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  • Coolmore’s 2025 Fees Reviewed.

    The return of mares data showed almost 2800 mares covered by Coolmore’s 21 flat stallions in 2024 ranging from 4 for Magna Grecia to 273 for Calyx. The average number of mares covered by a Coolmore flat sire was 133 so they are busy boys. Their Irish flat roster for 2025 comprises 20 stallions following 4 departures and 3 new arrivals. Dropping off the roster were Ten Sovereigns, Arizona and Magna Grecia who had failed to make an early impact and Sottsass who was sold to Japan despite it being too early to fairly assess his merit. The new arrivals are a pair of Derby winners in Auguste Rodin and City of Troy and a first son of Dubawi in Henry Longfellow. Wootton Bassett is now top dog but he lacks the dominance of some of his predecessors in that role.

    Below is my assessment of their published fees for 2024, starting with the priciest sires.

    Stallion €2025 fee (€2024 fee)

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    1. Wootton Bassett €300,000 (€200,000) (2008 Iffraaj ex Balladonia by Primo Dominie)

    Verdict: A good year but it didn’t warrant a €100,000 price increase

    Coolmore will be well satisfied with their investment in Wootton Bassett. I’m not convinced that he warranted the big fee hike but if people have €300,000 to spend on a covering fee they probably don’t tend to shop around for bargains. Four Group 1 winning two year olds (Camille Pissarro, Henri Matisse, Tennessee Stud and Twain) were backed up by six other Group winning two year olds. He ate the lunch of his stud mate No Nay Never and only the winner machine that is Mehmas challenged him for primacy in the European two year old rankings.

    His highest rated two year old, Henri Matisse is rated 113 by Timeform which is the joint 10th highest rated by Timeform. They were good horses but not memorable performers. Commercially his yearling median in 2024 was €250,000 which was less than his fee for next season. He finished 8th on the overall European prize money list but he can expect to improve upon that in the coming years with the offspring of big books due to emerge.

    In my elite sire rankings, I would have him behind Frankel, Dubawi and Sea the Stars. Lope de Vega, Night of Thunder and Kingman offer as much for lesser fees. Wootton Bassett was hard to pigeon hole as a sire after making his name with such diverse types as Almanzor, Audarya, Wooded and King of Steel. However, it’s as a two year old sire that he now seems to be thriving and he is pricey for a two year old sire so he will need to get more classic types to warrant that blockbuster fee.

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    2. No Nay Never €125,000 (€150,000) (2011 Scat Daddy ex Cat’s Eye Witness by Elusive Quality)

    Verdict: Still overpriced, Mehmas is €70,000

    There is a slow release of air from the No Nay Never bubble rather than a sudden popping. Whistlejacket (a full brother to Little Big Bear) won a Prix Morny but was beaten in three other Group 1’s. Bubbling and Truly Enchanting both won Group 2’s but his runners didn’t achieve enough to justify his fee. His yearling median was €128k so there was no profit for breeders who had paid €125k. His sire sons Arizona and Ten Sovereigns were dropped from the Coolmore roster as people cool on a sire who is a noted two year old sire but limited in his accomplishments with his older horses and whose progeny can be ‘hot’. His stud mate Wootton Bassett overshadowed him with two year olds and Mehmas looks better relative value.

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    3. City of Troy €75,000 (€na) (2011 Justify ex Together Forever by Galileo)

    Verdict: A bargain if you believe the hype, fully priced based on his actual achievements
    A cracking good two year old, he fluffed his lines in the Guineas. He was good in the Derby, woeful despite winning in the Eclipse, decent again in the Juddmonte and then nowhere near good enough for the dirt specialists. That would still be a lovely cv but he is not ‘Frankelesque’ and he generated hype and praise from Aidan O’Brien and connections that was substantially out of kilter with what he demonstrated on the track. He will be the first son of Justify to stand on these shores. Coincidentally, we also witnessed an extraordinary level of guff spoken about the merits of Justify as a sire in the past year including Aidan O’ Brien saying that as a sire Justify could be ‘the best ever’. Spoiler alert he wont be the best ever, but there will be a glut of offspring by Justify out of Galileo mares running in Europe in the coming seasons and presumably quite a lot of high class performers. Is €75,000 a fair price for City of Troy?Looking at my crystal ball (actually just highlighting what is the standard operating system), I think he will be popular at that fee, he will drop by degrees over the coming years before his first runners hit the track , there will be other competing sons of Justify on the market and then he will find his place in the world. His dam won the Fillies Mile and is a full sister to an Oaks winner. He is a well balanced horse, his size was a subject of some commentary with Aidan insisting that he was in fact a giant beast more akin to a shire horse (officially 16.1). He will generate plenty of stud fees over the coming years (presumably he will shuttle as well) , he will have big books of well credentialed mares and he will have every opportunity to succeed. With varying influences for speed and stamina and his own mixture of precocity and three year old performances its hard to predict where his progeny will excel but he should be a conduit for class and he is a welcome addition to the stud ranks but it is no penalty kick that he will succeed and his fee is no bargain.

