Which stallion does the data say is the outstanding sire-of-sires in Britain and Ireland? The answer will surprise you. We often hear chat about a stallion's ability as a sire-of-sires being bandied about, but it is less common to see it examined in a more detailed and data-driven manner. First and foremost, my personal opinion [...]

The world of first-season sires is a fickle and unforgiving land. A sire can go from being on top of the world after his first crop lights up the yearling sales to being flung into the gutter just a few months later after those first representatives hit the track. As keen as the market is [...]

The modern black-type system began to take shape in Europe in 1971 when group designators were introduced to differentiate different levels of stakes races. This system was widened to North America/Canada in 1973 and was further refined by the creation of the International Cataloguing Standards Committee in 1981 and the Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers [...]

The bloodstock business never fails to amaze. Despite so few new sires ultimately becoming commercial successes, it is remarkable to witness the untethered enthusiasm, excitement and speculation which greets each new batch of new and unproven stallions that retire to the breeding shed every year. Despite the relatively unattractive odds involved, the majority of players [...]

Aidan O'Brien is simply a phenomenon in the world of racing. A record-breaking National Hunt trainer in the initial stages of his career, his abundant talents didn't go unnoticed and he was appointed as the trainer in the historic Ballydoyle complex in 1996 at the age of just 26. He quickly established himself as a [...]

The search for the 'next big thing' in the sire ranks is a pursuit that engages participants and observers at every stage of the bloodstock business. Be it picking out a favoured stallion prospect soon after they retire to stud or having seen their first foals, yearlings or runners, the process is often an ongoing [...]

With the commercial breeding sector being so selective and polarised at present, now more than ever Thoroughbred breeders have to take great care with their matings. With buyers less willing to take unnecessary risks, the formerly popular focus on unproven sires is seeming to thaw, with the pendulum swinging back in favour of more proven [...]

With less than 100 days to go until Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union, the bloodstock and racing industries in Britain and Ireland face uncertain times as to how different their worlds will be after that date. The Tripartite Agreement that ensures free movement of Thoroughbreds between Britain, Ireland and France could be [...]

Over two years ago, the tale of Starspangledbanner (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}) was recounted on these pages. His dual-hemisphere racing career saw him become one of the top sprinters on the planet and an unusual complication with his ownership saw a 5% share in him being sold on an Australian bloodstock trading website. The surprise and [...]

Following the completion of the foal and breeding stock sales in Great Britain and Ireland, there has been much comment about the state of the bloodstock market. While the middle and top end have arguably never been stronger, the bottom end of the market has plummeted to a state not seen since the years following [...]

Royal Ascot is where everyone that is involved in Flat racing wants to be represented. With this in mind, a trainer with just 25 horses in his care couldn't reasonably expect to have a runner at the meeting, never mind a winner, but Dave Marnane is no ordinary 25-horse trainer. Indeed, for those that have [...]

Aidan O'Brien is simply a phenomenon in the world of racing. A record-breaking National Hunt trainer in the initial stages of his career, his abundant talents didn't go unnoticed and he was appointed as the trainer in the historic Ballydoyle complex in 1996 at the age of just 26. He quickly established himself as a [...]