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Tag: stallions

  • Coolmore sires for 2026

    The loss of Wootton Bassett will be felt keenly at Coolmore. Without him they lack a proper elite sire in Europe. It is still a formidable roster but Europe’s top sires are no longer concentrated in that part of Tipperary.
    Below is my assessment of their published fees for 2026, starting with the priciest sires. I have included fabricated quotes from Donald Trump on each sire.

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    1. No Nay Never €100,000 (€125,000) (2011 Scat Daddy ex Cat’s Eye Witness by Elusive Quality)

    Donald Trump Verdict:“Bad,bad deal, folks”

    I’ve been consistent in saying he was overrated and his fee has dropped for each of the last four years. It will fall further in the years ahead. NNN added another two-year-old Group 1 winner to his CV with the Cheveley Park winner True Love and Charles Darwin looked Group 1 class but wasn’t seen after his Norfolk Stakes (Grp 2) victory. The four year olds Never So Brave and Lake Forest gave him a 1-2 in the newly minted Group 1 that is the City of York Stakes. Those were the highlights but he had 302 Northern Hemisphere runners and only 10 stakes winners (3.3%) and 39% winners to runners. Those are modest numbers for a horse at that fee. The auction ring saw his yearling median drop from €150k in 2024 to €130k in 2025. Those yearlings were bred at an advertised fee of €175,000 so a lot of breeders lost out. That expensive crop will be two year olds this season so he may show a bounce in results but he is still overpriced.

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    2. City of Troy €60,000 (€75,000) (2011 Justify ex Together Forever by Galileo)

    Donald Trump Verdict: “We don’t know—could be good, could be bad.”

    City of Troy was busy in his first season at Coolmore covering 175 mares. Justify has done better in Europe than in the US and in 2025, his sons Ruling Court and Scandinavia added a Guineas and St Leger to City of Troy’s Derby success. City of Troy was a very good horse but not quite as good as the hype that was produced around him. He will cover lots of mares over the next few seasons before we start to learn in 2028 whether he proves to be a conduit for class. The usual model is that the fee drops by degrees in years three and four as the exploits on the track fade and new shinier stars emerge to compete for mares. It’s in the lap of the Gods whether he will succeed and if he will em justify his fee.

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    3. Camelot €60,000 (€75,000) (2009 by Montjeu ex Tarfah by Kingmambo)

    Donald Trump Verdict:“Wall Street doesn’t like him—but some other people do.”

    Failed to match his 2024 heroics when he sired 3 of the first 5 in the Arc. He did add another Group 1 winner to his tally in Pierre Bonnard who annexed the Criterium de Saint Cloud and who looks a middle distance classic contender. Los Angeles added the Tattersalls Gold Cup to his record but in a sign of the times he has been retired to the Coolmore National Hunt roster. Camelot’s yearling median dropped back to €100k from €125k as the market tries to find the right rating for him. I thought his appeal to commercial breeders might be somewhat restricted but he could suit wealthy owner breeders. However a book of 184 last season belies that theory. I like him as a middle distance sire even if he is not entirely reliable.

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    4. Starspangledbanner €60,000 (€45,000) (2006 Choisir ex Gold Anthem by Made of Gold)

    Donald Trump Verdict:“Great name. Very American. I love the name. The price? Not so much.”


    Had a good season with his two year olds. Precise was the best filly around in winning the Fillies Mile and Moyglare. Gstaad was narrowly beaten in the Dewhurst and won the Breeders’ Cup Turf Juvenile. The supporting cast was less memorable and his final tally was 14 stakes winners from 329 runners (4.4%). The market though was impressed and his yearling median lifted to €78k for a crop bred at €50,000. It will be interesting to see if Precise and Gstaad can add a classic to their sires record to help underpin his new career high fee.

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

    Donald Trump Verdict: “A lot of potential there. We’re keeping a close eye on it.”