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    4. Camelot €75,000 (€50,000)- (2009 by Montjeu ex Tarfah by Kingmambo)

    Verdict: A great result in the Arc, but that doesn’t make him a great sire

    An annus mirabilis saw a fee hike back to his 2022 level. The Prix de l’Arc saw him sire the winner (Bluestocking), 3rd Los Angeles, and 5th placed Sevenna’s Knight. Bluestocking really blossomed at four and Los Angeles lifted the Irish Derby and Luxembourg won a Coronation Cup to make it a good year for Camelot. . His yearling median increased to €125,227 and an Arc winner gives him the sort of kudos that should insulate him from any dips in the coming season. His operates at around 6% stakes winners to foals of racing age which are respectable but not exceptional stats. I think the 2024 Arc may prove to be the high water mark of his career but he has earned his place among Europe’s better middle distance sires, even if he is not entirely reliable.

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    5. Starspangledbanner €45,000 (€45,000) (2006 Choisir ex Gold Anthem by Made of Gold

    Verdict: Flagging
    In Europe, Puchkine caused an upset in winning the Prix Jean Prat. In Hong Kong both Beauty Eternal and California Spangle won Group 1’s. Overall though he didn’t really do enough to enhance his reputation. His yearling median was €48,818 off a €35,000 covering fee. He is operating at a modest 4% stakes winners ratio and he is more than fully priced.

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    6. St Mark’s Basilica €40,000 (50,000) (2018 Siyouni ex Cabaret by Galileo)

    Verdict: Prayers required

    Will have his first runners in 2025 so using him this season will be a leap of faith. Predictably his fee has been shaved. His half brother Magna Grecia made no impact and has been moved onwards. Sottsass, another son of Siyouni was sold to Japan from the roster. St Mark’s Basilica was top class on the track and he may prove equally adept as a sire but I’d rather wait and see than risk €40,000.

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    7. Sioux Nation €30,000 (€27,500) (2015 Scat Daddy ex Dream the Blues by Oasis Dream)

    Verdict: Big reservations
    His yearling median held up at €40,000 despite over 100 yearlings going through the ring. A pair of Group 2 winners in Europe (Ocean Jewel and Sioux Life) didn’t set my pulse racing. 246 mares covered in 2024 follows on from 289 in 2023 and 221 in 2022. If you wanted an argument for maximum book sizes then the number of mares covered by this ordinary sire would make a strong argument in favour of restrictions. He is in no way worthy of this level of support at that fee.

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    8. Auguste Rodin €30,000 (€na) (2020 Deep Impact ex Rhododendron by Galileo)

    Verdict: No masterpiece
    16 runs for 8 wins including 6 Group ones. A Group 1 winner at two in the Vertem( aka Racing Post/Futurity/Observer Gold Cup) and a dual Derby winner at three. Better still he finished his three year old campaign with a win in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Breeders Cup Turf. On the downside, his four year old campaign saw just a single victory in a substandard Prince of Wales from 6 starts. He was 13-8 for the Guineas when finishing 12th of 14 and he finished last in the King George at three and fifth as a four year old. Coolmore reportedly turned down big offers from Japan for this son of Deep Impact and the decision to keep him in training seemed a rare mis-step. His dam was top class but was known to bleed and some of her son’s performances were dire but he typically bounced back. Saxon Warrior is bred on a similar cross and hasn’t delivered as a sire but Study of Man has done in well in Lanwades. I wouldn’t be rushing to take a chance on him at the fee.
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    9. Paddington €25,000 (€55,000) (2020 Siyouni ex Modern Eagle by Montjeu)

    Verdict: A tough station
    A huge drop in fee after just one season tells you that things aren’t straightforward. He covered 145 mares in 2024 and it will be interesting to see how many foals result. He ran up a sequence of Group 1’s in the Irish Guineas, the St James Palace, the Eclipse Stakes and the Sussex Stakes and he was clearly tough and top class. If his fertility is ok, he would be attractively priced.

