Juddmonte stallions Frankel (GB) and Kingman (GB) have been announced as the big winners in the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA)'s annual Flat statistical-based awards. The awards take into account British and Irish statistics for British-based stallions for 2023.
Frankel took the BBA Silver Cigar Box for the second time in three years as Britain's leading sire by total earnings in 2023 with £7,143,651. Frankel, who was crowned champion sire in Britain and Ireland, sired 11 individual Group 1 winners in 2023, with his notable runners on home soil including the Classic winners Chaldean (GB) and Soul Sister (Ire), plus G1 Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami (GB) and the G1 Prince of Wales's S. and G1 Juddmonte International winner Mostahdaf (Ire).
Kingman led all British-based sires by number of winners in 2023 and earned the Barleythorpe Stud Silver Cup for the first time. Kingman's representatives in Britain and Ireland last year included the dual Group 2 winner Kinross (GB), G3 Jersey S. winner Age Of Kings (Ire) and G3 Thoroughbred S. winner Epictetus (Ire), while Feed The Flame (GB) (Grand Prix de Paris) and Sauterne (Fr) (Prix du Moulin de Longchamp) both won Group 1 races in France.
Too Darn Hot (GB) earned the Tattersalls Silver Salver as leading British-based first-season sire by Flat earnings with £865,571, boosted by the victory of Fallen Angel (GB) in the G1 Moyglare Stud S., while Havana Grey (GB) won the British European Breeders' Fund's Stallion Special Merit Award in a year when his G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. winner Vandeek (GB) also featured among the leading juveniles.
Voted for by an industry panel, the Stallion Merit Award recognises British-based stallions who reward breeders through value for money, accessibility and performance, without, necessarily, the advantages of large books of mares or the high fees such popularity commands.
The Queen's Silver Cup for leading British-based Flat breeder was awarded to Shadwell, who enjoyed notable success in 2023 with the homebred Mostahdaf, plus Al Husn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who won the G1 Nassau S. and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., respectively.
European bloodstock manager for Shadwell, Stephen Collins, said, “We are delighted to be the recipient of the Queen's Silver Cup for leading British-based breeder in 2023.
“It's a testament to Sheikh Hamdan's vision and legacy which is being carried on by Sheikha Hissa with great success and we are very much looking forward to this prestigious event [the TBA Flat Breeders' Awards Evening held at Chippenham Park on Wednesday, July 10] later in the year. Last year is going to be hard to follow but hopefully Shadwell will have a successful 2024 with some promising horses coming through.”
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