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Coolmore’s 2025 Fees Reviewed.

The return of mares data showed almost 2800 mares covered by Coolmore’s 21 flat stallions in 2024 ranging from 4 for Magna Grecia to 273 for Calyx. The average number of mares covered by a Coolmore flat sire was 133 so they are busy boys. Their Irish flat roster for 2025 comprises 20 stallions following 4 departures and 3 new arrivals. Dropping off the roster were Ten Sovereigns, Arizona and Magna Grecia who had failed to make an early impact and Sottsass who was sold to Japan despite it being too early to fairly assess his merit. The new arrivals are a pair of Derby winners in Auguste Rodin and City of Troy and a first son of Dubawi in Henry Longfellow. Wootton Bassett is now top dog but he lacks the dominance of some of his predecessors in that role.

Below is my assessment of their published fees for 2024, starting with the priciest sires.

Stallion €2025 fee (€2024 fee)

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1. Wootton Bassett €300,000 (€200,000) (2008 Iffraaj ex Balladonia by Primo Dominie)

Verdict: A good year but it didn’t warrant a €100,000 price increase

Coolmore will be well satisfied with their investment in Wootton Bassett. I’m not convinced that he warranted the big fee hike but if people have €300,000 to spend on a covering fee they probably don’t tend to shop around for bargains. Four Group 1 winning two year olds (Camille Pissarro, Henri Matisse, Tennessee Stud and Twain) were backed up by six other Group winning two year olds. He ate the lunch of his stud mate No Nay Never and only the winner machine that is Mehmas challenged him for primacy in the European two year old rankings.

His highest rated two year old, Henri Matisse is rated 113 by Timeform which is the joint 10th highest rated by Timeform. They were good horses but not memorable performers. Commercially his yearling median in 2024 was €250,000 which was less than his fee for next season. He finished 8th on the overall European prize money list but he can expect to improve upon that in the coming years with the offspring of big books due to emerge.

In my elite sire rankings, I would have him behind Frankel, Dubawi and Sea the Stars. Lope de Vega, Night of Thunder and Kingman offer as much for lesser fees. Wootton Bassett was hard to pigeon hole as a sire after making his name with such diverse types as Almanzor, Audarya, Wooded and King of Steel. However, it’s as a two year old sire that he now seems to be thriving and he is pricey for a two year old sire so he will need to get more classic types to warrant that blockbuster fee.

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2. No Nay Never €125,000 (€150,000) (2011 Scat Daddy ex Cat’s Eye Witness by Elusive Quality)

Verdict: Still overpriced, Mehmas is €70,000

There is a slow release of air from the No Nay Never bubble rather than a sudden popping. Whistlejacket (a full brother to Little Big Bear) won a Prix Morny but was beaten in three other Group 1’s. Bubbling and Truly Enchanting both won Group 2’s but his runners didn’t achieve enough to justify his fee. His yearling median was €128k so there was no profit for breeders who had paid €125k. His sire sons Arizona and Ten Sovereigns were dropped from the Coolmore roster as people cool on a sire who is a noted two year old sire but limited in his accomplishments with his older horses and whose progeny can be ‘hot’. His stud mate Wootton Bassett overshadowed him with two year olds and Mehmas looks better relative value.

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3. City of Troy €75,000 (€na) (2011 Justify ex Together Forever by Galileo)

Verdict: A bargain if you believe the hype, fully priced based on his actual achievements
A cracking good two year old, he fluffed his lines in the Guineas. He was good in the Derby, woeful despite winning in the Eclipse, decent again in the Juddmonte and then nowhere near good enough for the dirt specialists. That would still be a lovely cv but he is not ‘Frankelesque’ and he generated hype and praise from Aidan O’Brien and connections that was substantially out of kilter with what he demonstrated on the track. He will be the first son of Justify to stand on these shores. Coincidentally, we also witnessed an extraordinary level of guff spoken about the merits of Justify as a sire in the past year including Aidan O’ Brien saying that as a sire Justify could be ‘the best ever’. Spoiler alert he wont be the best ever, but there will be a glut of offspring by Justify out of Galileo mares running in Europe in the coming seasons and presumably quite a lot of high class performers. Is €75,000 a fair price for City of Troy?Looking at my crystal ball (actually just highlighting what is the standard operating system), I think he will be popular at that fee, he will drop by degrees over the coming years before his first runners hit the track , there will be other competing sons of Justify on the market and then he will find his place in the world. His dam won the Fillies Mile and is a full sister to an Oaks winner. He is a well balanced horse, his size was a subject of some commentary with Aidan insisting that he was in fact a giant beast more akin to a shire horse (officially 16.1). He will generate plenty of stud fees over the coming years (presumably he will shuttle as well) , he will have big books of well credentialed mares and he will have every opportunity to succeed. With varying influences for speed and stamina and his own mixture of precocity and three year old performances its hard to predict where his progeny will excel but he should be a conduit for class and he is a welcome addition to the stud ranks but it is no penalty kick that he will succeed and his fee is no bargain.

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4. Camelot €75,000 (€50,000)- (2009 by Montjeu ex Tarfah by Kingmambo)

Verdict: A great result in the Arc, but that doesn’t make him a great sire

An annus mirabilis saw a fee hike back to his 2022 level. The Prix de l’Arc saw him sire the winner (Bluestocking), 3rd Los Angeles, and 5th placed Sevenna’s Knight. Bluestocking really blossomed at four and Los Angeles lifted the Irish Derby and Luxembourg won a Coronation Cup to make it a good year for Camelot. . His yearling median increased to €125,227 and an Arc winner gives him the sort of kudos that should insulate him from any dips in the coming season. His operates at around 6% stakes winners to foals of racing age which are respectable but not exceptional stats. I think the 2024 Arc may prove to be the high water mark of his career but he has earned his place among Europe’s better middle distance sires, even if he is not entirely reliable.

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5. Starspangledbanner €45,000 (€45,000) (2006 Choisir ex Gold Anthem by Made of Gold

Verdict: Flagging
In Europe, Puchkine caused an upset in winning the Prix Jean Prat. In Hong Kong both Beauty Eternal and California Spangle won Group 1’s. Overall though he didn’t really do enough to enhance his reputation. His yearling median was €48,818 off a €35,000 covering fee. He is operating at a modest 4% stakes winners ratio and he is more than fully priced.

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6. St Mark’s Basilica €40,000 (50,000) (2018 Siyouni ex Cabaret by Galileo)

Verdict: Prayers required

Will have his first runners in 2025 so using him this season will be a leap of faith. Predictably his fee has been shaved. His half brother Magna Grecia made no impact and has been moved onwards. Sottsass, another son of Siyouni was sold to Japan from the roster. St Mark’s Basilica was top class on the track and he may prove equally adept as a sire but I’d rather wait and see than risk €40,000.