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    10. Churchill €25,000 (€30,000)- (2014 by Galileo ex Meow by Storm Cat)

    Verdict: A Toothless bulldog
    Survie won a Group 2 and was runner up in the Prix de Diane but it was another very underwhelming year on the track for Churchill. The memory of the achievements of Vadeni is fading as he produces lots of dross. 192 mares visited him in 2024 and he doesn’t deserve such patronage. He has sired 25 stakes winners from his 597 foals now aged three or more, a very ordinary 4% stakes rate. He had a yearling median of €42,000 for a crop conceived at €25,000 which was better than I expected. However, he is a limited sire and for me he is best avoided as he doesn’t deliver enough stakes horses.

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    11. Little Big Bear €20,000 (€27,500)- (2020 by No Nay Never ex Adventure Seeker by Bering)

    Verdict: Might be a Boo- Boo
    His brother Whistlejacket won the Prix Morny in 2024 but that wasn’t enough to prevent a decrease in stud fee. Two sons of No Nay Never (Ten Sovereigns and Arizona) were moved on from the Coolmore roster and there is a finite market for sons of NNN. Little Big Bear was very impressive in the Phoenix Stakes and trained on to an extent with a victory in the Sandy Lane Stakes and he was runner up in the Commonwealth Cup. He attracted 156 mares in 2024 and it will be interesting if he attracts a similar sized book in 2025. He wouldn’t be my cup of tea but he is aimed at commercial breeders and he is approaching a sensible price.

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    12. Gleneagles €20,000 (€17,500) (2012 Galileo ex You’resothrilling by Storm Cat).

    Verdict: Has escaped from the rough

    Highlighted his versatility by siring a July Cup winner in Mill Stream, a German Derby winner in Palladium and a top 10 furlong horse in Calandagan. He has managed to regain a degree of respectability in the marketplace and attracted a book of 162 mares in 2024. His yearling median climbed to €32,000 off a €15000 covering fee. His progeny stay better than would have been predicted and many need time to improve, but at the money he is a much better sire than Churchill. He has 40 stakes winners from 582 foals aged 3 or more which is a credible 6.8%. He is not particularly cheap but he does bring something to the table and is Coolmore’s best son of Galileo.

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    13. Blackbeard €17,500 (25,000)- (2020 by No Nay Never ex Muirin by Born to Sea)

    Verdict: No hidden treasure
    Notably quirky on the track his reputation won’t have been helped by the relative lack of success of Ten Sovereigns and Arizona. He attracted 171 mares in 2024 following 195 in 2023. To repeat what I said last year, as a temperamental sort from an unexceptional female line I wouldn’t be in a hurry to use him at his current fee.

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    14. Saxon Warrior €15,000 (€25,000) (2015 Deep Impact ex Maybe by Galileo)

    Verdict: A bloody disaster
    The only reason he is still on the roster is presumably that it would be a slap in the face to exile him with so many foals and yearlings still to face the marketplace. He attracted just 37 mares in 2024 and in truth he is dead commercially after failing to produce anything like enough top performers. He had an Italian Derby winner in Borna in 2024 but he is simply a poor sire who won’t be retained for much longer.

