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Darley stud fees

Darley Fees 2025- The Irish sires

Darley now have 22 sires on their flat roster across the UK, Ireland and France. The Irish roster for 2025 comprises the same nine sires who covered 1123 mares in 2024. This is an average of 125 mares per sire which is only slightly behind the average coverings per sire at Coolmore. Notably, Darley’s Irish sires were considerably busier than their 12 UK counterparts who covered an average of 101 mares per sire. The Irish roster is low on diversity with four sons of Dubawi, two sons of Shamardal and one each for sons of Galileo, Elusive Quality and Oasis Dream. It is a good roster but it would have been nice to see some new faces, more diversity in the sire lines and voluntary restrictions on book sizes.

1. Night Of Thunder €150,000 (€100,000) 16.0 1/2 hh (2011 Dubawi ex Forest Storm by Galileo)

Verdict: Beginning to rumble

Two new Group 1 winners in Economics and Desert Flower prompted a big hike in his fee. 2024 also saw him sire five other Group winners including Fairy Godmother who also seemed destined for the top and 12 Listed winners. Economics was bred at €25,000 and Desert Flower off a €75,000 cover so his good season will be a relief to breeders who used him at €100k in 2024 and 2023 in the expectation that his best days were still to come.

Night of Thunder’s first crop was exceptional, eventually yielding 22 stakes winners from 112 foals. His subsequent crops weren’t nearly as impressive. He had 17 stakes winners from the next three crops and surprisingly he had sired only two Group 1 winners in Europe (Highfield Princess and Thundering Nights) from his initial four crops. His career stats are good with 54 black type winners from 627 foals of racing age to the end of 2024 (8.6%). Physically Night of Thunder is a far from perfect specimen and it won’t have gone unnoticed that Economics appeared to bleed after the Dante and Champion Stakes. However, his yearlings had a median of €246,750 so the market has embraced him and he now looks set to be a fixture among the elite European sires. At his new fee he needs to be consistently siring 2-3 Group 1 each year. He attracted 130 mares in 2024 but with his best bred crops to come, he may be able to justify his new rating.
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2. Blue Point €100,000 (€60,000) 16.1 hh (2014 Shamardal ex Scarlett Rose by Royal Applause)

Verdict: Making waves
He has surpassed expectations and to sire three Group 1 winners in his first crop is impressive. Big Evs and Kind of Blue are sprinters but Rosallion was a top miler and the ability to sire milers makes a big difference to his commercial appeal. His yearling median in 2024 was €99,750 (albeit for a crop conceived at €40,000) so his new fee will require the market to show even more love. He has sired 13 stakes from the 281 named foals in his first two crops which is only 4.6% but that percentage should increase as those crops have their three and four old year careers in 2025. There are already an impressive 97 winners from the 158 named foals in his first crop(61%) so he will be popular with trainers. The question will be whether he can maintain his momentum? His two year old’s of 2024 included the unbeaten Group 2 winner Sky Majesty and a pair of Listed winners amongst 33 winners so that was encouraging . Racingpost stats show his progeny average winning distance is 6.5 furlongs with only Havana Grey of the top twenty sires showing a lower average winning trip. There is nothing wrong with being a sire of sprinters but commercially it matters. That is why the success of Rosallion was important as the perception that he sires milers may outweigh the reality that he is primarily a sire of sprinters.

I had my doubts about Blue Points prospects given that he came from an unremarkable female line, he was an atypical Shamardal in terms of distances and he was best at five. Now the fact that he improved with age, augurs well for further success for his initial crops. Its interesting that his dam is by Royal Applause who is now such a prominent feature in pedigrees via his son Acclamation and grandsons Dark Angel and Mehmas. At his new fee, he is pricey for a sprint sire but a fee of €60,000 attracted 161 mares in 2024 so he has lots of fans. He is clearly a good sire but he is fully priced for now.