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7. Sioux Nation €30,000 (€27,500) (2015 Scat Daddy ex Dream the Blues by Oasis Dream)

Verdict: Big reservations
His yearling median held up at €40,000 despite over 100 yearlings going through the ring. A pair of Group 2 winners in Europe (Ocean Jewel and Sioux Life) didn’t set my pulse racing. 246 mares covered in 2024 follows on from 289 in 2023 and 221 in 2022. If you wanted an argument for maximum book sizes then the number of mares covered by this ordinary sire would make a strong argument in favour of restrictions. He is in no way worthy of this level of support at that fee.

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8. Auguste Rodin €30,000 (€na) (2020 Deep Impact ex Rhododendron by Galileo)

Verdict: No masterpiece
16 runs for 8 wins including 6 Group ones. A Group 1 winner at two in the Vertem( aka Racing Post/Futurity/Observer Gold Cup) and a dual Derby winner at three. Better still he finished his three year old campaign with a win in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Breeders Cup Turf. On the downside, his four year old campaign saw just a single victory in a substandard Prince of Wales from 6 starts. He was 13-8 for the Guineas when finishing 12th of 14 and he finished last in the King George at three and fifth as a four year old. Coolmore reportedly turned down big offers from Japan for this son of Deep Impact and the decision to keep him in training seemed a rare mis-step. His dam was top class but was known to bleed and some of her son’s performances were dire but he typically bounced back. Saxon Warrior is bred on a similar cross and hasn’t delivered as a sire but Study of Man has done in well in Lanwades. I wouldn’t be rushing to take a chance on him at the fee.
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9. Paddington €25,000 (€55,000) (2020 Siyouni ex Modern Eagle by Montjeu)

Verdict: A tough station
A huge drop in fee after just one season tells you that things aren’t straightforward. He covered 145 mares in 2024 and it will be interesting to see how many foals result. He ran up a sequence of Group 1’s in the Irish Guineas, the St James Palace, the Eclipse Stakes and the Sussex Stakes and he was clearly tough and top class. If his fertility is ok, he would be attractively priced.

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10. Churchill €25,000 (€30,000)- (2014 by Galileo ex Meow by Storm Cat)

Verdict: A Toothless bulldog
Survie won a Group 2 and was runner up in the Prix de Diane but it was another very underwhelming year on the track for Churchill. The memory of the achievements of Vadeni is fading as he produces lots of dross. 192 mares visited him in 2024 and he doesn’t deserve such patronage. He has sired 25 stakes winners from his 597 foals now aged three or more, a very ordinary 4% stakes rate. He had a yearling median of €42,000 for a crop conceived at €25,000 which was better than I expected. However, he is a limited sire and for me he is best avoided as he doesn’t deliver enough stakes horses.

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11. Little Big Bear €20,000 (€27,500)- (2020 by No Nay Never ex Adventure Seeker by Bering)

Verdict: Might be a Boo- Boo
His brother Whistlejacket won the Prix Morny in 2024 but that wasn’t enough to prevent a decrease in stud fee. Two sons of No Nay Never (Ten Sovereigns and Arizona) were moved on from the Coolmore roster and there is a finite market for sons of NNN. Little Big Bear was very impressive in the Phoenix Stakes and trained on to an extent with a victory in the Sandy Lane Stakes and he was runner up in the Commonwealth Cup. He attracted 156 mares in 2024 and it will be interesting if he attracts a similar sized book in 2025. He wouldn’t be my cup of tea but he is aimed at commercial breeders and he is approaching a sensible price.

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12. Gleneagles €20,000 (€17,500) (2012 Galileo ex You’resothrilling by Storm Cat).

Verdict: Has escaped from the rough

Highlighted his versatility by siring a July Cup winner in Mill Stream, a German Derby winner in Palladium and a top 10 furlong horse in Calandagan. He has managed to regain a degree of respectability in the marketplace and attracted a book of 162 mares in 2024. His yearling median climbed to €32,000 off a €15000 covering fee. His progeny stay better than would have been predicted and many need time to improve, but at the money he is a much better sire than Churchill. He has 40 stakes winners from 582 foals aged 3 or more which is a credible 6.8%. He is not particularly cheap but he does bring something to the table and is Coolmore’s best son of Galileo.

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13. Blackbeard €17,500 (25,000)- (2020 by No Nay Never ex Muirin by Born to Sea)

Verdict: No hidden treasure
Notably quirky on the track his reputation won’t have been helped by the relative lack of success of Ten Sovereigns and Arizona. He attracted 171 mares in 2024 following 195 in 2023. To repeat what I said last year, as a temperamental sort from an unexceptional female line I wouldn’t be in a hurry to use him at his current fee.

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14. Saxon Warrior €15,000 (€25,000) (2015 Deep Impact ex Maybe by Galileo)

Verdict: A bloody disaster
The only reason he is still on the roster is presumably that it would be a slap in the face to exile him with so many foals and yearlings still to face the marketplace. He attracted just 37 mares in 2024 and in truth he is dead commercially after failing to produce anything like enough top performers. He had an Italian Derby winner in Borna in 2024 but he is simply a poor sire who won’t be retained for much longer.

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15. Henry Longfellow €15,000 (€na) (2020 Dubawi ex Minding by Galileo)

Verdict: Was more prosaic than poetry
It feels strange seeing a son of Dubawi on the Coolmore roster. However it makes perfect sense for Coolmore to fill a gap on their roster and market this Group 1 winning son of the great Minding. Dubawi is compiling an impressive record as a sire of sires with Night of Thunder, New Bay, Zarak and Too Darn Hot all standing for chunky fees. Henry Longfellow was best at two winning the Futurity and the National Stakes (when City of Troy was a late withdrawal). I would have thought with his pedigree that he would have improved at three but he failed to win in five starts. His best runs were a runner up spot in the St James Palace to Rosallion and a somewhat distant third in the Prix Moulin. As an aside, for all his genius, Aidan O’Brien has never seemed at his best training Dubawi’s. His opening fee is around where I expected it to be. He brings a lot of pedigree to the table and Dubawi is sexy as a sire of sires. He was short of being truly top class but he should prove popular.

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16. Calyx €12,500 (12,500)- (2016 Kingman ex Helleborine by Observatory)

Verdict: Overused
I wrote last year that I thought he might have been a bit of value but it was still astonishing to read that he covered 273 mares in 2024. No sire is worthy of a book that size and this fellow certainly wasn’t either. He has a good winners/runners percentage and he has virtues as a sire but he has only sired 4 stakes winners to date. A yearling median of €26,250 off a €12,500 fee was fine but that was for 21 yearlings sold and the market may feel more saturated when a multiple of that amount are all vying for buyers attention. For commercial breeders, he may be a victim of his own popularity.

