By Brian Sheerin
Off the back of a star-studded season, No Nay Never will stand for €175,000 in 2023, which represents a €50,000 rise, while his dual Group 1-winning son Blackbeard (Ire) will join him on the Coolmore roster next year at a price of €25,000.
No Nay Never has had an exceptional year. Older filly Alcohol Free (Ire) landed the G1 July Cup at Newmarket, but it has been his Coolmore-owned and Aidan O'Brien-trained juveniles that have set tongues wagging this term.
Like his father, Blackbeard landed the G1 Prix Morny in Deauville before doubling his tally at the highest level in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket.
While Blackbeard was prematurely retired due to a training injury, Group 1 scorers Little Big Bear (Ire) and Meditate (Ire) sit at the head of the ante-post markets for the G1 2000 and G1 1000 Guineas respectively.
Coolmore's director of sales, David O'Loughlin, said, “No Nay Never has had an unbelievable year. The quality of the mares he got off the back of his success has really been shining through and, to have three individual Group 1-winning 2-year-olds in the one year, he has caught the attention of a lot of people.
“It has been another big week for him with Meditate winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and she is now a leading fancy for the 1000 Guineas. Little Big Bear is favourite for the 2000 Guineas, so No Nay Never has a big chance for the first two Classics of the season. That means a lot for us because we are trying to win the Classics.”
Sioux Nation hails from the same sire line being a son of Scat Daddy, and enjoyed a terrific debut season with his first runners with 43 winners. He will have his fee increased from €10,000 to €17,500 next year. Blackbeard is being backed to make a similar splash in his debut season by O'Loughlin.
He said, “To get a horse like Blackbeard on the roster is hugely exciting as well. Breeders love fast horses and he proved himself of the highest quality this season and was reminiscent of his father when winning the G1 Prix Morny is some style before following up in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket. That was the icing on the cake of another big season.
“Blackbeard is very like his father–the same colour, shape and he has the movement. Everything a breeder wants, he has. He's also out of a very fast mare who Eddie Lynam trained [Muirin (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire})] so I think a lot of people will be keen to use him.”
O'Loughlin added, “Commercially, what is driving the market is international appeal. When the international market zones in on a particular sire line, it puts a lot of value on that, much more than the domestic market can. No Nay Never is a good example of that as he has international appeal.
“Take Justify as another example, he has had two group winners in Europe and three stakes winners in America. It's obvious that he is working both sides of the Atlantic–he has the dirt horses and horses who can do it in Europe as well. For breeders, it will help when they use Arizona (Ire), Blackbeard and Sioux Nation because they all hail from that exceptional Scat Daddy line. It's all the one line.”
Like Sioux Nation, Coolmore's Saxon Warrior (Jpn) made a big impression with his first crop of runners. As well as having the highly-touted Auguste Rodin (Ire) to look forward to next season, Saxon Warrior came up trumps with GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road (Ire), one of 21 international winners in his first season.
O'Loughlin said, “Saxon Warrior had an exceptional year. Again, he's a horse with international appeal being a son of Deep Impact (Jpn), who was the best horse to stand in Japan. Auguste Rodin is a very special horse and Victoria Road crowned a remarkable year with his victory in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf.
“It's remarkable because Saxon Warrior wasn't the most precocious of horses and, for him to be getting all of these top-class 2-year-olds is a big statement. He has some very good 2-year-olds and who's to say that Greenland (Ire) won't be the best of them all. I know that a lot of people think he is a high-class horse to look forward to next year. Some big breeders have latched on to him after his debut season and I even sold a nomination to him out here in Keeneland the other day. They think the horse is great value at €35,000.”
Wootton Bassett (GB) will stand for €150,000, St Mark's Basilica (Fr)'s 2023 fee is €65,000, and Camelot (GB) is at €60,000. Churchill (Ire), the sire of dual Group 1 winner Vadeni (Fr), has had his fee increased to €30,000, Starspangledbanner (Aus) will stand for €50,000, Australia (GB) and Sottsass (Fr) for €25,000 and Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and Gleneagles (Ire) for €17,500.
Footstepsinthesand (GB), Circus Maximus (Ire), Calyx (GB) and US Navy Flag are set at €10,000, Arizona is €5,000 and Gustav Klimt (Ire) will be available at €4,000.
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