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3. Teofilo €30,000 (€30,000) 16.2 hh (2004 Galileo ex Speirbhean by Danehill)

Verdict: Doesn’t pack the same punch as before

Next year will be the 5th consecutive season that he stands for €30,000. He has compiled a very credible career record with a current tally of 24 Group 1 winners that included at least one Group 1 winner in each of his first 11 crops the most recent of which is Nation’s Pride from his 2019 crop. He has 99 stakes winners (7%) and has a good reputation as a broodmare sire. His yearling median last year was €43,000 so there is little commercial upside off a €30,000 covering fee and that will dissuade commercial breeders. We know that statistically older sires are less effective but he would still have been a good option for a younger mare if they had considerably reduced his fee. I was a fan of his throughout his career but at €30,000 and 21 years of age he is now overpriced.

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4. Ghaiyyath €20,000 (€25,000) 16.2 hh (2015 Dubawi ex Nightime by Galileo)

Verdict: Big Horse, now a big gamble

His first runners resulted in 12 winners from 44 runners in a crop numbering 101. There were no stakes winners but Stanhope Garden was Group 3 placed and there were some promising end of season maiden winners. As a big horse who got better with age no one was realistically expecting two year old fireworks. He did enough to give hope that he may succeed as a sire but not enough to inspire confidence that he will succeed. His yearling median dropped to €41,626 off a €25,000 covering fee reflecting market nervousness. His progeny will improve with time and stars may emerge but given the modest fee reduction a cautious approach is advised for now.

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5. Space Blues €16,000 (16,000) 15.3 1/2 hh (2016 Dubawi ex Miss Lucifer by Noverre).
Verdict: Good chance of lift off

He had 11 wins and 4 places from 19 runs including success in the Breeders Cup Mile, Prix de la Foret and Prix Maurice de Gheest. He only ran once at two when winning a maiden, but with 109 two year olds to run in 2025 he will be amongst the favourites for the first season sire title . His dam was high class winning the Challenge Stakes. He is free of Sadler’s Wells and Danzig so he is an outcross option for many Irish mares. Normally I would expect a fee reduction for a fourth season at stud but perhaps because he attracted 177 mares in 2024 they saw no need to stoke demand. I fancy him to do well as a sire but as with any unproven sire that is only guesswork until we see the merit of his first runners.

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6. Native Trail €16,000 (17,500) 16.1 1/2 hh (2019 Oasis Dream ex Needleleaf by Observatory).
Verdict: Proceed with caution

An unbeaten two year old who won the National Stakes and the Dewhurst, he was runner up to Coroebus in the Guineas but gained classic success in the Irish Guineas. That proved his last victory as he had two further unsuccessful runs at three and no success from his two runs at four. He was reported as having a wind operation in the Autumn of his three year old season but that didn’t worry the owners of the 179 mares who visited him in 2024. Oasis Dream hasn’t a great record as a sire of sires. Showcasing did well but Aqlaam, Arcano, Muhaarar, Power and others all failed to make a significant impact. Coincidentally Power also won the National Stakes and Irish Guineas. Native Trail comes from a strong female family with names such as African Rose, Calyx and Distant Music all appearing on the page. As a dual Group 1 winner at two and a classic winning miler at three he ticks a lot of boxes for commercial breeders. I was still surprised at his popularity but time will tell whether he justifies that support.

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7. Earthlight €12,500 (€15,000) 15.3 hh (2017 Shamardal ex Winters Moon by New Approach)

Verdict: Needed a much brighter start
Earthlight , Pinatubo and Victor Ludorum were the three unbeaten sons of Shamardal who dominated the two year old season in 2019. Earthlight had 113 two year olds last season of which 62 ran, 20 won and there was a single stakes winner in the Group 3 winner Daylight. As Prix Morny and Middle Park winner, his progeny were expected to be precocious and the lack of fireworks provoked a strong market reaction that saw his yearling median drop from €75k in 2023 to €25,091 in 2024. Earthlight’s three parts brother Shadow of Light won the Middle Park and Dewhurst but his emergence isn’t going to change anyone’s mind about Earthlight’s prospects. It’s not inconceivable that he could turn things around, but if I was a commercial breeder I would be slow to spend €12,500 on that possibility.