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17. Australia €10,000 (€17,500)- (2011 by Galileo ex Ouija Board by Cape Cross)

Verdict: Gone South

A deep cut to his fee probably wont be enough to reverse the slide in popularity. Attracted just 60 mares in 2024 and whilst a yearling media of €36,000 seems impressive those were off a €35,000 covering fee. Port Fairy won a Ribblesdale and he had seven stakes winners but he has lost the love of the market. His career stats are actually respectable running at 43 stakes winners from 780 current three year olds + (5.5%). His detractors will say his progeny tend to need time and generally lack a potent turn of foot . He is not going to become commercially attractive any time soon but at his new revised fee he might not be a bad option for owner/breeders not worried about the sales ring.

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18. Footstepsinthesand €8,000 (€8,000) (2002 Giant’s Causeway ex Glatisant by Rainbow Quest)

Verdict: Will leave no trace
Thankfully coming to the end of his career. Covered 19 mares in 2024, his yearling median was €17,719 and that is too much for this very ordinary sire.

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19. Holy Roman Emperor €8,000 (€8,000) (2004 Danehill ex L’On Vite by Secretariat)

Verdict: A decent sire at this level
The Coventry winner Rashabar served as a reminder that he is still a useful sire. However his median dropped alarmingly to €9987 from 11 sold. Appoaching the end of his career but not a bad sire (5%) stakes winners for the money.

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20. The Antarctic €5,000 (€6,000) (2020 Dark Angel ex Anna Law by Lawman)

Verdict: Leaves me cold
Dark Angel reached the top of the summit this year to be crowned Champion Sire in the UK and Ireland. To date he has yet to strike oil with a good sire son (Harry Angel probably the best to date). The Antarctic was no more than a Group 3 winner and the exploits of his brother Battash are probably the primary reason he found a slot at stud. He attracted 126 mares in 2024 but he is a long shot to make an impact.

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Final thoughts: Horses are a herd animal and unfortunately for the good of the breed many Irish and UK breeders also seem to blindly follow the herd. The worst examples above are the book sizes of Calyx and Sioux Nation which are completely divorced from their respective merits as sires. Coolmore isn’t unique in having huge books and there is a wider industry problem. Alas there seems to be no official or regulatory will to tackle the issue or even push for voluntary caps on book numbers and we are losing stallion and genetic diversity due to mega-sized books for ordinary sires.

Newland- Idiotic,Insulting, Incendiary, Interesting and Important.

Dr. Richard Newland’s article with Racingtv was insulting, incendiary, interesting and important. He came across as a Little Englander with a dislike of Johnny Foreigner who automatically assumes that the Irish could not win without cheating (“the Irish ‘advantage'”). The reference to a ‘lack of trust’ in the Irish anti-doping regime makes it clear where he thinks lies the source of that advantage. At no stage does he consider other reasons for the Irish level of success such as better stock sourcing policies, a better funded industry in Ireland, and the benefits that accrue from the need for continuous improvement by trainers in a more competitive racing environment. His ‘solutions’ which included restrictions or banning Irish runners almost seem like a parody.
It would be interesting to know if Newland had direct knowledge of drugs in Irish racing (track or Point to Point). Had he ever purchased horses that he later suspected of having been previously administered drugs?
What is important about his article is that it has reopened the debate on the integrity of racing and put the spotlight back on the drugs issue. He is following in the footsteps of Jim Bolger a man with a very different national outlook, who is the most important trainer to have spoken out on the issue. Richard Newland may have come across as a bit of an idiot but if he helps to bring about an improvement in the integrity of the sport he will have been an important idiot. It is in the interests of the industry on both sides of the Irish sea to restore confidence in the sport and avoid unsubstantiated innuendo against all Irish trainers. Trading insults won’t help but a proper coordinated, well resourced approach to tackling the issue would help.

As part of an article a few years ago (full article at https://www.montjeu.com/racing-to-the-exit/ , I wrote about what I believed to be the solution to drugs in racing. That solution is to focus on information and incentives for whistleblowing rather than reliance on tests. An extract from that article is shown below and I believe it is still relevant.

Drugs/Doping

The evidence revealed in the Servis and Navarro cases showed the extent to which designer and undetectable drugs were available in the US. There are the same incentives to cheat in Ireland and the UK. The drugs can be relatively obtained, often cannot be detected so why should anyone believe in Irish (or UK) horse racing exceptionalism?
Over the past decades we have had eGH (equine growth hormone) EPO, cobalt, milkshakes, micro dosing and God knows what else. The cheaters are usually ahead of the regulators and testers. By the time testing is in place for something, the cheaters will have moved on or developed masking techniques. Our regulators are stuck in a misguided belief that by simply doing more tests, they are doing their job. In truth they will most likely just get more negative results as the testing regime is limited in what it can reveal. An alternative approach is needed, based as much on human psychology as pharmacology.

Catching people requires better information and targeting. Unscrupulous vets and some alternative practitioners (such as John Warwick) seem central to some of the cases that have been uncovered. Some actions that should be undertaken include

  1. Target trainers who utilise these vets/practitioners
  2. Look for agreements with the veterinary regulators that would see severe penalties for vets who inappropriately supply equine medications.
  3. Proper Data analysis- Identify telltale signs ,perhaps high levels of horses going for long lay offs/fatalities from a stable/ sudden changes in strike rate or abnormal strike rates.
  4. Introduce a focus on non race day testing in pre-training yards and non-licensed yards
  5. The different forms of doping need different approaches. Doping to lose (nobbling) is relatively rare but can still occur. Hopefully the greatly delayed introduction of cctv in racecourse stables will help with that

All of these changes should help but they won’t be enough.

If you are serious about stopping it, you need much better information and you will have to be prepared to pay for it. Its difficult to see the Gardai in Ireland or the UK police having the powers or resources that allowed the FBI to catch Servis et al. Racing needs to put in place financial incentives to counteract the incentives to cheat. A large bounty (c. 75k+) for each conviction should incentivize some to blow the whistle on what they may know or have witnessed. The culture of omerta might start to crumble. There is rarely honour amongst thieves. It would be the best few million that the sport could spend.


Our testing regime only seems good at catching people who made a mistake over the correct withdrawal period for therapeutic medication. Where our regime falls short is in detecting performance enhancing drugs that are only detectable for a very short window, if at all. It’s worth paying a price to uncover that information, remove the cheats and restore the reputation of the sport.

Goliath du Berlais to become a giant of NH breeding?

