurprisingly given he is a son of the sire of the moment, No Nay Never, while King Of Change (GB), Mohaather (GB), Sottsass (Fr) and Without Parole (GB) caught the imagination. 

Peter Nolan paid €60,000 for an Arizona half-brother to Eldrickjones (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) while the Coolmore-based freshman sire, who stands for just €5,000, averaged a respectable €20,192 for 13 foals.

Sottsass was a classier racehorse than most of his first-crop rivals and it told in the figures at Goffs with the former Arc winner posting averages comparable with Mehmas, Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Dark Angel. There were 11 foals by Sottsass at Goffs and they sold for an average of €61,100 and a top price of €180,000. 

G1 Sussex S. winner Mohaather created a good impression with five foals selling for an average of €49,250 including a top lot of €95,000 while Without Parole had four foals sell for an average of €27,000 and a high of €70,000.

King Of Change was subject to a recent transfer after being snapped up by Starfield Stud from Derrinstown and it looks like it could prove to be a decent move given how his first foals performed. 

Peter and Ross Doyle paid €50,000 for a colt by the sire who averaged a solid €24,714 for seven foals sold. That's a good return for a Group 1-winning stallion who is set to stand for just €5,000 next year.

Coolmore Can Count On Wootton Bassett And No Nay Never

Wootton Bassett (GB) and No Nay Never flew the flag for Coolmore at Goffs while demand for the progeny of Saxon Warrior (Jpn) was evidently up off the back of an excellent autumn for the first-season sire. 

Wootton Bassett was bettered only by Kingman and Galileo, who between them accounted for just four foals at Goffs, for the highest averages posted. 

The sire of brilliant G1 National S. winner Al Riffa, Wootton Bassett clearly captured the imagination last week, with seven foals selling for €1,345,000 at an average of €224,167 which earned him a top-three finish in that particular table. 

No Nay Never enjoyed an eighth-place finish in averages posted on €134,800 and, while Saxon Warrior was down on that list at €52,263, he posted a chunky aggregate with 21 foals selling for €993,000. That was the seventh-highest aggregate recorded by any stallion. 

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Not only did Saxon Warrior top the session when Ballyhimikin Stud signed for a colt [lot 231] drafted by Kildallan Farm for €88,000, but he was also responsible for three of the top four foals on the day. 

The Monday session-topper is out of an unraced sister to black-type performer Impendor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and led home a cracking days's trade for the Coolmore-based stallion who, off the back of an excellent debut season with his two-year-olds, had his 2023 fee increased to €35,000.

The second most expensive Saxon Warrior through the ring on the day was a colt [lot 78] from  Collegelands Stud who was knocked down to KCS Bloodstock for €65,000. 

He is out of an unraced New Approach (Ire) mare who has produced two winners from two runners; El C Wells (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) and Wohileh (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}).

Ciara Carty of KCS Bloodstock said, “He's a nice colt and stood out today. He's got plenty going for him, he's from a nice pedigree and he's by a sire who has done well and is going to have global appeal going forward. This colt will be back for sale next autumn.” 

Rochestown Lodge Stud's colt [lot 135] by the sire sold for €62,000 and will chart a similar path with the yearling sales next autumn the ultimate aim. 

Marie McCartan of Ballyphillip said of the big-walking chestnut out of the dual winner Zagharit (Ire) (Sir Percy {GB}), “We're delighted to get him. He's a really nice horse and will come back to the sale next year. Saxon Warrior having the Breeders' Cup winner was a big help.”

Four colts by Saxon Warrior sold for an aggregate of €260,000 at an average of €65,000 at Goffs on Monday.

The overall trade was also strong. The aggregate was up 3% to €3,529,000 and the average also rose 6% to €20,399 while the median fell by 3% to €15,000. 

Stauffenberg A Dandy Man Fan

Philipp Stauffenberg signed up to the Dandy Man (Ire) fan club by snapping up a filly and a colt by the Ballyhane-based stallion as well as an Advertise (GB) filly on the day. 

But it was the lot 162, the Dandy Man filly out of Astonished (Ire), a dual winner by Sea The Stars (Ire), who led the way for the leading pinhooker at €85,000. 

On that purchase, he said, “She was one of the best physicals of the day. Joe Foley bought the half-sister by Night Of Thunder (Ire) for €160,000, so there's every chance that there will be an update there.”