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8. Naval Crown €9,000 (€10,000) 15.3 hh (2018 Dubawi ex Come Alive by Dansili)

Verdict: Far from watertight

Naval Crown earned his berth at stud courtesy of an unexpected victory at 33-1 in the Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. His overall record was four wins from 20 starts so whilst he had talent (he also finished runner up to Alcohol Free in the July Cup) he wasn’t a superstar. His female line is unexceptional and better judges than me have cribbed at his physique. All of those factors explain why he is the cheapest of the Dubawi’s on the roster. His relatively low price was enough to offset some peoples reservations and he attracted 118 mares last year. Despite Dubawi’s stellar reputation as a sire of sires there are still plenty of dud sire sons on his cv and this guy will have to outperform expectations to succeed.

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9. Raven’s Pass €7,500 (€7,500) 16.1 1/2 hh (2005 Elusive Quality ex Ascutney by Lord at War)

Verdict: Another Pass
He has good percentages for a stallion at this fee with 40 stakes winners (6%) but his best days are behind him. There are only 2 stakes winners in his crops born since 2018 albeit none of those crops had more than 38 named foals. He also had a bad year at the sales with only 4 out of 10 yearlings selling for a median of €3,755 and he attracted only 24 mares in 2024. Understandably, there will be no clamour to use him at an unchanged fee.

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Final Word

The stallions at Kildangan reflect the breeding ethos of our age. Only one of them (Ghaiyyath) won over 12 furlongs and it was his victories over 10 furlongs the endeared him to breeders, not his stamina. Three of the sires (Space Blues, Native Trail and Naval Crown) have yet to have runners and Earthlight and Ghaiyyath saw their first runners in 2024. They are heavy with sons of Dubawi . Unrestricted book sizes are the order of the day and its easy to see why research from Emily Hill shows that there is a 50% reduction in T:T horses (stamina) in the general population and a 70% increase in C:C (sprinters). It’s a competitive marketplace and Darley can argue that they are simply giving the market what it wants but they are also part of the problem as we lose stamina in the thoroughbred population and unrestricted book sizes narrow genetic diversity. There is a widespread awareness in the sector that big books, high levels of inbreeding, the use of unsound sires and the pursuit of speed and precocity to the detriment of anything akin to stamina isn’t good for the breed, but still it continues. Charles Warner’s quip that ‘Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it’ might also apply to the Irish breeding sector.



Kildangan Stud’s 2022 fees (where is the value?)

Godolphin are enjoying a resurgence of success on the track. Their European trained tally of Group/Grade 1 wins (17 by Charlie Appleby) almost matched Ballydoyle’s total for the year (18). I’m not sure how those numbers make Charlie Appleby ‘the best trainer in the world’ but that’s another debate.. Success on the track, ensures a pipeline of new stallions for the Darley operation.

Darley will stand 10 stallions in Kildangan for 2022. Over the past two years they have dropped/lost Shamardal, Slade Power, The Last Lion, Buratino, Dawn Approach, Exceed and Excel, Fast Company, French Navy and Fulbright from their Irish roster. Only Shamardal and Exceed and Excel are significant losses. The Irish roster is slightly weaker than its sister stud in Dalham Hall which houses 13 stallions including Dubawi. Nonetheless, It is still a decent roster with a number of interesting prospects,

Kildangan Stud 2022 fee (2021 fee)

1.Belardo €9,000 (€10,000) (2012 Lope De Vega ex Danaskaya by Danehill)

Verdict: Overpriced

He had a very promising start with his first two year olds in 2020 with a trio of Group winners. This led to a big increase in demand for his services and he covered 182 mares in 2021. Those breeders will now be fretting as he had a quiet year on the track in 2021 and failed to build on that momentum with no new Group/Stakes winners. His own racing career was a bit inconsistent as after winning a Dewhurst, he failed to win in 7 outings at three before coming good again in the Lockinge at 4.

His yearling median increased slightly to €18,633 in 2021 from €14,141 but that is a poor enough return from a crop conceived at €10,000. After his poor season, there will be no queue to use him at €9,000 and he looks a bit overpriced for now.