    He had a relatively slow start with his first runners but by season end he had a Group 1 winner in Diamond Necklace, a Group 2 winner in Aylin, a pair of listed winners and three horses placed in Group 3s. Overall he notched a respectable 23 winners from 69 runners. His fee is nominally unchanged this year but reputedly there was plenty of leeway in last year’s advertised fee but very little in this year’s. His maternal half brother Magna Grecia and his paternal half brother Sottsass were shifted from the Coolmore roster but on the evidence so far SMB looks like he has a much brighter future. He was a Dewhurst winner at two before landing a French Guineas and Derby and the Eclipse and Irish Champion so there is every chance his progeny will improve.

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    6. Delacroix €40,000 (na) (2022 Dubawi ex Tepin by Bernstein)

    Donald Trump Verdict: “Great family, great performances—you like to see that but the sticker price- not so much”

     If you can’t beat them join them. Dubawi has established a reputation as a sire of sires and Coolmore have now put two of his sons on the roster. Delacroix was a dual Group 1 winner in the Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes, traditionally two of the best races in Europe each year. He was a Group winner at 2 and his dam was top class winning 5 Grade 1s in North America and beating the colts at Ascot in the Queen Anne. It’s a nice package. If you were to quibble, Ombudsman and Calandagan were his superiors and he ran poorly in the Derby. An overall career record of 6 wins and four seconds from 12 starts is credible but he is fully priced.
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    7. Sioux Nation €37,500 (€30,000) (2015 Scat Daddy ex Dream the Blues by Oasis Dream)

    Donald Trump Verdict: “Sad, I look at it and I say: what are they thinking? Too many mares, no plan, total mess.”


    His yearling median increased from €40,000 to €70,000 and I have no idea why this occurred. He covered 282 mares in 2025 following on from the 246 mares covered in 2024 and 289 in 2023 and I have no idea why this occurred. His results on the track don’t explain this popularity. He sired a Group 2 winner in Zanthos, a pair of Group 3 winners and a trio of Listed winners. If you are being kind, you can mention She’s Perfect who was disqualified from the French 1000 Guineas. He has yet to sire a Northern hemisphere Group 1 winner and to me his popularity is utterly divorced from his true merit.
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    8. Camille Pissarro €30,000 (na) (2022 Wootton Bassett ex Entreat by Pivotal)

    Donald Trump Verdict: “You want to love it. You really do. Then you check the price and the number kills it    .”

    Landed a pair of French Group 1’s in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and the Prix de Jockey Club. It sounds good- Group 1 winner at two and 10-furlong French Derby winner at three. Yet his overall record was 3 wins from 11 starts and the Jockey Club field looks substandard. His run after the Jockey Club he was stable second string behind Delacroix in the Eclipse. He is the second Group 1 winner produced by his dam after Golden Horde. There is a glut of sons of Wootton Bassett retiring to stud in Ireland in 2026 (Henri Matisse, Unquestionable, Maranoa Charlie and Topgear) and it’s impossible to predict who, if any, will make the grade. I thought his opening fee was a bit steep.

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    9. Auguste Rodin €27,500 (€30,500) (2020 Deep Impact ex Rhododendron by Galileo)

    Donald Trump Verdict:“We’ll see how it plays out. I’ve seen this kind of thing before and it doesn’t always work out”


    He won 6 Group 1s but mixed the very good with some really poor runs. The poor runs reminded people that his dam was known to bleed and with one victory from 6 starts as a four-year-old, he might have been better served retiring after his Breeders’ Cup win as a three year old. Nonetheless he attracted 205 mares last year so he won’t fail for lack of representation. Saxon Warrior is bred on a similar cross and hasn’t delivered as a sire but Deep Impact’s son Study of Man has done well in Lanwades. I’d be slow to use him but nobody can be too dogmatic about these unproven sires and more sons of Deep Impact should be a positive for European breeding.
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    10. Paddington €20,000 (€25,000) (2020 Siyouni ex Modern Eagle by Montjeu)

    Donald Trump Verdict: “If everything’s working the way it’s supposed to work, then he’s fine at that price. Totally fine.”