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    15. Henry Longfellow €15,000 (€na) (2020 Dubawi ex Minding by Galileo)

    Verdict: Was more prosaic than poetry
    It feels strange seeing a son of Dubawi on the Coolmore roster. However it makes perfect sense for Coolmore to fill a gap on their roster and market this Group 1 winning son of the great Minding. Dubawi is compiling an impressive record as a sire of sires with Night of Thunder, New Bay, Zarak and Too Darn Hot all standing for chunky fees. Henry Longfellow was best at two winning the Futurity and the National Stakes (when City of Troy was a late withdrawal). I would have thought with his pedigree that he would have improved at three but he failed to win in five starts. His best runs were a runner up spot in the St James Palace to Rosallion and a somewhat distant third in the Prix Moulin. As an aside, for all his genius, Aidan O’Brien has never seemed at his best training Dubawi’s. His opening fee is around where I expected it to be. He brings a lot of pedigree to the table and Dubawi is sexy as a sire of sires. He was short of being truly top class but he should prove popular.

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    16. Calyx €12,500 (12,500)- (2016 Kingman ex Helleborine by Observatory)

    Verdict: Overused
    I wrote last year that I thought he might have been a bit of value but it was still astonishing to read that he covered 273 mares in 2024. No sire is worthy of a book that size and this fellow certainly wasn’t either. He has a good winners/runners percentage and he has virtues as a sire but he has only sired 4 stakes winners to date. A yearling median of €26,250 off a €12,500 fee was fine but that was for 21 yearlings sold and the market may feel more saturated when a multiple of that amount are all vying for buyers attention. For commercial breeders, he may be a victim of his own popularity.

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    17. Australia €10,000 (€17,500)- (2011 by Galileo ex Ouija Board by Cape Cross)

    Verdict: Gone South

    A deep cut to his fee probably wont be enough to reverse the slide in popularity. Attracted just 60 mares in 2024 and whilst a yearling media of €36,000 seems impressive those were off a €35,000 covering fee. Port Fairy won a Ribblesdale and he had seven stakes winners but he has lost the love of the market. His career stats are actually respectable running at 43 stakes winners from 780 current three year olds + (5.5%). His detractors will say his progeny tend to need time and generally lack a potent turn of foot . He is not going to become commercially attractive any time soon but at his new revised fee he might not be a bad option for owner/breeders not worried about the sales ring.

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    18. Footstepsinthesand €8,000 (€8,000) (2002 Giant’s Causeway ex Glatisant by Rainbow Quest)

    Verdict: Will leave no trace
    Thankfully coming to the end of his career. Covered 19 mares in 2024, his yearling median was €17,719 and that is too much for this very ordinary sire.

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    19. Holy Roman Emperor €8,000 (€8,000) (2004 Danehill ex L’On Vite by Secretariat)

    Verdict: A decent sire at this level
    The Coventry winner Rashabar served as a reminder that he is still a useful sire. However his median dropped alarmingly to €9987 from 11 sold. Appoaching the end of his career but not a bad sire (5%) stakes winners for the money.

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    20. The Antarctic €5,000 (€6,000) (2020 Dark Angel ex Anna Law by Lawman)

    Verdict: Leaves me cold
    Dark Angel reached the top of the summit this year to be crowned Champion Sire in the UK and Ireland. To date he has yet to strike oil with a good sire son (Harry Angel probably the best to date). The Antarctic was no more than a Group 3 winner and the exploits of his brother Battash are probably the primary reason he found a slot at stud. He attracted 126 mares in 2024 but he is a long shot to make an impact.

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    Final thoughts: Horses are a herd animal and unfortunately for the good of the breed many Irish and UK breeders also seem to blindly follow the herd. The worst examples above are the book sizes of Calyx and Sioux Nation which are completely divorced from their respective merits as sires. Coolmore isn’t unique in having huge books and there is a wider industry problem. Alas there seems to be no official or regulatory will to tackle the issue or even push for voluntary caps on book numbers and we are losing stallion and genetic diversity due to mega-sized books for ordinary sires.

    One response to “Coolmore’s 2025 Fees Reviewed.”

    1. RJP Avatar
      RJP

      Would the breeders using Calyx know how many mates he was covering?With so many of them it must push down the price of his foals and yearlings over the next few years

      Reply

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  • Newland- Idiotic,Insulting, Incendiary, Interesting and Important.