Forenaghts Stud brought a small, but select draft to Goffs this week and manager Caoimhe Doherty revealed that the whole team was over the moon with the sale of the Dandy Man filly. 

She said, “We are thrilled. We thought she'd sell well but we didn't think she'd sell as well as she did. She was bought by a brilliant judge and underbid by another top judge in Joe Foley. 

“For her to make €85,000 is really beyond what we could have hoped for. We brought two very nice foals to Goffs this week so we're thrilled with how the week has begun.”

@BallyhaneStud's Dandy Man had a filly sell for €85,000 @Goffs1866 today. She was bought by @StauffenbergBS from Forenaughts Stud. pic.twitter.com/lGYnV5K8Vm

— TDN (@theTDN) November 14, 2022

The second foal to sell under the Forenaghts Stud banner is a Starspangledbanner (Aus) [lot 710] who goes through the ring on Wednesday.

The Dandy Man colt was consigned by Kellsgrange Stud and sold for €55,000. Out of an unraced daughter of Camacho (GB), he hailed from a good family, with his granddam Miss Philllyjinks (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) producing G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Tiger Tanaka (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}).

It has been a memorable year for Stauffenberg with his pinhooks. At Book 1 at Tattersalls alone, Stauffenberg Bloodstock sold five yearlings for 2,345,000gns, including a 550,000gns Night Of Thunder filly who was knocked down to Godolphin. 

Asked how he was planning on reinvesting at Goffs this week, he joked, “Hopefully wisely! We will know next year if it was wise or not.”

On buying the Advertise filly [lot 62] out of a dual-winning Dark Angel (Ire) mare [Prying Pandora (Fr)] earlier on in the day, he added, “The Advertise filly was lovely as well. She was a little bit light on the page but she was a very nice physical and we are hoping that Advertise will do something next year. I think we got one of the best physicals by Advertise.”

Doyle Delighted With King Of Change Colt

Ross Doyle paid a handsome tribute to King Of Change (GB), a horse the leading bloodstock agent knows well–given he won the G1 QEII on British Champions Day for Richard Hannon–after he secured a colt [lot 102] by the first-season sire for €50,000. 

King Of Change recently made the move to Micheál Orlandi's Starfield Stud in County Westmeath and Doyle described himself as being impressed with the first foals he has seen by the stallion. 

On lot 102, he said, “Peter [Doyle, the agent's partner and father] and Flash Conroy bought him and the plan will be to resell him as a yearling. He was as nice a foal as we saw here at Goffs today–a good physical with a very good walk.”

Doyle added, “Richard Hannon held King Of Change in very high regard, which is a big help. We have seen some nice foals by the sire. They are very nice types.”

Three of the four foals by King Of Change sold for an aggregate of €85,000 and averaged at €28,333. 

Arizona Off To A Solid Start

Some of the first foals by Arizona (Ire) were well-received with Peter Nolan snapping up a colt [lot 201] by the 2019 G2 Coventry S. winner for €60,000.

The Castlebridge Consignment also sold a colt by the stallion earlier in the day for €35,000 to Paula Flannery which went some way to cementing a rock-solid trade for the newbie, with six foals selling for an average of €25,500.

Nolan's purchase is a half-brother to the speedy Eldrickjones (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), who reached a rating of 104 in his juvenile year, and the plan will be to re-offer the colt as a yearling. 

He said, “We just thought that the mare had produced two good ones by Pride Of Dubai (Aus) [three-time winner Moddy Puddle (Ire)] and Cotai Glory. He's a big, fine, good-looking colt and the stock looks good by the sire. They're nice. He'll be for re-sale.”

LOT 201 is a colt by @coolmorestud's Arizona a half to Group 2 placed Eldrickjones

Consigned by Ballybin Stud (@peteskelly) and sold to @peternolanblds for €60,000 at #GoffsNovember pic.twitter.com/EfWf2Kkp0i

— Goffs (@Goffs1866) November 14, 2022

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AC: Stephen, King Of Change is an exciting addition to the Derrinstown Stud roster. How is it that he came to stand at Derrinstown?

SC: We were approached by Ali Abdullah Saeed, King Of Change’s owner, and he asked would it be possible to send the horse to Derrinstown. Of course, Sheikh Hamdan was delighted to oblige and the team here at Derrinstown were extremely happy to do so too. He is a lovely looking horse. He’s got a tremendously athletic walk and a very attractive head. I think he is a horse who is very well priced in the market and he’s a horse that could go places and do the breeders a very good turn.