    Originally retired at €55,000 so his 2026 fee is a huge reduction. A tough and high class performer he won 4 consecutive Group 1s. Siyouni hasn’t got a credible sire son as yet but St Marks Basilica shows potential. Sottsass was disappointing and City Light and Le Brivido were unremarkable. His fertility is the fly in the ointment.
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    11. Henri Matisse €20,000 (na) (2022 Wootton Bassett ex Immortal Verse by Pivotal)

    Donald Trump Verdict: “The experts are nervous—they’re always nervous—but I like the numbers.    “

    Won the French Guineas and a Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf. He also finished runner-up to Field of Gold in the St James Palace and finished with a tally of 6 wins and 3 places from 11 starts. His dam, Immortal Verse won a Coronation Stakes and Prix Jacques le Marois and is also the dam of Teneberism. He is €10,000 cheaper than Camille Pissarro and relatively speaking, I think he is the more attractively priced. As mentioned when talking about Camille Pissarro there are a host of new sons of W.B. on the market and we can expect fresh arrivals in each of the coming few years. Henri Matisse has as good a chance as any of them.

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

    Donald Trump Verdict: “You go to Gleneagles, you get a good game. It’s not Mar-a-Lago, but it’s a strong play    “

    Calandagan was a star landing 4 Group 1s including the Champion Stakes, King George and Japan Cup. Arrow Eagle landed a Prix Royal Oak and he had a pair of Group 3 winners. He had only 18 three year olds last season so he did well to remain in the spotlight. The fact that he attracted 188 mares last year shows how much his reputation has recovered from its nadir. His yearling median remained at €32,000 last year off a €17500 fee. He has now 43 stakes winners at more than 6% and is credible for this fee. .

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    13. Little Big Bear €17,500 (€20,000) (2020 by No Nay Never ex Adventure Seeker by Bering)

    Donald Trump Verdict:“Little Big Bear— Very confusing. Is he big, is he little, is he a bear? Is he a horse? All I know is I’m out”


     He promises speed and precocity and he attracted 180 mares in 2025 following on from 156 in 2024. He was very impressive in the Phoenix Stakes and was runner up at three in the Commonwealth Cup. The jury is still out on NNN as a sire of sires but Ten Sovereigns had a good season after being exiled from Coolmore. Little Big Bear’s brother Whistlejacket who won the Prix Morny has started his stud career in France at €14,000. They have an interesting female line with All Along as their 3rd dam and more stamina influences than you might expect from his own career. He wouldn’t be for me but plenty of his stock will be sold for good money before his merit or otherwise is established.

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

    Donald Trump Verdict: “Blackbeard very high energy, maybe too much energy. Very risky!    “


    Retired at the end of his two year old campaign so will have his first runners on the track this season. This notably quirky sort will be expected to make a quick start or he will find himself walking the plank. He may well succeed but he is from an unremarkable female line and it’s a real gamble for the upcoming season. His runners will be competing with his own sire’s offspring, the progeny of Mehmas, Havana Grey, Wootton Bassett, Starman etc  in a crowded two year old space. I’d rather wait and see.

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    15. Churchill €15,000 (€25,000)- (2014 by Galileo ex Meow by Storm Cat)

    Donald Trump Verdict: “You want results? Don’t look at Churchill, he is not great like me. He won’t deliver    “

    His fee has halved in the past two seasons and he remains stuck on two European Group 1 winners despite big crops. He lacked a star last year with Ridari winning a Group 2 the modest highlight. Surprisingly, his yearling median showed an upturn reaching €47,000 albeit these were bred at a €30,000 fee. He will have huge crops to run after covering 227 mares in 2023 and 192 in 2024. He has 27 stakes winners and is operating at a 4% rate of stakes winners.  He has had his chance and hasn’t succeeded.