    Dr. Richard Newland’s article with Racingtv was insulting, incendiary, interesting and important. He came across as a Little Englander with a dislike of Johnny Foreigner who automatically assumes that the Irish could not win without cheating (“the Irish ‘advantage'”). The reference to a ‘lack of trust’ in the Irish anti-doping regime makes it clear where he thinks lies the source of that advantage. At no stage does he consider other reasons for the Irish level of success such as better stock sourcing policies, a better funded industry in Ireland, and the benefits that accrue from the need for continuous improvement by trainers in a more competitive racing environment. His ‘solutions’ which included restrictions or banning Irish runners almost seem like a parody.
    It would be interesting to know if Newland had direct knowledge of drugs in Irish racing (track or Point to Point). Had he ever purchased horses that he later suspected of having been previously administered drugs?
    What is important about his article is that it has reopened the debate on the integrity of racing and put the spotlight back on the drugs issue. He is following in the footsteps of Jim Bolger a man with a very different national outlook, who is the most important trainer to have spoken out on the issue. Richard Newland may have come across as a bit of an idiot but if he helps to bring about an improvement in the integrity of the sport he will have been an important idiot. It is in the interests of the industry on both sides of the Irish sea to restore confidence in the sport and avoid unsubstantiated innuendo against all Irish trainers. Trading insults won’t help but a proper coordinated, well resourced approach to tackling the issue would help.

    As part of an article a few years ago (full article at https://www.montjeu.com/racing-to-the-exit/ , I wrote about what I believed to be the solution to drugs in racing. That solution is to focus on information and incentives for whistleblowing rather than reliance on tests. An extract from that article is shown below and I believe it is still relevant.

    Drugs/Doping

    The evidence revealed in the Servis and Navarro cases showed the extent to which designer and undetectable drugs were available in the US. There are the same incentives to cheat in Ireland and the UK. The drugs can be relatively obtained, often cannot be detected so why should anyone believe in Irish (or UK) horse racing exceptionalism?
    Over the past decades we have had eGH (equine growth hormone) EPO, cobalt, milkshakes, micro dosing and God knows what else. The cheaters are usually ahead of the regulators and testers. By the time testing is in place for something, the cheaters will have moved on or developed masking techniques. Our regulators are stuck in a misguided belief that by simply doing more tests, they are doing their job. In truth they will most likely just get more negative results as the testing regime is limited in what it can reveal. An alternative approach is needed, based as much on human psychology as pharmacology.

    Catching people requires better information and targeting. Unscrupulous vets and some alternative practitioners (such as John Warwick) seem central to some of the cases that have been uncovered. Some actions that should be undertaken include

    1. Target trainers who utilise these vets/practitioners
    2. Look for agreements with the veterinary regulators that would see severe penalties for vets who inappropriately supply equine medications.
    3. Proper Data analysis- Identify telltale signs ,perhaps high levels of horses going for long lay offs/fatalities from a stable/ sudden changes in strike rate or abnormal strike rates.
    4. Introduce a focus on non race day testing in pre-training yards and non-licensed yards
    5. The different forms of doping need different approaches. Doping to lose (nobbling) is relatively rare but can still occur. Hopefully the greatly delayed introduction of cctv in racecourse stables will help with that

    All of these changes should help but they won’t be enough.

    If you are serious about stopping it, you need much better information and you will have to be prepared to pay for it. Its difficult to see the Gardai in Ireland or the UK police having the powers or resources that allowed the FBI to catch Servis et al. Racing needs to put in place financial incentives to counteract the incentives to cheat. A large bounty (c. 75k+) for each conviction should incentivize some to blow the whistle on what they may know or have witnessed. The culture of omerta might start to crumble. There is rarely honour amongst thieves. It would be the best few million that the sport could spend.


    Our testing regime only seems good at catching people who made a mistake over the correct withdrawal period for therapeutic medication. Where our regime falls short is in detecting performance enhancing drugs that are only detectable for a very short window, if at all. It’s worth paying a price to uncover that information, remove the cheats and restore the reputation of the sport.

    One response to “Newland- Idiotic,Insulting, Incendiary, Interesting and Important.”

    1. Mike Avatar
      Mike

      Nick Luck podcast episode 962 from about 4 minutes. Newland has had horses tested that came from Ireland and as a result of the test results contacted the BHA. He’s not the only one to have done this.

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  • Goliath du Berlais to become a giant of NH breeding?