When I was a business student, the text books loved case studies explaining how the nimble Japanese car industry took market share from the bloated US auto giants. In a bloodstock context this could be updated with a chapter on how the French breeding industry wiped the floor with their Irish rivals over the past two decades. The reasons are varied but include the French benefiting from :
1. The soundness and toughness brought by AQPS mares
2. The use of stallions who have proven that they can jump
3. The willingness to support stallions with unfashionable pedigrees and backgrounds
4. Smaller book sizes allowing opportunities to more stallions
5. Earlier timelines for NH racing allowing a quicker estimation of the merits or otherwise of a sire.
6. Not slavishly going for sire lines- in Ireland piling into sons of Galileo and sons of Monsun hasn’t worked. Now its unproven sons of Sea the Stars with whom breeders are rolling the dice.
7. Cooperatives. Some of the great success stories of Irish business came from the cooperative movement such as Kerry Group. We never adopted that model for bloodstock. Breeders in central France have banded together to back Haras de Cercy under a cooperative model. Irish breeders need to look at this model which has so many potential benefits and upsides for breeders. Cooperatives redress the imbalance of power between mare owners and stallion masters.

In recent years in Ireland we have routinely seen books of 250+ for unproven middle distance flat horses from the same few sire lines . There are now thousands of broodmares by failed NH sires that highlight the long term consequences of this herd mentality. In search of a quick fix, Irish stallion masters have now decided to purchase the better French young sires knowing that the economics of our huge book sizes make this approach financially viable. It will be interesting to see what sort of offers are made for the 9 year old sire who has just had two winners of three year old hurdles in France and who has all the qualities to become a major NH sire. That sire is Goliath du Berlais who stands at Haras de la Tuilerie.

Goliath Du Berlais’ Pedigree:

Pedigree Overview

Saint des Saints has become a stalwart of French breeding and enjoyed a stellar Cheltenham with three winners in Prokterat, Monmiral and Sine Nomine. He has also delivered as a broodmare sire and despite his age, still covered 81 mares in 2023 at €15000. King’s Daughter was a Grade 3 winner over hurdles as a three year old and she is a daughter of the outstanding 5 time champion NH sire in King’s Theatre. She has compiled an impressive record at stud with 7 winners and 4 black type winners. Aside from Goliath du Berlais, James Du Berlais (by Muhtathir) was runner up in a Punchestown Stayers Hurdle for Willie Mullins. Queen Du Buelais (by Muhtathir) was a Grade 3 hurdle winner and David Du Berlais (by Saints des Saints) was a Listed hurdle winner and is now at stud in Haras de Cercy. For good measure, Goliath Du Berlais’s second dam Bint Bladi is the dam of RSA Chase 2nd Lyreen Legend (also by Saints des Saints). It’s hard to fault this pedigree…

Goliath Du Berlais Racecourse Performance

Goliath Du Bearlais won 7 of his 12 starts culminating in an impressive 14 length victory in the 2019 Grade 1 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure chase at Auteuil as a four year old. Earlier that season he had won a Grade 2 and a pair of Grade 3’s for trainer Guillame Macaire. As an entire, this was more than sufficient to ensure his popularity once he was retired to Haras de la Tuilerie to stand alongside his sire Saint des Saints.

First runners:
Goliath’s first runners have certainly started with a bang. Two winners and two placed horses from four runners in French three year old hurdles is definitely impressive. This will be music to the ears of the breeders who utilised Goliath (140 in 2020, 131 in 2021, 119 in 2022 and 130 in 2023 so he will have big numbers to come. He seems poised for stardom. He retired at a fee of €7500 in 2020 and it is unchanged since then but if his electric start continues we can expect a significant price hike and big offers from Irish studs.

Seven Value Sires for 2024

For any breeders who have yet to decide on their 2024 stallions, I have compiled a shortlist of seven budget-friendly sires offering a good risk/reward ratio. In trying to identify value sires, I ignore sires who haven’t had runners, as most new sires will fail. Value sires will typically fall into one of three categories

  1. Older proven stallions who are getting fee reductions to compete with the more fashionable younger sires. Oasis Dream falls into this category.
  2. Sires with limited track representation who have shown promise but could be on the cusp of breakthrough success. Frontiersman, Coulsty, Phoenix of Spain and Study of Man are in this category.
  3. Sires with good reputations with trainers/agents who will deliver in the sales ring regardless of short term results in the track- Awtaad and Holy Roman Emperor are in this category.

1. Frontiersman (2013 Dubawi ex Ouija Board by Cape Cross)
Fee £2000- Standing at Overbury Stud

I wouldn’t normally recommend a horse with a Timeform squiggle who never won above Listed level as a value sire but this guy offers great value for a £2000 fee.
Firstly, the pedigree is exceptional. Dubawi has solidified his standing as a sire of sires, and Ouija Board adds further luster as both a champion on the track and the dam of a good sire in Australia. Frontiersman had a Timeform rating of 121 (albeit with a squiggle) and was runner up in a Coronation Cup so he was higher rated than many sires. His first runners on the flat (Asian Daze and Missy Dolly Rocker) were both winners. He had been marketed as a dual purpose/NH sire by Overbury but I think he is worthy of serious consideration by flat breeders at a peanuts fee.

2. Awtaad 2013 Cape Cross ex Asheerah by Shamardal
Fee €5000- Standing at Derrinstown Stud

Everybody now loves Awtaad as a value sire and for that reason it makes sense to use him. Agents and trainers will feel reassured purchasing his progeny because they have heard enough people repeating the mantra that he is great value. This year will see his fifth crop on the track and after a quiet start, 2 Group/Grade 1 winners (Anisette and Anmaat) in 2023 made everyone sit up and take notice. That said, his stats aren’t that exciting with 11 stakes winners (4%) and he has only 8 two years this year and 27 yearlings next year so I wouldn’t expect any great fireworks on the track in the near future. However at €5k, following the bandwagon should now work for commercial breeders on a budget.

3. Coulsty 2011 Kodiac ex Hazium by In The Wings
Fee €5500- Standing at Rathasker Stud

Despite his lack of representation he has a Grade 1 winner to his name in Shantisara, a Group 3 winner, three Listed winners and two stakes placed runners. This is an impressive record from only 48 cheaply bred runners. He has 75 two year olds this year and 119 yearlings on the horizon. This compares with 68 foals in all his previous crops so his track profile should soar. Kodiac has gained a decent reputation as a sire of sires and Coulsty could be on an upward trajectory.

4. Holy Roman Emperor 2004 Holy Roman Emperor ex L’on Vite by Secretariat
Fee €8000- Standing at Coolmore Stud

A reliable sire who might be a good option for a younger mare trying to get winners on her page. He didn’t have his best year in 2023 but so far he has sired 14 Group 1 winner (9 in the Northern hemisphere) and is operating at 5% stakes winners to foals. He had a healthy yearling median of €31k last year so he is a decent commercial proposition.