AC: How is he finding life at Derrinstown?

SC: Very well, he’s a very nice horse to work with and he has taken to his surroundings very well. He enjoys being out in the paddock and obviously now it is onwards and upwards for the breeding season.

AC: He was highly competitive throughout his racing career. What were some of his best performances?

SC: He was an outstanding racehorse. He ran six times and was either first or second in all his starts. As a 2-year-old he ran in two maidens and finished second, both very good runs. He reappeared as a 3-year-old and won his maiden, a novice, at Nottingham. From there he went straight to the English 2000 Guineas. This was a huge step up in class for King Of Change to go from a novice to a Group 1. He ran a fantastic race, finishing second to Magna Grecia (Ire). He had a very hard race and Richard Hannon Jr decided to give him a break and bring him back for an autumn campaign. He reappeared in the Listed Fortune S. at Sandown, over a mile in September and then ran in the Queen Elizabeth II S. on Champions Day at Ascot. He beat a magnificent field of eight individual Group 1 winners by 3 1/2 lengths. It was an absolutely top-class performance and it marks him as one of the best of his generation.

AC: His sire line hasn’t really been prevalent in Ireland before. Can you tell us more about it?

SC: Farhh was an exceptionally good racehorse himself. He was a dual Group 1 winner which included winning the Champion S. As a stallion, and from limited crops in England, he has had 15% stakes winners to runners. That, by any merit, is an absolutely outstanding statistic.

His yearling sell very well too, and I think the commercial breeder in Ireland will hugely support King of Change. He is one of very few by the stallion in Ireland so I imagine he will be popular.

AC: There is also good depth to his family. What are the highlights of his pedigree?

SC: His half-brother Century Dream (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), was a Group 2 winner and Group 1 placed. But if you look at the pedigree page as a whole it is a very good and sturdy black-type family. I think it is also the sort of family that is versatile, too.

AC: Do you have any indication as to the level of support King Of Change may receive?

SC: I expect breeders in Ireland will really like him. He is attractively priced and he is a first-season sire. He was also a top miler and was Timeform rated 126 be the end of his career so I think he will get very good support. I know Derrinstown Stud will be sending him some mares and Rabbah will be sending some too along with support from the Maktoum family. I think he will be busy next year.

AC: Describe the excitement and anticipation when a new stallion joins the ranks.

SC: I think every stallion farm always tries to get a new recruit every year as it freshens up the stallion portfolio. We have had Tamayuz (GB) quite a while and Awtaad (Ire) and Markaz (Ire) had their first runners this year so it is nice to get some new blood in. It also gets breeders back into the farm so they can see the new horse and then they renew their acquaintances with other stallions at the same time. Also, each time we get a new stallion, there are young people coming to the stud who may never have been before and I think that is very important for our industry’s future. We need young breeders as well as our established farms.

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Bred by Rabbah Bloodstock and campaigned by owner Ali Abdulla Saeed with trainer Richard Hannon, King Of Change was placed in each of his two starts at two before breaking his maiden on seasonal debut in April of his 3-year-old campaign. He outran odds of 66-1 to finish second to Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in last year’s G1 2000 Guineas, and justified that form by winning his two subsequent starts: the Listed Fortune S. at Sandown and the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on Champions Day at Ascot last year with the likes of Magna Grecia, Benbatl (GB), Phoenix Of Spain (Ire), Mohaather (GB), Veracious (GB), Lord Glitters (Fr) and Accidental Agent (GB) in his wake. King Of Change has not raced since.

Out of the Echo Of Light (GB) mare Salacia (Ire), King Of Change is a half-brother to triple group-winning and Group 1-placed miler Century Dream (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}). Their second dam is the G3 Prix Fille de l’Air scorer Neptune’s Bride (Bering {GB}).

Derrinstown also released the remainder of the their stallion roster on Wednesday. Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), already the sire of SW Ebeko (Ire) and the SP A Taad Moody (Ire) from his first crop, is €10,000. Group 1 sire Tamayuz (GB) (Nayef), the sire of 22 black-type winners, is at €8,000. Markaz (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is €3,000, while Haatef (Danzig), who has sired six stakes winners, has been priced at €2,000.

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