    When I was a business student, the text books loved case studies explaining how the nimble Japanese car industry took market share from the bloated US auto giants. In a bloodstock context this could be updated with a chapter on how the French breeding industry wiped the floor with their Irish rivals over the past two decades. The reasons are varied but include the French benefiting from :
    1. The soundness and toughness brought by AQPS mares
    2. The use of stallions who have proven that they can jump
    3. The willingness to support stallions with unfashionable pedigrees and backgrounds
    4. Smaller book sizes allowing opportunities to more stallions
    5. Earlier timelines for NH racing allowing a quicker estimation of the merits or otherwise of a sire.
    6. Not slavishly going for sire lines- in Ireland piling into sons of Galileo and sons of Monsun hasn’t worked. Now its unproven sons of Sea the Stars with whom breeders are rolling the dice.
    7. Cooperatives. Some of the great success stories of Irish business came from the cooperative movement such as Kerry Group. We never adopted that model for bloodstock. Breeders in central France have banded together to back Haras de Cercy under a cooperative model. Irish breeders need to look at this model which has so many potential benefits and upsides for breeders. Cooperatives redress the imbalance of power between mare owners and stallion masters.

    In recent years in Ireland we have routinely seen books of 250+ for unproven middle distance flat horses from the same few sire lines . There are now thousands of broodmares by failed NH sires that highlight the long term consequences of this herd mentality. In search of a quick fix, Irish stallion masters have now decided to purchase the better French young sires knowing that the economics of our huge book sizes make this approach financially viable. It will be interesting to see what sort of offers are made for the 9 year old sire who has just had two winners of three year old hurdles in France and who has all the qualities to become a major NH sire. That sire is Goliath du Berlais who stands at Haras de la Tuilerie.

    Goliath Du Berlais’ Pedigree:

    Pedigree Overview

    Saint des Saints has become a stalwart of French breeding and enjoyed a stellar Cheltenham with three winners in Prokterat, Monmiral and Sine Nomine. He has also delivered as a broodmare sire and despite his age, still covered 81 mares in 2023 at €15000. King’s Daughter was a Grade 3 winner over hurdles as a three year old and she is a daughter of the outstanding 5 time champion NH sire in King’s Theatre. She has compiled an impressive record at stud with 7 winners and 4 black type winners. Aside from Goliath du Berlais, James Du Berlais (by Muhtathir) was runner up in a Punchestown Stayers Hurdle for Willie Mullins. Queen Du Buelais (by Muhtathir) was a Grade 3 hurdle winner and David Du Berlais (by Saints des Saints) was a Listed hurdle winner and is now at stud in Haras de Cercy. For good measure, Goliath Du Berlais’s second dam Bint Bladi is the dam of RSA Chase 2nd Lyreen Legend (also by Saints des Saints). It’s hard to fault this pedigree…

    Goliath Du Berlais Racecourse Performance

    Goliath Du Bearlais won 7 of his 12 starts culminating in an impressive 14 length victory in the 2019 Grade 1 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure chase at Auteuil as a four year old. Earlier that season he had won a Grade 2 and a pair of Grade 3’s for trainer Guillame Macaire. As an entire, this was more than sufficient to ensure his popularity once he was retired to Haras de la Tuilerie to stand alongside his sire Saint des Saints.

    First runners:
    Goliath’s first runners have certainly started with a bang. Two winners and two placed horses from four runners in French three year old hurdles is definitely impressive. This will be music to the ears of the breeders who utilised Goliath (140 in 2020, 131 in 2021, 119 in 2022 and 130 in 2023 so he will have big numbers to come. He seems poised for stardom. He retired at a fee of €7500 in 2020 and it is unchanged since then but if his electric start continues we can expect a significant price hike and big offers from Irish studs.

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  • Seven Value Sires for 2024

    For any breeders who have yet to decide on their 2024 stallions, I have compiled a shortlist of seven budget-friendly sires offering a good risk/reward ratio. In trying to identify value sires, I ignore sires who haven’t had runners, as most new sires will fail. Value sires will typically fall into one of three categories

    1. Older proven stallions who are getting fee reductions to compete with the more fashionable younger sires. Oasis Dream falls into this category.
    2. Sires with limited track representation who have shown promise but could be on the cusp of breakthrough success. Frontiersman, Coulsty, Phoenix of Spain and Study of Man are in this category.
    3. Sires with good reputations with trainers/agents who will deliver in the sales ring regardless of short term results in the track- Awtaad and Holy Roman Emperor are in this category.