5. Phoenix of Spain 2016 Lope De Vega ex Lucky Clio by Key of Luck
Fee €10,000- Standing at Irish National Stud

I thought his first runners exceeded expectations with 20 two year old winners from 51 runners in a crop of 97. With his progeny expected to improve with time, those are more than respectable numbers. Amongst his winners was Haatem, who won the Grp 2 Vintage Stakes so it was mildly surprising that his fee was shaved from €12k to €10k. He had a yearling median of c. €25k last year but if his progeny progress as expected then I think there could be upside in using him.

6. Study of Man 2015 Deep Impact ex Second Happiness by Storm Cat
Fee £12,500- Standing at Lanwades

I’m keen on this beautifully bred, French Derby winner with Miesque as his grandam. His first crop was promising with 11 winners from a total crop of 55, headlined by the Beresford Stakes winner Deepone and Grp 3 placed Ghorgan. The expectation is that as a son of Deep Impact, his progeny will improve with age. I could see him as a classic sire and there aren’t many sires in this price bracket about whom that could be said.

7. Oasis Dream 2000 Green Desert ex Hope by Dancing Brave
Fee £15,000- Standing at Banstead Manor

Oasis Dream has sired 134 stakes winners (7%) and 20 Group 1 winners so his ability as a sire is not in doubt. His fee reflects his age. Older stallions generally have lower fertility and there is a belief that progeny results also show decline in later crops. This is the lowest fee of his career ( he stood a number of seasons at £85k) and I think it is adequately discounted to account for any age related concerns.

Coolmore’s 2024 fees (Part 2-stallions below €20k)

I received a lot of feedback on my post previous post about Coolmore’s fees. For the avoidance of doubt:
a) I don’t have a grudge against Coolmore.
b) I try to be impartial and I apply the same standards to other studs.
c) My comments are based on the published fee. Most breeders will get a better rate. A lower rate would lead to a more favourable assessment of the sires.

If we return our focus to the Coolmore roster, they have 9 stallions standing for under €20k. This is a more competitive segment of the market, with nearly 50 Irish flat sires standing between €5k and €20k. The Coolmore roster is a mixture of the old and young, those dropping down having failed to make it a higher fee and younger unproven stallions. There is a spread of sprinters, milers and middle distance performers.
As before, I will include some Beatles lyrics in my assessments.

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1. Gleneagles €17,500 (€17,500) (2012 Galileo ex You’resothrilling by Storm Cat).
Verdict: A decent sire at this level but the market is unforgiving
Beatles Lyric Verdict: “That is, I think its not too bad“
He was retired at a fee of €60,000 with great things expected of him. He has not lived up to expectations but he has found his place in the world. He had a respectable year on the track in 2023, with three Group 2 winners, 6 Group 3 winners and a Guineas placing for Royal Scotsman. This wasn’t sufficient to stop his yearling median decline to just €21,000. His overall record shows 31 stakes winners (5%) which is ok for this fee level (but is based on crops conceived at much higher fees). He has lacked a superstar to put his name in lights but he has an exciting prospect in One Look (ex Holy Salt by Holy Roman Emperor) who earned rave reviews when she won the Goffs Million on her debut. However he will only have just 18 two year olds in 2024 which may stymie his efforts at market rehabilitation. Commercially, he needs to get back some market love and there may be better value in buying his offspring rather than breeding them for now..

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2. Australia €17,500 (€25,000)- (2011 by Galileo ex Ouija Board by Cape Cross)

Verdict: Slightly overpriced
Beatles Lyric Verdict: “But now these days are gone, I’m not so self assured”
Had a decent tally of 6 Group winners in 2023 and some wondered if Adelaide River could have won the Irish Derby under a more forceful ride. Over his career, he has amassed a decent tally of 5% stakes winners, but like Gleneagles he lacks real stars. His book dropped to 110 in 2023 from 155 in 2022 and his yearling median was c.€33k from a €25k fee so a price reset was predictable. I suspect they will shave his fee a little more in the coming years. I used to be more of a fan but we know his limitations at this stage. That said, he is not without his good points and for the right mare he would be worth considering if you could get movement on the price.

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3. Ten Sovereigns €17,500 (€17,500) (2016 No Nay Never ex Seeking Solace by Exceed and Excel)
Verdict: Too risky
Beatles Lyric Verdict: “With every mistake we must surely be learning”

He looked to be in trouble after a slow start by his progeny, but things picked up later in the season with a Group winner in Inquisitively (ex Ballyalla by Mind Games), a pair of Listed winners and a final European tally of 25 winners and 9 black type horses (along 2 more in North America). Unlike some other No Nay Nevers, he trained on to win a July Cup so that gives hope that his progeny will follow suit. His yearling results stayed steady with a median of c. €40k so he did enough to reassure the market. Given the numbers at his disposal, I thought his two year olds might have done a little more. At an unchanged fee, I would be reluctant to take a punt that a) progeny will train on well sufficiently for a star to emerge b) his smaller second crop (87 compared to 150 last year) will improve his standing.

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4. Calyx €12,500 (10,000)- (2016 Kingman ex Helleborine by Observatory)

Verdict: Nice first crop
Beatles Lyric Verdict: “Don’t Let me down”

Get a modest price increase which was warranted after a promising first crop. He had a pair of Group 2 winners in Classic Flower (ex Crown of Flowers by Garswood) and Persian Dreamer (ex Surprisingly by Galileo). These were supplemented by a US based Grade 3 winner in Zona Verde (ex Namibie by Dark Angel) and the Dewhurst third Eben Shaddad (ex Galileo’s Lady by Galileo) amongst 27 winners. Given he had a much smaller number of two year olds than Ten Sovereigns (103 vs 150) , his results were much the better of the two. He went somewhat under the radar but this was a decent start and he may be a bit of value.
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5. Magna Grecia €10,000 (15,000)- (2016 by Invincible Spirit ex Cabaret by Galileo)

Verdict: Disappointing first crop
Beatles Lyric Verdict: “there’s a shadow hanging over me“

As a Guineas winner and Vertem winner who was a half brother to St Marks Basilica, he seemed to have a reasonable chance of success. After a first crop that saw just 12 winners and a solitary Listed winner, his prospects are now a lot less rosy. His yearling median more than halved to under €20k and it’s difficult to see him turning things around. Incidentally, after a glut of ordinary sires I wonder how Invincible Spirit maintains his elevated reputation as a sire of sires?

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6. Footstepsinthesand €8,000 (€10,500) (2002 Giant’s Causeway ex Glatisant by Rainbow Quest)

Verdict: 16 disappointing crops 🙂
Beatles Lyrics: “And you are the one that makes me sad”

It’s difficult to find something new to write about Footstepsinthesand. Each year, I write that he is a very ordinary sire and should be avoided. In 2023 he had no Group winners and a solitary Listed winner. Despite that, his yearling median increased to €24k so (inexplicably) he remains popular despite his limitations.

