Value Sires Series: First Yearlings

The latest edition of our value sires series (click for parts one and two) focusing on stallions with their first yearlings in 2019 gives us the opportunity to look at how the market has actually assessed the first progeny of the sires, rather than speculating as such based on pedigree and racetrack performance. With such a large slice of the European foal market feeding pinhooking trade, the progeny of fast, precocious, unproven stallions have become more and more popular-those foals expected to develop early and that have the added bonus of being safe from the scrutiny of their sire having runners in a year's time. We will learn more about a lot of these stallions at the yearling sales, but for now there is plenty to draw clues from.

There were two sires from this crop that undoubtedly found favour with the market at the 2018 foal sales: Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}).

Standing for €27,500 at Haras de Bouquetot, Shalaa was the most expensive newcomer of this sire crop in 2017, and was the undisputed leader at the sales, his 19 sold from 27 offered averaging £84,207/€93,249. He had the crop's top-priced filly and colt (240,000gns and 160,000gns). A sharp 2-year-old, Shalaa reeled off wins in the G2 July S., G2 Richmond S., G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. Injury ruled him almost entirely out of a 3-year-old campaign, but he returned in the autumn to win the G3 Bengough S. Invincible Spirit's record as a sire of sires is there for all to see, and Kingman (GB) and Charm Spirit (Ire) only helped that cause last year. Bouquetot has pledged support of Shalaa, in buying his foals at the sales and in sending him its crown jewel Treve (Fr) in his debut year. He is down to €22,000 for 2019.

Derrinstown Stud's Awtaad was a bit more of the surprise package, and he was certainly no one-hit wonder: his close average of £59,239/€65,630 and median of £52,011/€57,593 suggest an even quality among his foals, and 29 of his 35 offered were sold. He had two make six figures at both Tattersalls and Goffs with a high price of 170,000gns. His fee stays at €15,000 this year. He covered 115 mares in his debut season and 69 last year. Awtaad beat the G1 2000 Guineas winner Galileo Gold (Ire) (Paco Boy {GB}) in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and was then third to that rival in the G1 St James's Palace S. He won the G2 Boomerang S. in the autumn. He is from the immediate family of 2019 Classic aspirant Madhmoon (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), and his fourth dam is a half-sister to Seattle Slew and a full-sister to Seattle Dancer.

Standing alongside Awtaad at Derrinstown is Markaz (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a full-brother to Group 1-winning sprinter Mecca's Angel (Ire) who himself was a Group 3-winning sprinter at three and four. Markaz stays at €6,000 after covering 104 and 81 mares in his first two years, and he had his admirers at the foal sales, with colts selling for 60,000gns, 40,000gns and €65,000. His 25 sold averaged £15,935/€17,652.

Another to receive a warm reception at the foal sales was Whitsbury Manor's Adaay (Ire), which shouldn't be surprising given that he is a dual Group 2-winning sprinter by Kodiac (GB). Adaay has taken a minor fee cut each year at stud (dropping from £7,000 to £6,000 to £5,000) but that has helped keep his numbers up: he covered 122 mares in year one and 106 last year. Adaay had 26 sell from 41 offered for an average of £32,721/€36,252.

Ballylinch Stud's pair of Fascinating Rock (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and New Bay (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) each take a small fee trim heading into their crucial third year, and both had promising results at the foal sales. Fascinating Rock won the G1 Champion S. and G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup-with Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in second both times-earning RPRs of 125 for both those. He was rated 127 by Timeform and was second only to Golden Horn (GB) on the world rankings for middle distance turf horses in 2015. Fascinating Rock's 12 sold at the foal sales for an average of £37,490/€41,548 included a pair of fillies sold at Goffs for €185,000 and €110,000. He is down to €7,500 this year from €10,000.

G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner New Bay takes a cut to €15,000 from €20,000 after covering 105 and 99 mares in years one and two. He had 21 sold from 29 offered last year with an average of £32,493/€35,953. He had a top price of 80,000gns for a colt at Tattersalls. New Bay is, like Kingman, out of a Zamindar mare, and in fact that Horse of the Year appears on his page under his third dam, as do the successful sires Oasis Dream (GB) and Beat Hollow (GB).

