NOW that he has had runners for five seasons, the French Derby hero Lawman is firmly established as one of the top flight of classic sires in Ireland. He has already been represented by15 different blacktype winners, four of them at Group 1 level, and has at least another 16 sons or daughters who have been stakes placed.

He is one of six high-class stallions at Ballylinch Stud in 2016, including champions Lope De Vega and Dream Ahead.

Lawman’s consistent success has been reflected in the prices fetched by his yearlings in 2015. There were no less than 95 of them at the sales in Europe last year, but their average price of almost €72,000 was close to three times his stud fee.

At Newmarket they brought prices of 450,000gns and 440,000gns, while Glenvale Stud received €270,000 for a filly at Goffs. Altogether 18 of his yearlings sold for €100,000 or more.

There are great hopes that Marcel may provide Lawman with his first English classic winner this year following his triumph in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy last autumn, which he won impressively by a length and a half from Johannes Vermeer and Foundation. Lawman already has an Irish classic to his credit, with the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas won by Just The Judge, who also scored in the Grade 1 EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in Canada and was second in the Newmarket 1000 Guineas.

Other Group 1 successes for Lawman came with Most Improved in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and Law Enforcement in the Gran Criterium, Italy’s two-year-old championship.

group 1

Trained in France, Lawman was himself a dual Group 1 star, leading all the way in the Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) to win by a length and a half from Literato, then returning to Chantilly to add the Prix Jean Prat by three lengths.

Previously, Lawman had won his only start as a two-year-old and then had taken the Group 3 Prix de Guiche as his trial for the French Derby.

Like Golden Horn and Sea The Stars, Lawman is a grandson of Green Desert, as he is one of a dozen Group 1 stars sired by the champion sprinter Invincible Spirit, whose other sons include Kingman, Charm Spirit and Shalaa.

Lawman is a half-brother to five winners, including the champion filly Latice, who carried off the Group 1 Prix de Diane, the French Oaks, in 2004 and became the dam of the Street Cry colt Fencing, a listed winner at Ascot and Newbury and third in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy.

Their half-brother, Satri, won the Group 3 Prix du Palais Royal and ran second in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest.

Won four races, £777,133, from 1 mile to 1 mile 2½ furlongs, at 2 and 3 years including, Prix Jean Prat, Chantilly, Gr.1, Prix du Jockey Club, Chantilly, Gr.1, Prix de Guiche, Chantilly, Gr.3.

Retired to stud in 2008, and sire of the winners of 388 races, and £6,362,404 including MARCEL (IRE), JUST THE JUDGE (IRE), LAW ENFORCEMENT (IRE), MOST IMPROVED (IRE), AGNES STEWART (IRE), NARGYS (IRE), FORCES OF DARKNESS (IRE), LADY WINGSHOT (IRE), US LAW (IRE), LOI (IRE), LA BERMA (IRE), LAVINIAD (IRE), SECRET PURSUIT (IRE), LOVER MAN (IRE), MUSTAHEEL (IRE), Diaghan (FR), Fort Bastion (IRE), Double Dream (FR), Play The Game (IRE),, etc.

Stands at: Ballylinch Stud, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland

Contact: John O’Connor, David Myerscough, Mark Byrne

Telephone: +353 (0) 56 7724217 or 087 1335251 (Mark)

Email: info@ballylinchstud.ie

or mark@ballylinchstud.ie

Website: www.ballylinchstud.com

Fee: €25,000, October 1st