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7. Holy Roman Emperor €8,000 (€10,000) (2004 Danehill ex L’On Vite by Secretariat)

Verdict: A decent sire at this level
Beatles Lyric Verdict: “And I say, it’s alright“

A solid sire at the money and a much better sire than the similarly priced Footstepsinthesand. He had a relatively quiet year on the track with a pair of Group 3 winners his best result in Europe. However, his career stats are good and he is operating at 5% stakes winners to foals of racing age. I think he is good option at that price especially with a yearling median last year of over €31k.

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8. The Antarctic €6,000 (na) (2020 Dark Angel ex Anna Law by Lawman)

Verdict: Leaves me cold
Beatles Lyric Verdict: “You can get it wrong but still you think that it’s alright”

I was surprised that they found a slot for this guy on the roster. His main selling point seems to be that he is a brother to Battash rather than his own accomplishments. He was a relatively modest Group 3 winner by Dark Angel who has yet to hit to mark with his sire sons. He may be ok commercially with his initial crops ,before the racetrack reveals their true merit. He is just one of many possible sources of cheap speed and it’s difficult to get overly excited about his prospects.

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9. Arizona €5,000 (€5,000)- (2017 No Nay Never ex Lady Ederle by English Channel)
Verdict: Will need a quick start or will be surplus to requirements
Beatles Lyric Verdict: “Nothin’ you can say, but you can learn how to play the game”
First runners this season so he will need a strong start or he will likely be moved on from a roster that is top heavy with No Nay Never’s. He had a 2023 yearling median of €19000 and these are part of his 66 strong crop of two year olds. It’s pure guesswork whether he will succeed and he is one for the gamblers.

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Coolmore’s 2024 fees (Part 1-stallions from €200k to €20k)

2023 was a good year on the track for Ballydoyle with 20 Group/Grade 1 winners. Results weren’t nearly as impressive for Coolmore’s stallion roster. Their best placed stallions on the GB/Ire sires table were Galileo in 5th and No Nay Never in 10th. Disappointment with their Irish sires, will have been tempered somewhat by the performance of the Ashford based Justify. He impressed with 4 Group/Grade 1 winning two year olds this year, in a second crop that was considerably better than his first crop. It would be intriguing to see him spend a few seasons in Tipperary but that doesn’t seem to be on the cards.

The Irish roster now comprises 21 stallions. During the year we saw two departures in US Navy Flag and Circus Maximus (even before he had runners) and three new arrivals in Little Big Bear, Paddington and The Antarctic . Coolmore may never reclaim its dominance of the past few decades but it is still a formidable roster that covers a large percentage of Irish broodmares. There are no bargains at the published fees but presumably bar the most popular stallions there is room for negotiation which may make them better value.

Below is my assessment of their published fees for 2024, starting with the priciest sires. As the Beatles are once again in the charts I have also included a Beatles lyric that seems apt for each sire.

Stallion €2024 fee (€2023 fee)

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1. Wootton Bassett €200,000 (€150,000) (2008 Iffraaj ex Balladonia by Primo Dominie)

Verdict: Repaying their investment but no upside at price
Beatles Lyric Verdict: I’m fixing a hole
Wootton Bassett had a good year on the track. The imposing King of Steel (ex Eldacar by Verglas) was runner up in the Derby and subsequently triumphed in the Champion Stakes. His 131 two year olds featured Group 1 winners Bucanero Fuerte (ex Frida la Blonde by Elusive City) and Unquestionable (ex Strawberry Lace by Sea the Stars) and Group 2 winner River Tiber (ex Transcendence by Arcano).

His current career tally is 40 stakes winners from 620 foals of racing age (6%). This is not an elite sire percentage but he has covered large books of better credentialed mares (particularly Galileo mares) since his move to Ireland. He has 205 two year olds of 2023 and 170 yearlings waiting in the wings. In 2023 he covered he covered a mammoth book for 221 mares, including 49 of Coolmore’s own mares. With these crops to come,we can expect him to improve significantly on his 11th position in the sires table this year. He is a difficult sire to pigeon hole as his runners vary across the precocity and distance spectrum and he has worked with all sorts of broodmare sires. A €200,000 fee is steep for a sire who had a median of €220,000 this year (95 sold) -albeit off a €100,000 covering fee. Galileo was irreplaceable. Wootton Bassett is a stopgap who is being given every support. However, he is not that attractive as a commercial proposition and his stakes winning progeny percentage is modest, making him overpriced at his new fee.

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2. No Nay Never €150,000 (€175,000) (2011 Scat Daddy ex Cat’s Eye Witness by Elusive Quality)

Verdict: Overpriced and definitely not Danzig
Beatles Lyric Verdict: I’m coming down fast, but don’t let me break you

No Nay Never (NNN) had a marvellous season in 2022 with 3 Group 1 winning two year olds. In 2023, he had no Group 1 winners but he had three Group 2 winners (Les Pavots, Lake Forest and Matrika) and two Group 3 winning two year olds. In 2022, he seemed set to dominate the two year old sire rankings for a number of years. This no longer seems likely as that space has become much more crowded. He now faces competition from his stud mate Wootton Bassett, breakthrough sires like Havana Grey (£55,000) and Mehmas (€60,000) and 2023 first season sires like Blue Point (€60,000) and Too Darn Hot (£65,000). His yearling median was €157k off a €125k cover fee so his risk/reward ratio for commercial breeders is not appealing. Six figure fees are typically the preserve of potential classic sires and despite Meditate placing in the Irish Guineas this year, he is still (correctly) perceived as a two year old/sprinter sire. His career record is now 57 stakes winners from 958 foals of racing age (6%). He was unwisely compared with Danzig last year (18% stakes winners) but there is no comparison. There is also a view that his progeny can be ‘hot’ and difficult to handle. He attracted 190 mares this year with 101 of them being black type mares so there will be plenty of well bred representatives over the coming years. Coolmore is approaching saturation point with four of NNN’s sons on the roster (Arizona, Blackbeard, Little Big Bear and Ten Sovereigns) and its hard to think we need any more. As a two year old/sprinter sire he is overpriced relative to his competitors and he should be closer to €100k.

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3. Paddington €55,000 (na) (2020 Siyouni ex Modern Eagle by Montjeu)

Verdict: Would need to tick a few more boxes at that price
Beatles Lyric: “You say you got a real solution, Well, you know, We’d all love to see the plan”

This time last year he was just the winner of a back end Curragh maiden. He started 2023 in a handicap, before going on an unbeaten run that took in the Tetrarch Stakes, the Irish Guineas, the St James Palace, the Eclipse Stakes and the Sussex Stakes. At that stage he was inviting comparisons with Giant’s Causeway but his career finished tamely with defeats in the Juddmonte International and the QE2 Stakes.