2. Blue Point €40,000 (€40,000) (2014 Shamardal ex Scarlett Rose by Royal Applause)

Verdict: Overpriced

Blue Point was a superb racehorse, winning a Gimcrack at 2, two Group races at three and the Kings Stand at 4. At five he was unbeaten in five starts including 3 Group 1’s. He ran twenty times, winning eleven and placed 6 times, so he was durable as well as classy. Now entering his third season, he covered 196 mares in his first season and it was a very strong initial book.

The negatives are that he is from an unexceptional female line, he is an atypical Shamardal in terms of distance preference and he didn’t win his first Group 1 until he was four and was at his best at 5. He has every opportunity to succeed and may very well do but I thought they might have shaved some more of his fee given it’s his risky third season.

3. Earthlight €18,000 (€20,000) (2017 Shamardal ex Winters Moon by New Approach)

Verdict: Fairly Priced

Shamardal had his annus mirabilis in 2019 with three top class unbeaten two year old colts in Pinatubo, Earthlight and Victor Ludorum. Earthlight won his five starts at two including a Prix Morny and a Middle Park in which he beat Golden Horde. Covid interrupted the 2020 season and he reappeared in July 2020. He won two of his 4 races that year (a Listed race and Grp 3) but was beaten in the Prix de la Foret (2nd to One Master) and Prix Maurice de Gheest (4th to Space Blues), running creditably in defeat. His dam was placed in Fillies Mile, his granddam bred two Group 1 winners and his fourth dam produced Golden Fleece so its a good female page. Shamardal now has no less than 17 sons at stud due to stand in Europe in 2022 but only Lope De Vega is a proven sire son. I’m not sure what to think of Earthlight’s fee but in relative terms I think he is better value than Blue Point, being more precocious and from a stronger distaff line.

4. Ghaiyyath €25,000 (€30,000) (2015 Dubawi ex Nighttime by Galileo)

Verdict: Fairly Priced

I was a big fan of Ghaiyyath on the track. His career stats are 9 wins and 3 places from 13 stats with his only unplaced run being on very soft ground in Waldgeist’s Arc. He was capable of some exceptional performances including winning the Grosser Preis Von Baden by 14 lengths, and he was very good in the Summer of 2020 winning the Coronation Cup, Eclipse and Juddmonte International. His pedigree is impressive, as you would expect from a colt who cost €1.1 million as a foal and is out of Galileo’s first classic winner Nighttime. Dubawi is starting to motor as a sire of sires with Night of Thunder and New Bay doing well and promising starts from Time Test and Zarak. The doubt about Ghaiyyath is that he was best at 5 but in his defence he won the Autumn Stakes at two and didn’t get to show his worth at three as he only had a solitary start in September in the Prix Prince D’Orange which he also won. Ghaiyyath is the highest rated son of Dubawi , he is bred on the same cross as Night of Thunder and all things considered I think he is fairly priced.

5. Night Of Thunder €75,000 (£75,000) (2011 Dubawi ex Forest Storm by Galileo)

Verdict: Fairly Priced

Got a belated first Group 1 winner in Europe this year with the Pretty Polly winner Thundering Nights. His yearling median this year was €81,757 a nice return on a crop conceived at £15,000. Night of Thunder had an exceptional first crop (17 stakes winners from a crop of 112) but he hasn’t maintained that blistering pace (3 stakes winners to date from his smaller second crop and none to date amongst his two year olds of 2021. His bigger and better crops are in the pipeline and its reasonable to assume he will benefit from the upturn in quality and quantity. The only quibble I would have is his lack of a real superstar, with his highest rated horse being the Group 2 winning sprinter Suesa. I did a detailed review on Night of Thunder back in 2019 when I said he seemed destined for the very top (see https://www.montjeu.com/night-of-thunders-lightning-start/) and I see no reason to change that view now.

6.Profitable €12,500 (€10,000) 2012 Invincible Spirit ex Dani Ridge by Indian Ridge)

Verdict: Overpriced (slightly)

Profitable won a Kings Stand Stakes at 4 and was runner up in the same race at 5 to Lady Aurelia. He had 129 foals in his first crop and a truly remarkable 85 of them ran this year. There were 25 winners and three stakes horses headlined by Queen Mary winner Quick Suzy. It was a solid start yet the market saw fit to drop his yearling median to €31,722 from €36,955 in 2020. I’m not sure he did enough to warrant a fee increase and thought they might have kept it steady but he did improve markedly with age so its possible his offspring could follow suit..