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    16. Australia €15,000 (€10,000)(2011 by Galileo ex Ouija Board by Cape Cross)

    Donald Trump Verdict: “You look at the country, you look at the horse—both are beautiful, both love me, and  believe me Australia is a  good deal.”

    Had a notable year with Lambourn winning at Epsom and the Curragh, Cercene winning a Coronation Stakes and Wemighttakedlongway placing in an Irish Oaks. His yearling median increased slightly to €38,000 for a crop bred at €25,000. His career stats show 48  stakes winners and is operating at a respectable 5.3% stakes winners to foals.  Coolmore have never given him much support and Lambourn was a rarity in being Ballydoyle trained and out of the sort of speedy mare which he probably needs. He has smaller crops to come for the next two years so he may struggle to stay in the limelight in the short term. The 154 breeders who used him last year at €10,000 will have been happy with his good season and I’d still be happy to use him at €15,000 with the right sort of mare.
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    17. Henry Longfellow €12,500 (€15,000) (2020 Dubawi ex Minding by Galileo)

    Donald Trump Verdict:” The poet was great, but the stallion? That’s a different story- it’s a tough call.”

    An unbeaten National Stakes winning two-year-old, he failed to win in five starts as a three year old but did finish a close second to Rosallion in the St James Palace. His pedigree is appealing.  His dam Minding was an outstanding six time Group 1 winner and freshly crowned champion sire Night of Thunder is bred on the same Dubawi/Galileo cross.  He was short of being truly top class but still attracted 172 mares in 2025.  His cut in price should help him compete.

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    18. Saxon Warrior €10,000 (€15,000) (2015 Deep Impact ex Maybe by Galileo)

    Donald Trump Verdict: “People come to me and they say, ‘What about Saxon Warrior?’ and I tell them, ‘Don’t bother.’    “


    Another big cut in his fee surely means his exit from the roster cannot be far away.  Garden of Eden won a Ribblesdale and he had 8 stakes winners but they were a forgettable bunch. I was amazed that his yearling median was €35,500 from 104 yearlings sold as I expected him to be commercially toxic. Has never sired a really top-class performer albeit he gets decent percentages of winners at a low level.

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    19. Footstepsinthesand €5,000 (€8,000) (2002 Giant’s Causeway ex Glatisant by Rainbow Quest)

    Donald Trump Verdict:     “Who is he and what has he ever done?’“


    Coming to the end of a long and underwhelming stud career. He had a good 2025 with Alakazi winning at Group 2 level and  Midak at Group 3 level but he has always been a poor sire.

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    20. Holy Roman Emperor €5,000 (€8,000) (2004 Danehill ex L’On Vite by Secretariat)

    Donald Trump Verdict: “He’s past his prime, and everybody knows it.”


    Like Footstepsinthesand, he is nearing the end of his career. A trio of unremarkable stakes winners in 2025 won’t see a flurry of mares looking to use this useful sire who is one of the last Danehills still covering.

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    21. The Antarctic €5,000 (€5,000) (2020 Dark Angel ex Anna Law by Lawman)
    Donald Trump Verdict: “The Antarctic is like Greenland but I didn’t buy that either.”

    Dark Angel has yet to have a really successful sire son and it’s odds against that The Antarctic will buck that trend. He was no more than a Group 3 winner and  being a full brother to Battash is probably his main selling point but that isn’t enough to expect him to succeed.

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  • When is a stallion past their prime?

    Older Sires are treated with suspicion

    Ageism : noun “prejudice or discrimination on the basis of age”

    In the bloodstock world, there is often a suspicion of any stallion out of their teens. Supporting this theory, a friend recently mentioned that even Sadler’s Wells had no Group 1 winner from his last three crops. Is this just coincidence (and a very small sample size) or are older sires less effective? A quick internet search, didn’t reveal any serious research on the subject (please let me know if I missed something). Without proper data, we are in the realms of speculation but I am happy to speculate….