Paddington cost €420,000 as a yearling. His dam was a Listed winner and granddam was runner up in the Prix De Diane (French Oaks) but its not a page that overly excites. He was undoubtedly high class and tough. On the other hand, his lack of precocity, the loss of prestige by his final two defeats and reservations about his pedigree mean that he is at a higher starting price than I expected. They are advertising him as being comparable on the track to Giant’s Causeway but he didn’t quite have that same toughness/constitution. St Mark’s Basilica offers a better package of performance and pedigree at a slightly cheaper price.

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4. St Mark’s Basilica €50,000 (65,000) (2018 Siyouni ex Cabaret by Galileo)

Verdict: a well credentialed but expensive gamble
Beatles Lyric: All I can tell you brother is you have to wait
A predictable dip in his fee for his third season and now facing internal competition from another son of Siyouni in Paddington for high end mares. Covered 173 mares this year and 160 in 2022 and his 10 foals sold had a median of c€94k so the market is still sanguine on his prospects. As I said in previous years he has a lot to recommend him on performance and pedigree and looks. I’d rate him as better relative value than Paddington but he is still a high risk and expensive gamble. Time will tell.

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5. Camelot €50,000 (€60,000)- (2009 by Montjeu ex Tarfah by Kingmambo)

Verdict: The quest for the holy grail continues
Beatles Lyric: Don’t You know that you can count me out
His fee has gone into reverse in the past few seasons after reaching €75,000 in 2022. Luxembourg added another Group 1 (Tattersalls Gold Cup) to his collection and Los Angeles picked up a late season Group one in the Criterium de Saint Cloud to give some respectability to his season. Blue Stocking went close in the Irish Oaks and overall there were 9 stakes winners this season. His yearling median increased to €98,451 albeit off a €60,000 fee so there was little room for error. His career stats are now 59 black type winners from 947 foals of racing age a ratio of 6%. He is undoubtedly a useful sire but as I said in previous years, I think his progeny flatter to deceive.

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6. Starspangledbanner €45,000 (€50,000) (2006 Choisir ex Gold Anthem by Made of Gold

Verdict: Pricey given his black type percentages
Beatles Lyric: Get back, Get Back to where you once belonged
I would have expected a greater reduction after a modest year on the track. Group 2 Rockfel winner, Carlas Way was the best of his European results and his career stats are now just 37 stakes winners from 869 foals of racing age (a very modest 4%). His yearling median in 2023 was almost unchanged at €60,000 which was a good return from a €22,500. However the value is now well gone for commercial breeders.

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7. Saxon Warrior €25,000 (€35,000) (2015 Deep Impact ex Maybe by Galileo)

Verdict: Disappointing and the battle seems lost
Beatles Lyric: Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight.

Breeders flocked to him after a strong end to 2022 by his first two year olds and he covered 264 mares. I can safely say he wont be attracting anything like those numbers this season after a very underwhelming year on the track. His best results were a Group 2 win for Lumiere Rock and a Group 3 for Greenland. His yearling average stayed respectable at €40,000 but he is a very hard sell at his current fee.

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8. Churchill €30,000 (€30,000)- (2014 by Galileo ex Meow by Storm Cat)

Verdict: A two hit wonder but loads of dud tracks
Beatles Lyric: Oh dear, what can I do?
Blue Rose Cen added three Group 1’s to her tally this year but Vadeni failed to add to his stellar 2022 season. Churchill is not a good sire but these two top performers have glossed over an otherwise very modest stud career. His current statistics show 201 winners from 677 foals of racing age and a woeful 14 stakes winners (2%). He still has large books in the wings having covered 227 mares this season, 108 in 2022 and 198 in 2021 so there could be more good horses to come but for me his limitations are such that he is well overpriced.

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9. Sioux Nation €27,500 (€17,500) (2015 Scat Daddy ex Dream the Blues by Oasis Dream)

Verdict: Don’t follow the herd on this
Beatles Lyric: “Well you can celebrate anything you want”
He has somewhat outperformed expectations and had a good year on the track with 3 Grp 2 winners and 5 Group three winners. He lacks a real superstar with the classic placed and Challenge Stakes winners Matilda Picotte being his best runner to date. His sales results have been encouraging with a yearling average of over €45k in 2023 so you can see why Coolmore were tempted to increase his fee. However, he will have his smallest crop of two year olds next season, so he may go a little quiet next season. His stakes winning percentage is currently 4% (13 from 301 foals) which is nothing special. He started out marketed as a sire of cheap speed/precocity but at his new fee he will have to start throwing his share of Group 1 winners. There are big crops to come after he covered an insane 289 mares in 2023 and 221 in 2022 and I think he will struggle with these loftier expectations.

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10. Little Big Bear €27,500 (na)- (2020 by No Nay Never ex Adventure Seeker by Bering)

Verdict: Like Paddington, another overpriced bear
Beatles Lyric: “Roll up, for the mystery tour”

An impressive two year old who put up a top performance in winning the Phoenix Stakes by 7 lengths along with three other victories. Trained for the Guineas, he ran no sort of race before redeeming himself somewhat in the Grp 2 Sandy Lane Stakes. He was runner up in the Commonwealth Cup to Shaquille before ending his career with a flop in the July Cup. He has an interesting pedigree as his third dam is the great middle distance mare All Along. His dam is by Bering and was best over 10 furlongs but ran respectably over 12. None of these maternal influences seem to have had much bearing (or Bering :)) on Little Big Bears aptitudes which mirrored his sires profile linked to speed and precocity. Its impossible to say if he will succeed as a sire but we can predict big crops, a gradual reduction in fee over the next few years, early crops to sell better than later crop, limited support from Coolmore themselves and then the performances of his first runners determining if he has a future or not. The market likes speedy two year olds and he was very good in that capacity but he is more than fully priced.

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11. Sottsass €25,000 (25,000) (2016 Siyouni ex Starlet’s Sister by Galileo)

Verdict: One for gamblers but a reasonable bet
Beatles Lyric: “Let it be”

Sottsass has his first runners in 2024 so anyone using him this season will quickly have a fair idea of their fate,albeit his progeny would be expected to improve at three. He was a top racehorse winning an Arc, Ganay and French Derby out of a Galileo mare who is proving to be a top producer. Her record includes 7 time Grp 1 winner Sistercharlie, Grp 1 placed My Sister Nat and now Sottsass’s full brother Shin Emperor emerged as one of the top two year olds in Japan. With three sons of Siyouni on their roster, Coolmore will be hoping that he makes a mark as a sire of sires. His fee hasn’t officially dropped for the 2024 season but anecdotally they are willing to negotiate more than with some other fees. I think he is the best value (in relative terms) of their sons of Siyouni.