7. Raven’s Pass €7,500 (€7,500) (2005 Elusive Quality ex Ascutney by Lord at War)

Verdict: Overpriced

Had a new Group 1 winner this season in the five year old Romantic Proposal who won the Flying Five and Lemista was placed in the Beverley D. However his yearling median has been in steady decline for the past number of years and was only €12,370 in 2021 off a €10,000 covering fee. He has very good percentages for a stallion at this fee with 37 stakes winners from 555 foals (7%) but he has never attracted big books despite being an outcross pedigree for most mares. He is unlikely to recover the market’s affections at this stage and he is not an attractive commercial option for breeders (although his progeny are worth a second look at the sales for purchasers).

8. Ribchester €12,500 (€17,500) (2013 Iffraaj ex Mujarah by Marju)

Verdict: Overpriced

On the eve of Royal Ascot, Ribchester seemed likely to end up as one of the top first season sires. Ruthin from Wesley Ward’s yard was favourite for the Windsor Castle and Gisburn was strongly fancied for the Coventry. Neither figured in their respective races and the rest of the season was somewhat underwhelming for Ribchester with no real stars emerging. He now has 16 winners from 59 runners and Flaming Rib was his sole stakes winner. His yearling median dipped but was still pretty strong falling from €46k to €34k. The hope for his supporters is that his progeny will improve like he did with age. He won the Mill Reef at two, the Jacques Le Marois at three and the Lockinge, Queen Anne and Prix de Moulin at 4. He is the best son of Iffraaj (sire of Wootton Bassett) from a high class female family. He may well deliver on his potential and by the end of next year his 2022 fee could look an absolute bargain but for now there are safer bets out there.

9. Space Blues €17,500 (na) (2016 Dubawi ex Miss Lucifer by Noverre).

Verdict: Fairly Priced

Retires on a high after winning the Breeders Cup mile. Prior to his victory at Del Mar he had won the Prix de la Foret over 7f. In 2020 he won a high quality renewal of the Prix Maurice de Gheest defeating Hello Youmzain, Earthlight, Golden Horde, Wooded etc. His overall record was 11 wins and 4 places from 19 runs. In many ways, he was a typical Dubawi who improved each season. He won his only race at two, had group 1 placings at three, improved again at four and showed his best form at five.

His dam, Miss Lucifer was a quality performer who won a Challenge Stakes (Grp 2). His pedigree should also suit most of the mares around and he is free of Sadler’s Wells and Danzig. Darley are advertising him as Dubawi’s fastest son and he was seen as a specialist 7f horse for much of his career. His Breeders Cup mile victory was a big plus in increasing his attractiveness to breeders. Sons of Dubawi are doing well but Space Blues lack of precocity has held back his commercial appeal. His fee will probably be gradually reduced each year until he has runners but his opening fee seems quite reasonable for now.

10. Teofilo €30,000 (€30,000) (2004 Galileo ex Speirbhean by Danehill)

Verdict: Overpriced for commercial breeders

A good reliable sire who has joined the exclusive ranks of sires with 100 or more stakes winners. His current figures are 100 stakes winners (7%) from 1492 foals of racing age. He had a stellar year in 2020 with 6 Group 1 winners and added two more in 2021 (Gold Cup winner Subjectivist and Prix Royal Oak winner Scope. He has sired high quality milers and middle distance horses and even a Dewhurst winner but the perception is that he is a sire of stayers and horses who get better with age(reinforced this year). His yearling median was €53,500 last year an increase on the €29,596 median in 2020. Unfortunately for breeders these crops were conceived off €40,000 covering fees. He is overpriced for commercial breeders but as a sire of racehorses he is much better value than many other sires who won’t ever match his record.