Coolmore is represented by two in this group: dual Group 1-winning miler The Gurkha (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Australian shuttler Pride of Dubai (Aus), a dual Group 1-winning juvenile by Street Cry (Ire). The Gurkha was the second-most expensive sire of this crop in 2017 at €25,000, and he drops to €17,500 this year. While his career on the racecourse was short-lived, it was very productive: he won the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at third asking, earning an RPR of 122. He was then second to Galileo Gold in the St James's Palace (RPR 121), second to Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy) in the G1 Coral-Eclipse (RPR 120), and he rounded out his career with a win over Galileo Gold and Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) in the G1 Sussex S. (RPR 124). The Gurkha is out of a Danehill Dancer mare, so carries the same cross that has produced sires like Frankel (GB) and Teofilo (Ire) (out of Danehill mares). His second dam is a half-sister to Arc winner Solemia (Ire) (Poliglote {GB}). The Gurkha has been busy the last two seasons, covering 154 and 135 mares.

Pride of Dubai won the 2015 G1 Blue Diamond S. and G1 Inglis Sires' S.-Australia's second and third most prestigious juvenile Group 1s. His stakes-placed dam Al Anood (Aus) (Danehill) is a half-sister to both Chiang Mai (Ire), the dam of G1 Pretty Polly S. winner Chinese White (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}), and Rafha (GB) (Kris {GB}), dam of sires Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Kodiac (GB). The already illustrious family has a chance to improve its sire-producing strike rate, with Gustav Klimt (GB) and James Garfield (Ire) both retiring to stud this year. Pride of Dubai has covered 137 and 100 mares his first two seasons. His first foals sold for up to 82,000gns and averaged £23,035/€25,557, although just 19 of 39 offered were sold.

Territories (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Twilight Son (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) stand just down Duchess Drive from one another at Dalham Hall and Cheveley Park Stud, and both head into their third year with the promise of big books thus far and decent results at the foal sales. Territories is by Invincible Spirit from the female family of Street Cry and Shamardal, and as a 3-year-old he was second to Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 2000 Guineas, won the G1 Prix Jean Prat and was second to Esoterique (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois. The price of £12,000 has apparently been right; he covered 131 mares in year one and 127 in year two. His average was £30,473/€33,795, his top price was 70,000gns and his foals were bought by the likes of Tally-Ho Stud, JC Bloodstock, McKeever Bloodstock, Paca Paca Farm and Mags O'Toole. Also at Dalham Hall for £6,000 is Charming Thought (GB), a G1 Middle Park S.-winning son of Oasis Dream (GB) from the family of Group 1 winners Ballingarry (Ire), Starborough (GB) and St Nicholas Abbey (Ire).

Twilight Son won his first five starts, including the G1 Sprint Cup, before finishing second to Muhaarar (GB) in the G1 British Champions Sprint. He won the following year's G1 Diamond Jubilee S., and has the potential to be an important successor to his sire Kyllachy and grandsire Pivotal (GB) at Cheveley Park as a truly classy sprinter. He covered 140 and 115 mares in his first two seasons at £10,000, and dips to £8,000 this year. His top price was a €95,000 colt at Goffs, and he had 35 sold from 45 offered for an average of £29,668/€32,902.

Darley's Kildangan Stud has three in this group: Belardo (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), The Last Lion (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) and Buratino (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}). Buratino just edges out Belardo as being the most popular in their first two seasons: Buratino covered a combined 234 at €5,000, and Belardo 209 at €15,000. Buratino's toughness and precocity is apparent in the fact that he was making his sixth start when he beat Air Force Blue (War Front) by two lengths in the G2 Coventry S., and he finished out the season with placings behind that rival and Shalaa in the G1 Phoenix S. and G1 Middle Park S., respectively. His stakes-winning second dam is a half-sister to Danehill Dancer (Ire).

Belardo won the G1 Racing Post Trophy at two and, at the conclusion of a busy 3-year-old campaign, just the all-conquering Solow (GB) stood between him and a win in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. Belardo got redemption the following year in the G1 Lockinge S., and back at Ascot again found only Tepin too good in the G1 Queen Anne. He boasts some solid credentials on paper, too, being out of the G2 Lowther S. and G1 Cheveley Park S.-placed Danaskaya (Ire) (Danehill). He drops down to €10,000 this year, and his 17 sold averaged £27,810/€30,838.

The Last Lion was retired after a 10-start 2-year-old campaign with trainer Mark Johnston where he was never off the board. His four wins included the G1 Middle Park S. and the G3 Sirenia S., and he was second to Prince of Lir (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in the G2 Norfolk S. The Last Lion looks to follow in the footsteps of Dark Angel (Ire), the last Middle Park winner to retire at two, and he rides the momentum that Choisir is building as a sire of sires with the likes of Starspangledbanner (Aus) and Olympic Glory (Ire). He covered 60 mares in his debut season at €12,000 and 50 last year when dropped to €7,500. He stays at that fee. His 19 sold last year averaged £23,037/€25,544

The Last Lion's Norfolk S. conqueror Prince of Lir is listed as private at Ballyhane Stud after covering 118 mares for €5,000 in year one and 84 for €4,000 last year. His foals made up to €38,000.

