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211, but he then received 129 in 2013. The figures suggest that the second year can be more difficult than the third for a young American stallion. With many breeders deciding their mating plans before a stallion’s first foals are born, they have no added incentive to use a second-year stallion. However, it isn’t uncommon for a stallion to restore his popularity with some good prices at the weanling sales. Uncle Mo is likely to come into this category in 2014, as he was the leading firstcrop sire at the 2013 weanling sales. There were two striking examples of this among the new Kentucky stallions in 2011. Quality Road, a top-class son of Elusive Quality, covered 91 mares in his second season, after an initial book of 149, but an average price of
“Fast Company was based at Rathasker, a stud with a reputation for ‘making’ stallions�
$122,857 for his first weanlings was enough to boost his third-year figure to 136. Majesticperfection, a very fast son of Harlan’s Holiday, went from 128 mares in his first year to 63 in his second. Then his first weanlings averaged $55,000, with a top price of $145,000, off a $10,000 fee and his book soared back to 130 in 2013. Majesticperfection also illustrates how outside influences also play their part. His sire Harlan’s Holiday had ended 2012 as North America’s champion sire of two-year-olds.
Sireline is important It also helps if a young stallion has a sire who is making his name as a sire of sires. No-one is currently doing better in that department than Galileo, following the bright starts made by New Approach and Teofilo. It is no surprise, then, that the third book of his accomplished son Rip Van Winkle is also his biggest at 153. Coolmore must be hoping that results at the 2013 foal sales will also provide a shot in the arm to three stallions who joined the team in 2012. Canford Cliffs, Pour Moi and Zoffany all experienced quite significant falls in the size of their books in their second year. Fortunately Canford Cliffs’s foals sold for up to 180,000gns, with an average of nearly 50,000gns, so he should be back in favour. Pour Moi’s fee is down to ₏12,500 and he should benefit from his first foals selling for up to 140,000gns, with an average of 52,470gns. The fact that he’s a DerbyTHOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER
winning son of Montjeu should work in his favour as Montjeu’s first two Derby winners were responsible for three Group 1 winners in Europe in 2013, including the brilliant Treve. Similarly, Zoffany should benefit from being arguably the most accomplished two-year-old sired by Dansili, and three other sons of Dansili were represented by Group winners in 2013. Off course a stallion’s first yearlings can also boost their sire in the sales ring, as last year’s leading freshman sire Mastercraftsman demonstrated. A healthy total of six-figure yearlings resulted in his biggest book in his first four seasons, with a total of 187. Sea The Stars illustrated that even brilliant performers aren’t immune to fluctuations in demand. The difficult second season saw him cover only 83 mares, compared to 136 the year before, but his first foals created quite a stir at the sales and, hey presto, Sea The Stars’s book was back up to 138 mares in his third year. Lope de Vega also suffered a second-season dip, but his first foals sold for up to 150,000gns, ensuring greater interest in year three. A fast start by a stallion with his first runners can also yield immediate results. For example, Dandy Man was very quickly out of the blocks in 2013 and was instantly rewarded with his biggest book of 144 mares. I don’t mean to be disrespectful by referring to Dandy Man as ‘cheap speed’, but he conforms to a pattern which is clearly popular with breeders (and presumably with buyers too). Dandy Man was a good two-year-old who later proved best at sprint distances, before retiring to stud at a reasonable four-figure fee. There are numerous other examples in recent years. Who would have thought that a son of Danetime – even one who won a pair of Group 1s – would cover nearly 700 mares in his first four seasons? But that is what Bushranger did. This year will see the first runners by Zebedee, who has averaged more than 150 mares in each of his first three seasons even though his brief racing career didn’t feature a Group 1 success. Clearly breeders are hoping he could be the next Dark Angel, another stallion who raced only at two. Another possible contender for that title is Equiano, especially as he shares the same sire, Acclamation, as Dark Angel. He has been given every chance, with books in excess of 120 mares in each of his first three seasons. Keep an eye out too for Fast Company. In the bloodstock world, absence rarely makes the heart grow fonder, so he could have struggled when he went to stud in 2011. He hadn’t raced in 2008, 2009 or 2010 and his excellent juvenile form was becoming a distant memory. However, Fast Company had a couple of things in his favour. For a start, other sons of Danehill Dancer had been responsible for the
Kentucky stallions who covered their first mares in 2011 Afleet Express Blame Concord Point Discreetly Mine Eskendereya Hold Me Back Line Of David Lookin At Lucky Majesticperfection Midshipman Munnings Quality Road Super Saver Tale Of Ekati Temple City Tizdejavu Warrior’s Reward
2011
2012
2013
54 109 72 130 137 100 78 156 128 104 142 149 145 116 137 80 152
19 104 68 110 110 112 70 104 63 73 91 91 128 83 104 77 100
9 108 53 104 96 87 53 94 130 94 82 136 97 67 86 62 166
Kentucky stallions who covered their first mares in 2012 Albertus Maximus American Lion Archarcharch Cape Blanco Drosselmeyer General Quarters Giant Oak Gio Ponti Girolamo Haynesfield Ice Box Misremembered Paddy O’Prado Regal Ransom Sidney’s Candy Tizway Trappe Shot Twirling Candy Uncle Mo Wilburn
2012
2013
87 111 160 220 132 67 83 148 117 106 101 56 143 68 116 125 121 118 211 170
70 90 187 141 119 66 44 113 85 87 103 27 171 127 104 175 120 72 129 160
2010 winners of the Golden Jubilee, July Cup and Prix de l’Abbaye. Arguably more importantly, Fast Company was based at Rathasker, a stud with a reputation for ‘making’ stallions, thanks to such as Clodovil, Mujadil and Titus Livius. This has helped him attract more than 100 mares in each of his first three seasons and it is a safe bet that he will make that four out of four in 2014, following the excellent returns achieved by his first sales yearlings.
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