    1. Frontiersman (2013 Dubawi ex Ouija Board by Cape Cross)
    Fee £2000- Standing at Overbury Stud

    I wouldn’t normally recommend a horse with a Timeform squiggle who never won above Listed level as a value sire but this guy offers great value for a £2000 fee.
    Firstly, the pedigree is exceptional. Dubawi has solidified his standing as a sire of sires, and Ouija Board adds further luster as both a champion on the track and the dam of a good sire in Australia. Frontiersman had a Timeform rating of 121 (albeit with a squiggle) and was runner up in a Coronation Cup so he was higher rated than many sires. His first runners on the flat (Asian Daze and Missy Dolly Rocker) were both winners. He had been marketed as a dual purpose/NH sire by Overbury but I think he is worthy of serious consideration by flat breeders at a peanuts fee.

    2. Awtaad 2013 Cape Cross ex Asheerah by Shamardal
    Fee €5000- Standing at Derrinstown Stud

    Everybody now loves Awtaad as a value sire and for that reason it makes sense to use him. Agents and trainers will feel reassured purchasing his progeny because they have heard enough people repeating the mantra that he is great value. This year will see his fifth crop on the track and after a quiet start, 2 Group/Grade 1 winners (Anisette and Anmaat) in 2023 made everyone sit up and take notice. That said, his stats aren’t that exciting with 11 stakes winners (4%) and he has only 8 two years this year and 27 yearlings next year so I wouldn’t expect any great fireworks on the track in the near future. However at €5k, following the bandwagon should now work for commercial breeders on a budget.

    3. Coulsty 2011 Kodiac ex Hazium by In The Wings
    Fee €5500- Standing at Rathasker Stud

    Despite his lack of representation he has a Grade 1 winner to his name in Shantisara, a Group 3 winner, three Listed winners and two stakes placed runners. This is an impressive record from only 48 cheaply bred runners. He has 75 two year olds this year and 119 yearlings on the horizon. This compares with 68 foals in all his previous crops so his track profile should soar. Kodiac has gained a decent reputation as a sire of sires and Coulsty could be on an upward trajectory.

    4. Holy Roman Emperor 2004 Holy Roman Emperor ex L’on Vite by Secretariat
    Fee €8000- Standing at Coolmore Stud

    A reliable sire who might be a good option for a younger mare trying to get winners on her page. He didn’t have his best year in 2023 but so far he has sired 14 Group 1 winner (9 in the Northern hemisphere) and is operating at 5% stakes winners to foals. He had a healthy yearling median of €31k last year so he is a decent commercial proposition.

    5. Phoenix of Spain 2016 Lope De Vega ex Lucky Clio by Key of Luck
    Fee €10,000- Standing at Irish National Stud

    I thought his first runners exceeded expectations with 20 two year old winners from 51 runners in a crop of 97. With his progeny expected to improve with time, those are more than respectable numbers. Amongst his winners was Haatem, who won the Grp 2 Vintage Stakes so it was mildly surprising that his fee was shaved from €12k to €10k. He had a yearling median of c. €25k last year but if his progeny progress as expected then I think there could be upside in using him.

    6. Study of Man 2015 Deep Impact ex Second Happiness by Storm Cat
    Fee £12,500- Standing at Lanwades

    I’m keen on this beautifully bred, French Derby winner with Miesque as his grandam. His first crop was promising with 11 winners from a total crop of 55, headlined by the Beresford Stakes winner Deepone and Grp 3 placed Ghorgan. The expectation is that as a son of Deep Impact, his progeny will improve with age. I could see him as a classic sire and there aren’t many sires in this price bracket about whom that could be said.

    7. Oasis Dream 2000 Green Desert ex Hope by Dancing Brave
    Fee £15,000- Standing at Banstead Manor

    Oasis Dream has sired 134 stakes winners (7%) and 20 Group 1 winners so his ability as a sire is not in doubt. His fee reflects his age. Older stallions generally have lower fertility and there is a belief that progeny results also show decline in later crops. This is the lowest fee of his career ( he stood a number of seasons at £85k) and I think it is adequately discounted to account for any age related concerns.

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