    My own thoughts are as follows:

    • Perceptions matter and if people doubt older stallions, then it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Owners of high quality mares may be wary of visiting older stallions and this well lead to weaker crops, reduced success and ‘prove’ the theory.
    • Owners of high quality mares may be wary of visiting older stallions if their fertility is lower. Their is a natural decline in fertility as stallions age, so it could be a legitimate risk aversion to ensure the best chance of getting their mares in foal. However again the behaviour of the mare owners will end up ‘proving’ the theory.
    • Owners of high quality mares may be wary of visiting older stallions not because they doubt them but because they worry that many buyers have that bias against older sires. Breeders can’t ignore the marketplace. Again a weaker book will lead to less success on the track.
    • If the market does reduce the value of the offspring of older sires then those offspring will tend to go to fewer top end trainers. This could reduce the actual level of success.

    • Older stallions are probably covering a number of older mares who are trying to replicate a previously successful mating with that stallion. We do know that the progeny of older mares (specifically mares who have had more foals) are less successful than younger mares (albeit not as much of a difference as some people think). If a stallion covered the same 100 mares for ten consecutive years, I would expect a decrease in the number of stakes performers in the later crops due to the ageing of the mares, not the ageing of the stallion.
    • Later crops by stallions are competing against grandchildren of the same stallion. This years St Leger was a good example as Galileo’s best finisher was the third place horse, Nayef Road. The first two places were filled by his grandsons in Logician (by Frankel) and Sir Ron Priestley (by Australia). Similarly, when Galileo sired the first three home in the 2006 St Leger (Sixties Icon, The Last Drop and Red Rocks) the next two home were sons of Sadler’s Wells in Ask and Tusculum).
    • As for Sadler’s Wells last few crops, it is true that his success dimmed near the end. However, it is also worth remembering that Sadler’s Wells himself was part of a crop of 31 foals by Northern Dancer in 1981- so Northern Dancer was 20 when they were born. From those 31 foals there was Sadler’s Wells, El Gran Senor, Secreto and Northern Trick so not bad for an old sire! Mr Prospector also did well in his latter years- his only Kentucky Derby winner, Fusaichi Pegasus, was born when Mr Prospector was 27.

    Conclusion: Without proper data, it’s hard to be dogmatic on the subject. A simple crop by crop analysis with the percentage of black type winners in each crop isn’t sufficient. The quality and age of the mares in each crop would also have to be included in calculations. In humans, research on the children of older fathers shows some negative correlations so it is plausible that this would apply in horses also. If there is a negative correlation in horses, I think it would be slight and might perhaps be overestimated by the market. If that is the case, there could be some value to be had at the sales. One man’s prejudice, can be another man’s opportunity…….

  • Attack on the clones

    There was some coverage in the Irish media last week of the cloning of former top showjumper Cruising http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/other-sports/mary-mccann-confirms-she-has-two-cruising-clones-312555.html .

    The owners are not acting outside the rules of the sport made by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) or of the Irish sports horse stud book but I don’t think either of those bodies can fully know the impact that cloning will have on that sport. When it comes to horse racing we will hopefully never allow cloning or it will utterly destroy the sport.

    What’s wrong with cloning?

    1. Cloning is not about looking to breed an improved racehorse, it is about recreating an existing top class horse. It is about sameness and predictability and the elimination of risk. It is about replacing the old maxim of ‘breeding the best to the best and hope for the best’ with a new maxim of ‘clone the best’. However it is the uncertainty of breeding that underpins the industry, if cloning was to become commonplace it would kill the industry it seeks to improve. Why get involved in the genetic lottery of current breeding? Who would use current stallions, the best of whom struggle to get 10% stakes winners when you can produce a horse guaranteed to be of similar genetic ability to a past champion? With uncertainty there also exists hope and it is  this hope that totally underpins the entire breeding industry and ensures that most foals will eventually find a buyer. Who would gamble on a modestly bred foal when they could buy a clone of Frankel? The breeding industry as we know it would collapse.