Kildangan 2020 fees reviewed: Why Blue Point is overpriced and other thoughts-Part 1 Belardo to Night of Thunder

Darley stands 16 stallions in Kildangan for 2020. It has a preponderance of sprinters/milers with only Teofilo being a noted middle distance sire. Either by accident of design, Darley’s elite middle distance sires (Dubawi, Golden Horn and New Approach) are homed in Dalham where they don’t compete head on with Coolmore’s array of middle distance sires. In this article, I gave a frank review of 9 sires on its Irish roster and will review the remainder over the Christmas break.

Kildangan Stud 2020 fee (2019 fee)

1.Belardo €10,000 (€10,000) 2012 Lope De Vega ex Danaskaya by Danehill)

Verdict: Fairly Priced

A Dewhurst winning son of Lope De Vega, he was second in the QE2 at three and won the Lockinge at four. That makes him sound very exciting but he actually only won five of his 16 starts and he seemed to lose his way at three, failing to win in 7 starts. His dam Danaskaya is listed as a Champion Irish two year old, but that honour was rather cheaply won and her best performances were placed efforts in the Cheveley Park and Lowther Stakes. It is a useful rather than exceptional female line.

Commercially, the markets didn’t seem in love with his first yearlings. The median was 20,000 guineas which is less than breeders would have expected off an initial €15,000 fee. At €10,000 he gives low cost access to a son of Lope De Vega, he was a Group 1 winning two year old and he compares well with Phoenix of Spain (by Lope de Vega ex Lucky Clio by Key of Luck) who will commence in the Irish National Stud for €15,000.

2. Blue Point €45,000 (€na) (2014 Shamardal ex Scarlett Rose by Royal Applause)

Verdict: Overpriced

There was a fair bit of speculation about Blue Point’s likely fee. His retirement with ‘nothing to prove’ was announced after Royal Ascot. Had Blue Point’s fee been announced in July, I suspect it would have been 25-30k. The arrival of Pinatubo, Earthlight and Victor Ludorum moved Shamardal’s reputation to a whole new level. Of his sire sons, Lope de Vega continues to climb the ranks, so if ever there was a good time to launch a son of Shamardal at stud it is now.

Blue Point was magnificent this year winning his five starts. These included 3 races at Meydan and then a Royal Ascot double in the Kings Stand over 5 furlongs and the Golden Jubilee over 6 furlongs. He has always been high class, winning a Gimcrack at 2, two Group races at three and the Kings Stand at 4. He ran twenty times, winning eleven and placed 6 times, so he was durable as well as classy. His dams pedigree is about speed. Scarlett Rose produced a Railway Stakes winner in Formosina, the second dam produced the tough and durable Tumbleweed Ridge but it’s not a particularly classy female line.

So why do I think he is overpriced?

Blue Point’s fee compares unfavourably with Caravaggio. Caravaggio was a better two year old, beat Blue Point in the Commonwealth Cup, is by an equally fashionable sire in Scat Daddy. Caravaggio has a slightly stronger distaff line yet he stands for 40k (and I think that is overpriced).

Blue Point was best at 5 and didn’t win his first Group 1 until he was four. Who is looking to breed four and five year olds? If you want a recent reminder of outstanding 5 year old sprinters failing at stud, check out stud mate Slade Power 🙂 Blue Point is an atypical Shamardal in terms of his distance preference and his distaff line is not top class. He may well succeed but there are just too many caveats for my liking to justify €45k…

3. Buratino €5,000 (€5000) (Exceed and Excel ex Bergamask by Kingmambo)

Verdict: Overpriced.

It’s small money but I think he is slightly overpriced given the risk/reward ratio. This is a sire heading into his fourth season with an initial yearling median of 6,000 guineas. Buratino was a precocious two year old who made his debut in March. When he won the Coventry in June from Air Force Blue it was his 6th race! Air Force Blue reversed the placings in the Phoenix Stakes but Buratino ran another fine race when only beaten half a length in the Middle Park. His subsequent three year old career was disappointing. As a son of Exceed and Excel, he can be expected to deliver early speedy types and his third dam Mira Adonde produced a rags to riches sire in Danehill Dancer. A few cheaper sons of Exceed and Excel have done well including Bungle intheJungle, Kuroshio and Sidestep and he may join their ranks, but I thought they would have dropped him to €4,000.

