Every year sees new stallions making their debut with their first runners. While the majority of these fail, due to either lack of opportunity or lack of ability, a few will become top class sires, and a fewer still, become breed shaping stallions, writes Sarah Whitelaw.
At the moment, there are a number of stallions the world over who appear poised to make their mark on the stud book. Here are just a few sires whose progeny should be worth following over the coming seasons:
Frankel (Galileo – Kind)
FRANKEL
Timeform’s highest rated horse was given every chance to succeed when he retired to stud, with Frankel’s first book of mares including a plethora of Gr1 winners and producers. Galileo’s great and undefeated son has, at the time of writing, lived up to the tremendous expectations held for him, with his first ten winners including the Group winning fillies, Fair Eva, Queen Kindly and Toulifaut, as well as Frankuus and Cunco – first and third in the recent Listed Ascendant Stakes. He is also sire of the unbeaten Gr1 entrant, Seven Heavens. Frankel’s daughters, Fair Eva and Queen Kindly, are currently first and second favourites for next year’s classic Gr1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket. With a number of exceptionally well bred juveniles yet to start, and with Frankel himself likely to throw horses who progress well from two to three, the future looks extremely bright for the horse widely regarded by many as the greatest in history.
UNCLE MO
An undefeated two-year-old champion (and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner) of rare brilliance, Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) has been one of the great sire success stories of recent years. Currently second to the mighty Tapit on the US General Sires List (despite his oldest crop being just three-year-olds), Uncle Mo’s sensational first crop includes (to date) a staggering 20 individual stakes winners, ten of which are graded winners. This tally includes three individual Grade One winners, headed by Champion 2YO and 2016 Kentucky Derby hero, Nyquist, and Uncle Mo’s runners have amassed over $9 million –an astonishing statistic for such a young sire. He has a remarkable AEI (Average Earnings Index) of 3.41 –which makes him the leading active sire in North America by AEI.
TAVISTOCK
Based at Cambridge Stud in New Zealand (formerly home to sire legends, Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor) and Zabeel (Sir Tristram), Tavistock has been one of the great sire success stories of the Southern Hemisphere over the past few seasons. A champion sprinter (by Montjeu), Tavistock is a descendant of the great mare, Mrs Moss. He was Champion Sire in Hong Kong in 2014-2015 and Tavistock’s 127 runners to date include 78 winners and 15 stakes horses (of which four are Gr1 winners). His top performers include Gr1 Rosehill Guineas winners, Volkstok’n’barrell and Tarzino and Hong Kong Horse Of The Year, Werther.
Zoffany’s son Zodiac Ruler wins the Gr2 Golden Horseshoe
ZOFFANY
By the top class sire Dansili (also sire of the promising young stallions, Bated Breath and Requinto), former Gr1 Phoenix Stakes hero, Zoffany, ran Frankel under a length, when second to the legend in the 2011 Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. He has also made a bright start to his stud career, with Zoffany’s first Northern Hemisphere crop producing six group winners as well as Gr1 Phoenix Stakes runner up, Washington DC and Gr1 Investec Oaks runner up, Architecture, and his first Southern Hemisphere runners, including South Africa’s Equus Award nominee, Zodiac Ruler.
SHOWCASING
Something of a rags to riches story, former Gr2 Gimcrack Stakes winner, Showcasing retired to stud for a fee of just £5 000. The success that the Whitsbury Manor Stud resident has since enjoyed can be clearly viewed in that Showcasing’s 2016 stud fee was £25 000. Despite hardly covering outstanding mares in his first season, Showcasing’s first Northern Hemisphere crop included the group/graded winners, Cappella Sansevero, Toocoolforschool and Prix Exhibit. His current 3yos include the dual Gr1 winning sprinter, Quiet Reflection, Italian 1000 Guineas heroine, Conselice, as well as Gr3 Greenham Stakes hero, Tasleet, and Showcasing looks to be yet another high class Green Desert line stallion. (This male line is surely one of the most powerful in recent times with its representatives including the likes of active hot sires, Invincible Spirit and Sea The Stars, to name but two).
POWER
Like Showcasing and hugely promising South African sire, Querari, former Irish 2000 Guineas winner, Power, is a son of champion sprinter and world class sire, Oasis Dream. Also victorious in the Gr1 National Stakes at two, the blue blooded sire (he is a half brother to Gr1 EP Taylor Stakes winner, Curvy (Galileo) while his dam is a half sister to unbeaten 2000 Guineas winner, Footstepsinthesand) has made a smart start with his first 2yos this year. Power is currently the fourth leading first crop sire (by prize money) in the UK, with his first 11 winners numbering Gr3 Anglesey Stakes winner, Peace Envoy, among them.
KANTHAROS
An unbeaten graded winner, who never raced after his 2yo campaign, Kantharos (by the now Turkey domiciled, Lion Heart) has made a considerable impression (from limited opportunities) in North America. One of the top sires in Florida at the moment, the stallion is not only upgrading his mares considerably (Kantharos’ AEI is 1.91 off a Comparative index of 1.29), but is siring an impressive 6% Stakes winners to foals, with his top runners including the graded winners, Ancient Secret, X Y Jet (2nd in the Gr1 Golden Shaheen) and Mr Jordan. Kantharos, whose 2016 stud fee was just $5 000, has been described as the best value for money sire on the planet by respected publication, TDN, and he is a stallion well worth following over the coming seasons.
