COOLMORE Stud’s phenomenal stallion Galileo (by Sadler’s Wells) was crowned champion European sire in 2014, taking the title for the sixth time. He was a runaway winner by total earnings (€10.6m+), and by the numbers of stakes winners (35) and blacktype races won (50), but another Irish stallion beat him when it came to the number of individual winners notched up throughout the year.

His Group 1 winners were Australia, Found, Gleneagles, Marvellous, Noble Mission, Tapestry, and Together Forever, and these results do not include the international Grade/Group 1 double notched up by Adelaide, winner of the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington and the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.

The figures presented here, and the rankings, are based on data from only those countries that are listed in Part I of the International Cataloguing Standards, and so they reflect only Ireland, Britain, France, Germany, and Italy.

It was the Irish National Stud’s Invincible Spirit (by Green Desert) who led by both the number of winners (135) and by the total number of races won (213). His total earnings of more than €6.1 million put him well clear of the third placed Shamardal (by Giant’s Causeway) and his 14 stakes winners featured the multiple Group 1 stars Charm Spirit and Kingman.

Shamardal had the second highest total of races won (197), his 14 stakes winners won 25 blacktype contests and they included the Group 1 winners Baltic Baroness and Mukhadram.

Dubawi (by Dubai Millennium) narrowly pipped Dansili for fourth place, and although he had five Group/Grade 1 winners worldwide, only the 2000 Guineas scorer Night Of Thunder achieved that feat for him in Europe. Dubawi’s tally of 20 individual stakes winners was the second highest of the year.

Dansili (by Danehill) had 10 stakes winners of 13 blacktype races, and although they do not include the Group 1 wins of Foreteller and Flintshire in Australia and Hong Kong, they do include the Group 1 stars Miss France, The Fugue and We Are.

It was very close for sixth and seventh places, with less than €5,000 separating the pair and their final finishing position flipped if earnings from the entire European continent was counted.

Within the Category I countries, however, the narrow lead was in favour of Gilltown Stud’s second crop sire Sea The Stars (by Cape Cross; 6th), just ahead of Coolmore Stud’s second crop stallion Mastercraftaman (by Danehill Dancer; 7th).

Sea The Stars had 10 stakes winners of 16 races, progeny earnings in excess of €4.2 million, and the Group 1 scorers Sea The Moon, Taghrooda, and Vazira.

The Group 1 classic stars Kingston Hill and The Grey Gatsby headed Mastercraftsman’s four stakes winners.

The Arc heroine Treve contributed three-quarters of Motivator’s (by Montjeu; 8th) seasonal earnings and he finished just ahead of Oasis Dream (by Green Desert) and Teofilo (by Galileo).

Oasis Dream (9th) got the juvenile Group 1 scorer Charming Thought among 16 stakes winners, in addition to a Group 1 winner in Australia, and although Teofilo (10th) was without a Group 1 star in Europe this time around his 13 stakes winners featured the classic placed Group 2 scorer Tarfasha.

Six other stallions achieved progeny earnings in excess of €2.5 million.

High Chaparral (by Sadler’s Wells; 11th) got eight stakes winners, over €3 million in earnings, and the Group 1 stars High Jinx, Lucky Lion, and Toronado, and the Group 1 trio among eight stakes winners for Montjeu (by Sadler’s Wells; 12th) were Bracelet, Gallante, and Leading Light.

This was a breakthrough year for Cheveley Park Stud’s Dutch Art (by Medicean; 13th) with the sprint aces Slade Power and Garswood giving him his first two Group 1 winners.

There was no European Group 1 winner for Cape Cross (by Green Desert; 14th) this time but Guest Of Honour and Star Lahib were Group 2 scorers in England and France respectively. He also had a Group 2 scorer in Turkey and a Group 1 winner in Australia, neither of which are included here.

The other pair who passed the €2.5 million earnings mark in the Part I-listed countries were Dylan Thomas (by Danehill; 15th) and Pivotal (by Polar Falcon; 16th), and they got six and seven stakes winners respectively.

Dylan Thomas had the Italian Group 1 stars Dylan Mouth and Final Score to represent him, and although Pivotal’s year started off well with Dubai World Cup victory for African Story, which is not included here, Group 2 successes for Eagle Top and Maarek were his highest achievements in Europe.

Of those ranked 17th to 30th in the overall European rankings, five got a Group 1 winner: Le Havre (by Noverre; 18th), Danehill Dancer (by Danehill; 22nd), Verglas (by Highest Honor; 24th), Kodiac (by Danehill; 26th), and Dalakhani (by Darshaan; 28th) and Iffraaj (by Zafonic; 27th) had two of them (Benvenue and Rizeena).