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12. Blackbeard €20,000 (20,000)- (2020 by No Nay Never ex Muirin by Born to Sea)

Verdict: Doubt he is a source of treasure
Beatles Lyric: “Where do they all belong”

Ran 8 times and won 6 times including a pair of Group 1’s in the Prix Morny and Middle Park. Noticeably quirky, he was odds against improving his record at three and was dispatched to stud. His dam Muirin is by a disappointing sire in Born to Sea but she was 4th in the Moyglare. Despite these reservations, he attracted 195 mares in 2023. Coolmore have 4 sons of No Nay Never on their books and you have to wonder if Ireland is repeating the mistakes of Australia. In 2019, Plusvital published research that showed a halving in the number of horses with stamina markers (TT horses) and a 70% increase in horses with C:C speed indicators. With the huge numbers of mares being bred to these speed sires these worrying trends are gathering momentum. As a temperamental sort from an unexceptional female line I wouldn’t be in a hurry to use him at his current fee.

10 things we’ve learnt so far this season

1. Havana Grey (Havana Gold ex Blanc de Chine (Dark Angel) is the real deal. This is a proper breakthrough sire who just had his first Group 1 winner with Vandeek (ex Mona Misa by Exceed and Excel) . Rags to riches sires are a rarity and he is following in the recent footsteps of his broodmare sire Dark Angel, along with Showcasing and Mehmas who all established themselves as quality sires of two year old and sprinter/milers. His current crop of two year olds includes Group 2 July Stakes winner Jasour (ex Twilight Thyme by Bahamian Bounty) and Group 3 winner Elite Status (ex Dotted Swiss by Swiss Spirit) . Encouragingly five of his three year olds have won Stakes races so they are also training on. He should go gangbusters at the sales and there will be no surprises if his fee deservedly reaches £40,000+ for next season.

2. Charlie Appleby and Dubawi: Charlie Appleby is 7th in the UK trainers championship and Dubawi is 6th in the UK & Ireland sire tables. These would be stellar results for most trainers and sires but with a stud fee of £350,000 more is expected of Dubawi. Similarly, having topped the table in 2022 and 2021 it is relatively slim pickings for Charlie. With so many of Dubawi’s offspring trained in Moulton Paddocks the two events are highly correlated. So is Charlie suffering because of a bad crop of Dubawi’s or is Dubawi struggling because of a stable that is not firing for whatever reason? It’s probably a little bit of both. Ironically, the best two year old by Dubawi seen so far this season is the Futurity Stakes winner Henry Longfellow (Dubawi ex Minding by Galileo) is on track to become the first son of Dubawi to stand at Coolmore whenever his career ends.

3. Sons of Dubawi : Dubawi has garnered a reputation as a sire of sires. Night of Thunder and New Bay were the poster boys and are clearly very good sires. Night of Thunder looks to have a potential new star in Vespertilio but New Bay has had a quiet season so far. Zarak continues to post excellent percentages but could do with a Group 1 winner. Time Test has gone cold and Postponed is facing the exit. Too Darn Hot (ex Dar Ra Mi by Singspiel) looked to be disappointing early in the season but he has come nicely to the boil in recent weeks with a pair of a Group winning fillies in Fallen Angel and Darnation. Too Darn Hot defied his pedigree by being so precocious and not improving with age so it will be interesting to see what road his progeny follow.

Incidentally, I think Dubawi’s most interesting and best value son may be Frontiersman (Dubawi- Ouija Board by Cape Cross) who stands for just £1,000 at Overbury. He was runner up in a Coronation Cup, has a pedigree to die for and has sired two decent flat winners from three runners this year. That’s a lot of pedigree and performance for a pittance compared with many speedier sires. Who knows what he might achieve with better support from flat breeders?

4. Kodiac and sons: For a number of years, Kodiac was the two year old sire par excellence. However, the rise of No Nay Never, Mehmas and now Havana Grey have changed the two year old landscape. The appropriately named Lowther winner, Relief Rally (ex Kathoe by Fayruz) showed he can still produce top two year olds and with the three year old Good Guess (ex Zykina by Pivotal) winning a Prix Jean Prat and Zarinsk winning three Group races he has had a decent season.

Many of Kodiac’s sire sons started their careers with a flurry and outperformed their fees. However, things have quietened down since then with Kodi Bear not building on his strong start, Ardad not following up on Perfect Power and Coulsty must await his bigger crops. Prince of Lir was sold to India before Live In the Dream’s success in the Nunthorpe, Adaay is modest and Kessaar hasn’t thrown much. He has a few more sire sons to come on stream, notably Hello Youmzain, but it might serve as another reminder not to get too carried away (in a positive or negative way) with the notion of sires of sires.

5. Frankel will comfortably reclaim the sires championship and is out on his own in Europe. His dominance will only increase in the next few years. Dubawi’s quiet year has removed any doubt about who is the best sire around.

6. Galileo– still a force to be reckoned with . A 1-2-3 for Galileo in the Yorkshire Oaks was like a step back in time. Sadler’s Wells success waned in his final crops but Galileo’s fillies are still top drawer. 100 individual Group 1 winners will happen.

First Season Sires: We are quick to condemn the hasty rush to judgement on sires, but that’s not going to stop me donning my judges wig..

7. Advertise (Showcasing ex Furbelow by Pivotal) : Coventry winner by Showcasing who trained on to win a Commonwealth Cup and Prix Maurice de Gheest. He has 103 two year olds conceived at £25,000. I thought he would be near the top of the first season sire table but he has made a really slow start with only 2 winners to date, particularly in contrast with another son of Showcasing in Soldiers Call.

8. Ten Sovereigns (No Nay Never ex Seeking Solace by Exceed and Excel) had big numbers (150 two year olds) and as a speedy son of No Nay Never, would have been expected to get off to a quick start. He has done reasonably well with two Stakes winners and 15 winners to date but it’s going to be a tricky to accommodate all of the sons of No Nay Never/ Scat Daddy on the Coolmore roster next year. Ten Sovereigns, Little Big Bear, Arizona, Blackbeard and Sioux Nation will all be vying for patronage so there may be some outward transfers.

Ahead of expectations:

9. Blue Point (Shamardal- Scarlett Rose by Royal Applause) improved with age so he wasn’t necessarily just going to be a sire of two year olds but he has done well with 29 winners so far and has a buzz about him. That said people might be getting a bit carried away as he does have 161 two year olds conceived at €45,000 to represent him.

10. Phoenix of Spain (Lope de Vega ex Lucky Clio by Key of Luck). Haatem has already provided him with a Group 2 winner. He has strong percentages of winnners/runners and his horses are improving as they move up in trip which augurs very well for this resident of the Irish National Stud. Expect a strong performance at the sales and he deserves a good support from breeders for next year.