It is indicative of the power that the Irish Thoroughbred holds that it has taken a horse of Frankel’s calibre to wrestle the champion sires’ title away from Irish grasp.
Bar 1989, when the Classic victories of Nashwan and Snow Bride propelled the Kentucky-based Blushing Groom to top spot, it has been the domain of Coolmore-based horses since 1988, in particular Sadler’s Wells, whose 14 championships broke the record set by Highflyer in 1798, and his illustrious son Galileo, who died this year with 12 to his credit and the prospect of more to come.
Despite Ireland’s small size, it is the largest producer of Thoroughbreds in Europe and, in return, the Irish-bred annually more than hold their own in differing racing jurisdictions. 2021 was no different, with Irish-breds Adayar, Mother Earth, Poetic Flare and St Mark’s Basilica among the headline acts within the 3yo division, Perfect Power and Luxembourg taking high order among the 2yos and others such as Bolshoi Ballet, Going Global, Santa Barbara, Shantisara, Space Blues and State Of Rest each tasting G1 glory in the U.S.
Of particular credit is State Of Rest, a 3yo son of Starspangledbanner bred by Tinnakill House Stud, whose busy international campaign also yielded a win in the G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in Australia in October.
It is an impressive list and one that also provides an insight into the depth of the Irish stallion ranks.
For, while Bolshoi Ballet became the 92nd winner at the top level for Galileo, his success in the G1 Belmont Derby poignantly arriving on the same day that his sire died at the age of 23, the top 3yo fillies Going Global and Shantisara were bred when their sires Mehmas and Coulsty stood for €12,500 and €5,000 respectively.
At the higher end of the spectrum, Irish-bred Prix Vermeille heroine Teona was one of the highlights of an excellent year for Sea The Stars. With the unbeaten champion miler Baaeed also contributing to the stallion’s seasonal European earnings of approximately £5.3 million, the Gilltown Stud resident heads into the new year as Ireland’s leading active sire.
Santa Barbara and Luxembourg, meanwhile, both contributed to an outstanding year for Coolmore’s Camelot, while State Of Rest sits at the head of 11 Group or Graded winners for Starspangledbanner, a stallion whose popularity seems to strengthen year on year.
As far as 2yo sires are concerned, Ireland holds the aces, notably the O’Callaghan family; Gay and Annette’s Yeomanstown Stud is home to this year’s champion European 2yo sire Dark Angel, whose four juvenile stakes scorers were led by the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère and Critérium International winner Angel Bleu, while Tony and Anne O’Callaghan’s Tally-Ho Stud houses Kodiac, again the leading European 2yo sire by number of winners, and revelation Mehmas, the dominant second-crop sire of 2021.
The chance to view many of these stallions arises this month through the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM) Stallion Trail. First held in 2015, this popular initiative sees over 25 studs throw open their doors on January 14-15, meaning that around 140 stallions will be on show.
Unfortunately, due to the ongoing Covid situation, this year’s trail will be limited to breeders and those directly involved in the breeding industry. Visitors to studs will be asked to comply with a Covid-19 code of conduct developed by Horse Racing Ireland Health and Safety, which is available on the ITM website, and asked to register which studs they intend to visit.
Commenting on the ITM Irish Stallion Trail 2022, Charles O’Neill of ITM, said, “We are pleased that the ITM Irish Stallion Trail is able to go ahead this January but feel it is in the best interests of farms and public health to limit attendance to the breeding industry.
“Irish stallion farms stand some of the most successful sires on the planet and make a significant contribution to the Irish economy. While we are keen to promote Irish Thoroughbred breeding to a broad audience through the Trail, we recognise our responsibility to minimise risk to farms ahead of the covering season and do what is right regarding public health.”
The list of participating studs stretches across the country and ranges from the well-known larger operations to several smaller family-run businesses.
For some breeders, it offers an important first chance to view the nation’s new stallions. Ireland welcomes 15 new names for 2022 led by St Mark’s Basilica, Europe’s most expensive new recruit of 2022 at €65,000 by virtue of a championship 3yo campaign that consisted of wins in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Prix du Jockey Club, Eclipse Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes.
The son of Siyouni joins a typically deep roster at Coolmore in County Tipperary that includes Wootton Bassett, whose fee has been increased to €150,000 in response to a season that featured 12 stakes winners across Europe headed by G1 scorers Incarville and Zellie, proven G1 sires Australia, Camelot and No Nay Never, and the young Classic winners Churchill, Magna Grecia, Saxon Warrior and Sottsass.
Coolmore’s sister stud Castlehyde, in County Cork, also stands its own deep and varied roster that is headlined by the proven G1 sires Footstepsinthesand, Gleneagles, Holy Roman Emperor, Rock Of Gibraltar and Starspangledbanner.
Ireland’s flourishing stallion scene also owes plenty to Kildangan Stud in Kildare. Currently home to ten stallions, its roster is underpinned by 18yo Teofilo, the sire of 22 G1 winners, including last season’s top stayers Subjectivist and Scope, and the rapidly ascendant Night Of Thunder, one of the most exciting young sires in Europe.
The presence of multiple G1-winning sprinter Blue Point, top 2yo Earthlight, Horse of the Year Ghaiyyath and triple G1 winner Space Blues among its unproven generation of horses naturally also places it on an exciting footing going forward.
Similarly, the historic Ballylinch Stud heads into 2022 with a roster of class and potential. Lope De Vega fired in the winners of nearly £3.9 million in Europe, a total aided by the presence of 14 stakes winners, and wound up as the sixth leading stallion in Britain and Ireland.
