Nancy Sexton has already looked at the world’s most exciting 12 new stallions for 2016 in the upper price range. Here she drops down to the next level and picks out some of the stand-outs at more competitive prices.
Demand for speed and precocity means that high-class 2-year-olds and sprinters dominate the new European intake within the £6,000 - £15,000 range.
Unsurprisingly, there are no shortage of options descending from Danzig, among them BrazenBeau (Dalham Hall Stud: £10,000), Ivawood (Coolmore: €9,000) and Cable Bay (Highclere Stud: £6,500), each fast performers from the Green Desert line.
Reverse shuttler Brazen Beau was a tough G2-winning and G1-placed 2yo who defeated older horses when successful by a wide margin in the G1 Newmarket Handicap at three. He also won the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and later turned in a highly creditable effort at Royal Ascot when second in the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
Although Australian-bred, Brazen Beau has a pedigree familiar to European breeders as a grandson of Invincible Spirit. His sire, I Am Invincible, has rapidly emerged as one of Australia’s leading young sires and will stand for A$55,000 in 2015, a far cry from his first-year fee of A$10,000 in 2010.
Another grandson of Invincible Spirit, Ivawood, overwhelmed his contemporaries in the July and Richmond Stakes before running second in the G1 Middle Park Stakes. He was also Classic-placed at three when third in the 2,000 Guineas.
Cable Bay is the latest colt to retire by emerging sire of sires Invincible Spirit. He showed high-class form at two when placed in the G1 Dewhurst and G2 Champagne Stakes and enjoyed his finest moment during the past season when successful in the G2 Challenge Stakes.
Whitsbury Manor Stud welcomes the first British-based son of War Front in Due Diligence (£6,500), who blazed early juvenile talent when the eight-length winner of his debut over 5.5 furlongs at Saratoga for Chad Brown. It was a performance that caught the eye of the Coolmore contingent and he was duly transferred to Aidan O’Brien, for whom he won a listed race and ran second to Slade Power in the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
French champion 2yo The Wow Signal (€8,000), meanwhile, joins the burgeoning roster at Haras de Bouquetot. The first son of Starspangledbanner to retire to stud, he won each of his first three starts at two, including the Coventry Stakes and Prix Morny.
The consolidation of Dark Angel as one of Europe’s leading stallions was one of the talking points of the past season and, in that respect, his son Gutaifan, who will stand alongside his sire for €12,500 at Morristown Lattin Stud, should prove popular.
A tough, precocious 2yo like his sire, Gutaifan won the G2 Flying Childers Stakes and G2 Prix Robert Papin and also ran second in the G1 Prix Morny.
G2 winner Hot Streak, a son of Iffraaj from the family of Japanese sire sensation Deep Impact, stands his first season at Tweenhills Farm & Stud for £7,000. He was a talented 2yo who won the G3 Cornwallis Stakes and ran second in the G1 Middle Park Stakes but also trained on to good effect at three, when his performances included a victory in the Temple Stakes.
G Force (€8,000), winner of the G1 Betfred Sprint Cup at the expense of G1 winners Gordon Lord Byron and Sole Power, joins Tally-Ho Stud. The son of Tamayuz also boasts a fast background, being related to another G1-winning sprinter in Lethal Force, whose first foals were so popular at the sales last year.
While Darley welcomes reverse shuttler Brazen Beau to Newmarket, the operation will stand two other top Australian performers at its Irish arm, Kildangan Stud.
Hallowed Crown (€7,000) was an unbeaten G3-winning 2yo who developed into a dual G1 winner at up to a mile at three. The son of Street Sense also descends directly from Lady Giselle, dam of legendary New Zealand sire Zabeel.
He will be joined at Kildangan by Shooting To Win (€7,000), a son of the highly successful but short-lived stallion Northern Meteor.
Also unbeaten at two, Shooting To Win hit G1 heights the following season when successful in the Caulfield Guineas. He also owns an interesting background, being from the further family of Octagonal and Commands.
Next week, Nancy Sexton runs her eye over some exciting new sires in America in the same price range.