From Havana Grey To Rajasinghe – Which Freshmen Are Here To Stay?

Not only did Havana Grey (GB) record more individual winners and total wins than any of his first-season sire rivals in Great Britain and Ireland, but he also broke the £1-million marker for total earnings, which is why he deservedly wears the champion freshman stallion crown.

Those earnings were propped up by big sales race winners Shouldvebeenaring (GB) and Eddie's Boy (GB), with the latter going on to bag a Group 3 before selling for 320,000gns at the Tattersalls horses-in-training sale in October.

Havana Grey had 36 winners for 76 runners this year and his progeny recorded total earnings of £1,074,697, which was almost £420,000 more than his nearest rival Sioux Nation could manage in what was a pulsating race for first-season sire bragging rights.

But with four stakes winners and 57 total wins achieved in 2022, Whitsbury Manor Stud's emerging force confirmed himself the undisputed top dog of the young sire brigade, and earned himself a fee rise from £6,000 to £18,500 in the process.

Joe Callan, head of Whitsbury's bloodstock and sales, said, “We knew Havana Grey was going to be popular after what his first runners achieved this season but the demand for him has been unprecedented. It's been crazy and it's got to a stage where we've stopped counting [the number of mares who have been put forward to visit the stallion next year]. You can see why people are so keen to use him. He's had a fantastic season with 13 stakes horses and is operating at 16% stakes horses to runners and almost 50% winners to runners in Britain and Ireland. He has big crops coming through over the next couple of years so he deserves the accolades that he is getting.”

Havana Grey was kept honest all year by Coolmore's Sioux Nation, who had an excellent campaign in his own right and earned a fee rise to €17,500 for 2023. By Scat Daddy, Sioux Nation ended the year with 29 individual winners from 65 runners and his progeny amassed £657,000 worth of total earnings in Britain and Ireland.

Matilda Picotte (Ire) was Sioux Nation's biggest earner having accounted for £124,667, highlighted by victory in the Listed “Bosra Sham” Fillies' S. at Newmarket in October.

That effort came off the back of a busy campaign with Kieran Cotter's star juvenile winning her maiden at the Curragh on debut in May, placing in two Group 2s and finishing runner-up in the valuable Ballyhane S. at Naas. Sydneyarms Chelsea (Ire) also secured Group 3 glory for Sioux Nation at Deauville in August for Charlie Hills.

Little separated Harry Angel (Ire) and Kessaar (Ire) in third and fourth, respectively. The Dalham Hall Stud-based Harry Angel had 21 individual winners from 45 runners and recorded £433,814 in earnings while Tally-Ho Stud's Kessaar made a similarly respectable start with 20 individual winners from three fewer runners and amassed £351,906 in prize-money.

Tally-Ho Stud has enjoyed top honours with Mehmas (Ire) and Cotai Glory (GB) in recent seasons and, while the early signs are that Kessaar is not on that trajectory, he has proven a solid addition to the ranks. A classy sprinter, Kessaar's progeny appear to stay further than he did, which is somewhat surprising, and it will be interesting to track their progression in 2023.

Cracksman (GB) came up trumps with Listed winner Dance In The Grass (GB) along with a host of promising youngsters with a view towards next season. He sired nine winners from 39 runners and one would expect his offspring to build on that next year.

The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf success of Victoria Road (Ire) obviously doesn't contribute towards the leading freshman sire championship in Britain and Ireland, but it's worth bearing in mind with a view to the results of Saxon Warrior (Jpn).

Coolmore's G1 2000 Guineas-winning son of Deep Impact (Jpn) went from strength to strength this year, building to that almighty crescendo in Keeneland with Victoria Road, but he also enjoyed some major triumphs domestically to finish fifth in the British and Irish first-season sire standings.

Saxon Warrior was responsible for 13 individual winners from 41 runners and £351,906 in prize-money. Joseph O'Brien's Lumiere Rock (Ire), winner of the G3 Staffordstown Stud S., and G2 Debutante S. third Thornbrook (Ire) flew the flag for the stallion in Ireland, while Jim Bolger's Gan Teorainn (Ire) enjoyed notable success on and off the track.

After winning her maiden impressively at Naas in August, Gan Teorainn carried the familiar Ennistown Stud silks to finish second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp.

That form ensured that one of Saxon Warrior's highest-rated daughters would be in high demand when selling at the December Mares Sale at Tattersalls and so it proved with BBA Ireland paying 1 million gns to secure the filly who is understood to have been bought to continue her career in Australia.

Despite being based in Ashford Stud in Kentucky, Coolmore's Justify enjoyed a notably good first season with runners in Britain and Ireland.

The unbeaten Statuette, successful in the G2 Airlie Stud S., and Group 3 scorer Aspen Grove put the US Triple Crown winner in lights in Ireland this year.

Meanwhile, it was just last week when the Willie Browne-trained Diamondsareforever (Ire) posted a taking debut victory at Dundalk, further solidifying the notion that Justify is a coming force on the international stage. Five winners from just 11 individual runners in Britain and Ireland including £146,963 in prize-money represented a strong start for Justify.

Fellow Coolmore-based US Navy Flag had eight individual winners from 35 runners. It should be noted that two of his best horses enjoyed listed success abroad; Ocean Vision (Ire) in France and Love Reigns (Ire) in America.

Tasleet (GB) is another freshman sire worthy of mention, not least because he sired the brilliant G2 Coventry S. winner Bradsell (GB). Set to stand for just £6,000 at Nunnery Stud next year, Tasleet had a solid 34% winners to runners, which was more than Saxon Warrior, Expert Eye (GB), US Navy Flag, Cracksman (GB) and more.

But the biggest surprise in the first-season stallion ranks came from the figures posted by the largely unheralded Rajasinghe (Ire), who is set to stand for just £3,000 at the National Stud next year.

Winner of the G2 Coventry S. in 2017 for Phil Cunningham, who has been a big supporter of the horse since he went to stud, Rajasinghe had eight individual winners from 10 runners which equates to a whopping 80% strike-rate.

All of this has been achieved with average mares which suggests Rajasinghe could have the makings of becoming a pretty decent sire if provided with the right ammunition.