    2. Horse racing is dependent on gambling for its survival. We don’t know the relative merits of horses until they are tried against each other under different conditions. With clones much of that uncertainty is removed as we already have a much better idea of horses maximum abilities, optimum trips and going preferences. There would initially be great interest in running a decade of cloned Derby winners against each other but ultimately we would have a much less diverse sport with the same clones running against each other after the question of the ultimate horse has been decided and the clones of same being the only logical choice for breeders. Once horse racing becomes too predictable its attractiveness to the public will fade.

    Scientific breakthroughs are chipping away at the fundamentals of the sport. Genetic testing such as those offered by equinome.com are still in their infancy but in time will certainly improve to a predictive accuracy that outstrips any of us self-appointed pedigree or bloodstock ‘experts’. I am certain that artificial insemination (AI) will be allowed for thoroughbreds within the next two decades given its advantages in disease control. By itself AI is not a threat to the fundamentals of the sport once some measures such as the destruction of straws within an agreed period following the death of the stallion are implemented. Cloning is a completely different prospect and to my mind it was a mistake to allow it in showjumping and it would be a catastrophe for horse racing.

     

     

  • Henry Cecil- a belated tribute

    With the passing of Henry Cecil in June it is worth considering his place in the pantheon of the great trainers. It is also worth looking back on the subsequent impact of his runners in the breeding sheds.  Surprisingly, for such a successful trainer over such a long career, Henry trained very few important stallions.

    Ranking as a trainer

    As a ten time champion trainer, its obvious that Henry Cecil must take very high rank amongst the list of great trainers.  However for me, there are a few factors that temper my enthusiasm for ranking him anywhere near Vincent O’Brien, who is the benchmark for trainers.

    1. Firstly Henry had it easy. He came from a privileged background being a stepson of champion trainer and Royal trainer Cecil Boyd Rochfort and his early marriage to Julie Murless (daughter of another champion trainer and Royal trainer) meant he was quickly seated at racing’s top table.  His starting position would have taken others a decade or more to achieve.

    2. Apart from Wolver Hollow’s Eclipse in his first season his early years were underwhelming. A lot of tributes talk about Henry’s instinctive way with horses, however to me if there is nothing significant happening for a number of years it looks less like genius and more of a gradual tweaking of the same old methods used by others. Henry may have had a reputation for working his horses hard at Newmarket but he wasn’t much of an innovator in his methods. Gradual improvements in staff, methods and stock are a road map to training success but they are rooted in the ordinary rather than in genius.

    3. Henry largely ignored the rest of the world. Henry may have felt that British racing was the best in the world but in his heyday he spurned many opportunities for his runners overseas. His tally of two US wins (Yashmak  in 1997 and Midday in 2009) is very underwhelming given the relatively easy pickings available in the US for turf horses. His tally of 6 Irish classics is also less than one would expect.  In my view, his Anglo-centric approach didn’t do justice to his horses or his owners by ignoring the opportunities that were available throughout the world.

    4. He didn’t succeed with sprinters. I don’t know the reason for this but it is noticeable that he never trained a really top class sprinter and almost all of the big sprints are absent from his cv.

    Great Stallions trained by Henry

    none

    Very Good Stallions trained

    1. Kris (1976 Sharpen Up- Doubly Sure by Reliance).

    Kris was a superb miler who should have won the Guineas and won 14 of his 16 races. His first crop yielded the outstanding Cecil trained triple crown winner Oh So Sharp (1982 Kris ex Oh So Fair by Graustark). His second crop yielded Irish 2000 Guineas winner Flash of Steel (1983 Kris ex Spark of Fire by Run the Gauntlet). His final career stats show 75 black type winners from 846 foals, a very creditable 9% and include other Group 1 winners such as Shavian, Rafha and Balisada. However Kris is regarded as a fillies sire and no important sire sons have emerged to continue his male line.