Fellow resident Make Believe is the sire of multiple G1 winner Mishriff, one of those rare beasts who seems equally at home on turf as on dirt, while the exciting New Bay leads all second-crop sires in terms of winners to runners (55 percent) and is the sire of G1 winner Saffron Beach out of his first crop. The roster is completed by the Arc hero Waldgeist, whose first crop of foals sold for up to €180,000.
The Irish National stud welcomes two new names for 2022 in Lucky Vega, winner of the G1 Phoenix Stakes, and Nando Parrado, winner of the G2 Coventry Stakes, to complement a roster topped by its stalwart Invincible Spirit, the sire of 20 G1 winners and a noted sire of sires.
Also worthy of a visit is Derrinstown Stud, home to the G1-winning milers Awtaad, King Of Change and Tamayuz, himself the sire of four G1 winners.
When it comes to 2yo speed, the Irish stallion ranks are particularly well equipped to cater for breeders.
The aforementioned Tally-Ho Stud is especially potent in this department, not only as the home to Kodiac and Mehmas but also Cotai Glory, last season’s European leading first-crop sire with 35 winners to his credit, and Galileo Gold, sire of G1 winner Ebro River in his first crop. Next in line is the G2 winner Kessaar, and, given his connections and the fact he is a son of Kodiac, he appeals as a likely candidate to keep the stud’s momentum going.
Indeed, Kodiac’s influence is never far away; like his half-brother Invincible Spirit, he has swiftly become a successful sire of sires and, as home to the young yet proven stakes-producing sons Coulsty (Rathasker Stud), Kodi Bear (Rathbarry Stud) and Prince Of Lir (Ballyhane Stud), Ireland sits at the forefront of that development.
Similarly, the Acclamation sire line continues to grow in influence. The old man himself is still in service at Rathbarry Stud at the age of 23 while his son Dark Angel underpins a roster at Yeomanstown that also welcomes a G1-winning grandson of Acclamation in Supremacy. Winner of the Middle Park Stakes for Clive Cox, Supremacy hails from the first crop of Mehmas, himself now priced at €50,000 by Tally-Ho Stud.
A fast selection of horses is also on offer at Ballyhane Stud in County Carlow. In addition to Prince Of Lir, whose first crop was highlighted by the G2 Norfolk Stakes winner The Lir Jet, Ballyhane is home to the proven duo of Dandy Man, long regarded as a classy source of speed, and fellow G1 sire Elzaam as well as the fast, young horses Sands Of Mali and Soldier’s Call.
Speed is also the major theme at Rathasker Stud, which houses Winter Power’s sire Bungle Inthejungle in addition to Coulsty. Stalwart Clodovil remains in service within a private capacity but his supporters also have the option of his capable son Gregorian.
Jump to it
Ireland has long been out in front when it comes to National Hunt options; indeed, Irish residents past and present currently fill 11 of the top 12 spots on the leading British and Irish jumps sires’ list.
At the time of writing, seven of those spots belong to members of the Coolmore National Hunt roster past and present, including the second, Yeats, represented to good effect in recent seasons by the likes of Flooring Porter and Chantry House. The 4-time Ascot Gold Cup hero can be viewed at Castlehyde Stud alongside fellow popular National Hunt options Kew Gardens, Maxios and Order Of St George and new recruit Santiago, winner of the 2020 Irish Derby.
In third is fellow Coolmore stallion Getaway, who stands at Grange Stud alongside the popular Walk In The Park and young G1 winners Capri and Vadamos.
Coolmore’s roster at The Beeches also provides breeders with a variety of top-flight performers at differing stages of their careers, ranging from the younger horses Crystal Ocean, In Swoop, Mogul and Wings Of Eagles to the older Soldier Of Fortune and Mahler.
Meanwhile, Sholokhov, who enjoyed such a good Christmas period as the sire of G1 winners Shishkin and Porticello, is one of the attractions at Rathbarry Stud’s jumping arm of Glenview Stud, alongside Blue Bresil, Youmzain and Shirocco, the sire of top hurdler Annie Power who currently sits in 11th on the leading jumps sires list.
While the emphasis at Glenview is on proven names, the recent additions of Old Persian, a G1-winning son of Dubawi who covered around 160 mares in his first season, and Eagles By Day, a G3-winning son of Sea The Stars, gives it much to look forward to for the future.
Another son of Sea The Stars, Affinisea, has captured the imagination at Whytemount Stud, where he covered 315 mares in 2021.
Also popular in 2021 was King George hero Poet’s Word, who covered 217 mares at Boardsmill Stud, where he stands alongside the proven Court Cave and young G2 winner Sumbal, a son of emerging jumps influence Danehill Dancer.
A young but exciting roster is also order of the day at Arctic Tack Stud. In Jet Away, the stud boasts one of the most popular young stallions of the jumps scene, one whose books numbered in excess of 280 in both 2020 and 2021. Its recent addition of the G2-winning and Classic-placed stayer Dee Ex Bee also promises to be well received.
Similarly, G1 Champion Stakes winner Fascinating Rock should slot in well to his new dual-purpose role at Burgage Stud, where he stands alongside Jukebox Jury, a G1 producer under both codes, and G1 winner Sea Moon, who has made a bright start with his first crop of 4yos.
Meanwhile, a switch to Coolagown Stud for Malinas coincided with the victory of his son Master McShee in the G1 Greenmount Park Novice Chase at Limerick. He forms part of a 5-strong roster at Coolagown that also includes G1 winner Way To Paris, a son of the missed Champs Elysees who covered over 100 mares in his first season in 2021.
Proven or new, flat or jumps, there is something to entice everyone within Ireland’s stallion ranks.
For more information, email info@itm.ie or call +3534 (0) 45443030.