Another pair earning accolades at the foal sales were Tally-Ho's Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Rathbarry Stud's Kodi Bear (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). Like The Last Lion, Mehmas-who represents the same cross as Dark Angel-retired after his 2-year-old season, when he won the G2 July S. and G2 Richmond S. before placing in the G1 National S. and the Middle Park. Mehmas started at €12,500 and is now down to €10,000, and he had 35 sold from 51 through the ring. His top price was an 85,000gns colt at Tattersalls bought by Peter and Ross Doyle and his average was £20,585/€22,825. Kodi Bear was a listed winner and runner-up in the Dewhurst at two before winning the G3 Sovereign S. and G2 Celebration Mile at three. He is down to €6,000 this year, and his 16 sold at the foal sales included colts for 40,000gns and €40,000 off his opening €10,000 fee. His average was £16,695/€18,515.

Tally-Ho is also home to the Group 1-winning miler Vadamos (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}). Typical of his German breeding, Vadamos broke his maiden over 1 1/4 miles at three and won a listed race over 1 1/2 miles two starts later, but he proved sharp enough to win the G2 Oettingen-Rennen at four and was soon kept to around that trip. He won the G2 Prix du Muguet, G3 Prix Messidor and G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp at five. Vadamos was well supported in year one at €10,000 with 167 mares, but just 65 visited last year and he has subsequently dipped to €7,500.

Imagine being able to get to a dual Derby-winning son of Sea The Stars (Ire) from an Aga Khan family for €10,000? That, friends, is Harzand (Ire), who takes a fee cut this year from €15,000 at the Aga Khan's Gilltown Stud. After covering 87 mares in year one, Harzand was visited by just 30 last year. Despite a rather cold reception from breeders, Harzand was actually relatively well received at the foal sales: of his six offered at Tattersalls, one was bought back, but of the five that sold three were well in excess of the stud fee. Same at Goffs: a filly was bought back for €78,000, and his other two offered sold for €35,000 and €60,000.

Tara Stud stands the dual juvenile Group 2 winner Estidhkaar (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a half-brother to Group 1 winner Toormore (Ire) (Arakan {Ire}) who was well supported at €5,000 in year one with 136 mares and who had a colt bought by Yeomanstown for 80,000gns at Tattersalls.

Pearl Secret (GB) (Compton Place {GB}) punched above his weight at the foal sales, his average of £15,682/€17,397 for 20 sold (21 offered) dwarfing his stud fee of £4,000. A median of £12,121/€13,445 again points to an even level of quality. A winner at two, the flashy chestnut was a group-performing sprinter from three to seven. He is from the family of Dutch Art (GB).

Bobby's Kitten (Kitten's Joy) has been well supported at Lanwades Stud in his first two seasons, covering 90 and 94 mares at £12,500, and he drops to £10,000 this year. A Grade III winner at two, he beat No Nay Never at three in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

The supporting cast to Shalaa in France includes Haras d'Etreham's Scissor Kick (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) and Haras de Bonneval's Dariyan (Fr) (Shamardal). A dual Group 3 winner over six furlongs in his native Australia at three, Scissor Kick should fit in well in Europe; his third dam is Juddmonte's Kerali (GB), best known as the dam of the great Hasili (Ire), who produced five Group 1 winners in addition to Group 2 winner Dansili (GB). Scissor Kick's eight first-crop foals sold off a €10,000 stud fee (subsequently dropped to €8,000 and €6,000) averaged £13,333/€14,798. G1 Prix Ganay winner Dariyan has held steady at €8,000. The son of G1 Hong Kong Vase winner Daryakana (Fr) (Selkirk)-and grandson of G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Prix Vermeille winner Daryaba (Ire) (Night Shift)–had seven sell for an average of £13,235/€14,692.

Value Sires Podium

Gold – Twilight Son (£8,000): a classy sprinter from a sireline that produces classy sprinters.

Silver – Fascinating Rock (€7,500): one of the best of his generation now at a bargain price.

Bronze – Pearl Secret (£4,000): a hard knocker on the racecourse that really punched above his weight at the foal sales.