    2. Diesis (1980 Sharpen Up- Doubly Sure by Reliance)

    A brother to Kris, Diesis was a brilliant two year old who achieved a rare Middle Park, Dewhurst double.  Like his brother he made an immediate impression with an outstanding filly in his first crop-namely Diminuendo (1985 Diesis ex Cacti by Tom Rolfe).  Other Oaks winners followed in Ramruma (1996 Diesis ex Princess of Man by Green God) and Love Divine (1997 Diesis ex La Sky by Law Society). However unlike his brother there was not the same sex bias amongst his offspring who ranged from sprinters such as Keen Hunter (1987 Diesis ex Love’s Reward by Nonoalco) to milers such as Docksider (1995 Diesis ex Pump by Forli) and superb 10 furlong performers in Halling (1991 Diesis ex Dance Machine by Green Dancer) and Elmaamul (1987 Diesis ex Modena by Roberto). His final stud statistics showed 82 black type winners from 1069 foals (8%) and his sire line is just barely hanging on through Muhtathir (a son of Elmaamul and sire of Doctor Dino) and Halling who  has a few sons at stud.

    Really Disappointing Stallions Trained by Henry

    1. Reference Point (1984 Mill Reef ex Home on the Range by Habitat)

    An above average Derby winner who won a Futurity at two and seemed to have the pedigree to succeed at stud.  He was very disappointing and his early death was not lamented by many breeders.

    2. Hello Gorgeous (1977 Mr Prospector ex Bonny Jet by Jet Jewel)

    As a winner of a Dante and Futurity (aka Racing Post Trophy) and a son of the new American sensation Mr Prospector, Hello Gorgeous proved popular at Coolmore and big money was paid for many of his early offspring. He was a disaster and led to a distrust of sons of Mr Prospector in Europe that took a long time to fade.  His final stats show 10 black type winners from 510 foals (2%).

    2. Old Vic (1986 Sadler’s Wells ex Cockade by Derring Do).

    From the first crop of Sadler’s Wells, Old Vic was a brilliant winner of the Irish and French Derby’s. Retired to Dalham Hall he was very disappointing as a flat sire before proving to be an exceptional jumps stallion.

    Mixed bag

    Of Henry’s other Derby winners, Oath (1996 Fairy King ex Sheer Audacity by Troy) and Commander in Chief(1990 Dancing Brave ex Slightly Dangerous by Roberto) found themselves in Japan and failed to make much impact.  Slip Anchor (1982 Shirley Heights ex Sayonara by Birkhahn) did reasonably well, but as a stamina source was never fashionable enough to attract sufficient high quality mares.

    National Hunt sires

    Henry was associated with many great stayers such as Le Moss (1975 Le Levanstall ex Feemoss by Ballymoss),  Ardross (1976 Run the Gauntlet ex Le Melody by Levmoss) and Buckskin (1973 Yelapa ex Bete A Bon Dieu by Herbager) . He trained a lot of other horses who also made names as national hunt stallions such as Gunner B (1973 Royal Gunner ex Sweet Councillor by Privy Councillor), Moscow Society (Nijinsky ex Afifa by Dewan). In addition to the previously mentioned leading jumps sire Old Vic, he also trained the King George winner King’s Theatre (1991 Sadler’s Wells ex Regal Beauty by Princely Native) who became champion NH sire.

    Conclusions

    Henry’s standing as a great trainer is not in doubt and only Michael Stoute has stronger claims to be regarded as the outstanding British trainer of the modern era. A trainers job is to train horses for the racecourse and he has no influence on whether they succeed as stallions. It is of no relevance to Henry’s standing as a trainer that he was not associated with any horses who proved to be great stallions. It is just one of those statistical curiosities. His  success as a trainer of stayers inevitably meant that he was associated with horses who ended up earning their oats as national hunt stallions. Henry’s greatest project, Frankel is now embarking on his stud career and he has every prospect of success, so there could yet be a great stallion associated with the Cecil name.