4. Dawn Approach €10,000 (€15,000) (2010 New Approach ex Hymn of Dawn by Phone Trick)

Verdict: Overpriced

He stood at €35,000 for his first three seasons, so his 2020 fee tells you that he hasn’t lived up to expectations. He was a champion two year old, a Guineas winner who won four Group 1’s but it’s his stud record that matters- and his stud record isn’t impressive. His winners to foals of racing age percentage is only 22% (120 from 544) and he is on 2% stakes winner to foals of racing age. He can sire a top horse but he is something of a ‘nearly sire’. Madhmoon is top class, having nearly won the Derby. Musis Amica nearly won the Prix de Diane and Mary Tudor was third in an Irish Oaks. Dawn Approach has yet to sire a Group 1 winner and only Madhmoon has won at Group 2 level. Commercially, he is dead in the water and he had a yearling median of 8500 guineas in 2019. I actually think there is good value in buying his yearlings at those sort of prices but you couldn’t advise a commercial breeder to pay €10k for next season.

5. Exceed And Excel €40,000 (€50,000) (2000 Danehill ex Patrona by Lomond)

Verdict: Overpriced

To start with the positives, Exceed and Excel is a successful stallion in two hemispheres, a real two year old sire, commercially popular and now achieving success as a broodmare sire and sire of sires. He had a very good year in Australia but was much quieter in Europe. This saw his yearling median dipped from 80000 in 2018 to 52000 guineas in 2019. At this stage, we know Exceed and Excel is a good sire with 164 (7%) stakes winners, but I don’t think his Northern Hemisphere results have justified his lofty fee. He still only has three Group 1 winners (Excelebration, Margot Did and Outstrip) to his name. There are better sires out there for the money and the market may be falling out of love with him….

6. Fast Company €12,000 (€12,000) (2005 Danehill Dancer ex Sheezalady by Zafonic)

Verdict: Overpriced

Was brought back to Kildangan for the 2017 after the classic success of Jetsetting and a Group 2 win for Devonshire in 2016. There was nothing comparable in 2019, with his top performer being the 6 year old Safe Voyage who won a Group 3 and finishing third in the QE2.

Fast Company had respectable sales returns this year with a yearling median of 17000 guineas. Anyone thinking of using him in 2020, will have to hope that the better mares he covered since 2017 will translate into track success. I’m not so convinced. He stood for €7000 in 2017 after his breakthrough season. I don’t understand why he is now worth €12,000 with little of note in the interim.

7. French Navy €4,000 (€4000) (2008 Shamardal ex First Fleet by Woodman)

Verdict: Overpriced

Had his first runners this season with a sprinkling of decent winners and there is hope that his progeny will improve with age. A likeable sort, French Navy managed 22 runs and 11 wins in a career that saw him running until he was 7. However, even at €4000 unless he gets a breakout horse he is going to be a very hard sell for the nominations team. His yearling median was an insulting 2350 guineas. Looking into my crystal ball, I see that if Casamento (another son of Shamardal) does ok as a jumps sire this fellow will follow him down that road.

8. Fulbright €4,000 (€4,000) (2009 Exceed and Excel ex Lindfield Belle by Fairy King)

Verdict: Overpriced

Like French Navy had his first runners in 2019. Unlike French Navy there was nothing of any quality and in terms of precocity much more would have been expected of Fulbright’s offspring. His median was 3000 guineas. I can’t think of any good reason to use him at any fee.

9. Night Of Thunder €25,000 (£15,000) (2011 Dubawi ex Forest Storm by Galileo)

Verdict: Unbelievably Good Value

Night of Thunder had an exceptional first season. That could turn out to be a statistical anomaly based on a small sample size but I don’t think so. A fee of €50,000 wouldn’t have seemed outrageous to me. It may be the case that his published fee is bit like those ‘limited special offers’ to get you in the door and they will try to sell you something else (because he is full) but hopefully they aren’t that cynical! I did a full review (probably reads like a love letter ) to Night of Thunder earlier this month and you can read that at https://www.montjeu.com/archives/903 . To summarise, I’m a big fan and if you can access him at €25,000 well that should make for a happy Christmas and New Year.