DECLARATION Of War retired to stud in 2014 and his first crop are now three-year-olds. He stood for just a single season here before moving to Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky. His first fee was €40,000 and then he stood for a couple of seasons at $40,000, but this year he is available to breeders at just $25,000, about half his initial fee in Ireland.

His first crop now features the 2018 Group 1 French classic-winning colt Olmedo, the Group 3 winners Speed Franco and Actress (also placed in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes), and stakes winner Eirene. It is highly probable that the progeny of Declaration of War (War Front) will improve with age and the first signs of that happening are appearing now.

Unbeaten in a pair of starts in France at two, Declaration Of War moved to Aidan O’Brien and only reappeared nine months later, winning the Group 3 Diamond Stakes at Dundalk on the third of his second-season starts.

He really came into his own at four when he was the highest rated older colt in Ireland and England, winning both the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and Juddmonte International at York. He was runner-up in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes and third in both the Sussex Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic. He is out of a half-sister to Grade 1 Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags (Dixie Union).

Olmedo, like Teppal, was winning his first stakes race when he landed the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains. He is the second foal, runner and winner for his dam Super Pie, a winning daughter of Pivotal (Polar Falcon).

Olmedo was born two years after Super Mac (Makfi) who is a five-time winner in France and likely to add to that tally again. Olmedo was sold for €100,000 at the Arqana v2 Yearling Sale by his breeders, the Dream With Me Stable, and bought by Jean-Claude Rouget.

Super Pie is one of just two winners from four foals (the others were placed and unnamed) from her dam and her half-brother Art Contemporain (Smart Strike) was placed in the Group 2 Prix Noailles over 10 furlongs after being purchased as a yearling for €160,000. He was actually placed in the same race that his dam Super Lina’s half-brother Super Celebre (Peintre Celebre) won. That colt was also runner-up in both the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) and Prix Lupin.

Super Lina was runner-up in the Group 3 Prix Penelope and this daughter of Linamix (Mendez) is one of three stakes performers from the unraced Supergirl (Woodman). Her siblings include the champion grass horse and multiple Grade 1 winner Steinlen (Habitat), and Sophonisbe (Wollow), the dam of Dermot Weld’s Irish Derby winner Zagreb (Theatrical). It is also the female line that produced the outstanding Stacelita (Monsun), winner of the Group 1 French Oaks (Prix de Diane), Prix Saint-Alary, Prix Vermeille, Prix Jean Romanet, Beverly D Stakes and Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes.

Breeders, stallion masters and readers are invited to contact Leo Powell at leopowell@theirishfield.ie with news and updates for the column, and to visit our website www.theirishfield.ie for daily breeding news