Their numbers include the classic-winning miler Aussie Rules who has just begun his third season at Lanwades Stud.

A Group 3 scorer as a juvenile, and winner of both the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) and the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes as a three-year-old, the grey began his stud career at Coolmore, but made the switch in 2012.

His first Lanwades-conceived crop are now yearlings, and his presence on the team has a sense of a return home about it, even though he was not bred there.

Aussie Rules, who was bred by Belgrave Bloodstock Ltd, is out of Last Second (by Alzao), whose part-breeder Kirsten Rausing sold at Goffs as a yearling.

The filly went on to win the Group 2 Nassau Stakes and the Group 2 Sun Chariot Stakes, she was runner-up in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes, and her other offspring include Approach (by Darshaan), who is the Grade 2-placed stakes-winning dam of the Group 2 winner and dual classic-placed colt Midas Touch (by Galileo).

Last Second is also the dam of Intrigued (by Darshaan), who is the stakes-placed dam of the classic-placed stakes winner Michelangelo (by Galileo).

She is out of the hugely influential producer Alruccaba (by Crystal Palace), and so she is a half-sister to Alleluia (by Caerleon), Arrikala (by Darshaan), Alouette (by Darshaan), and Jude (by Darshaan).

Alleluia won the Group 3 Doncaster Cup and she is the dam of the Group 1-winning filly Allegretto (by Galileo). Arrikala won the Listed Curragh Cup and was placed in the Group 1 Irish Oaks, and Alouette was a Group 1-placed stakes winner.

Alouette is, of course, the dam of Rausing’s multiple Group 1 stars Albanova (by Alzao) and Alborada (by Alzao), who are very closely related to Last Second, while Jude is the dam of the Group 1 winners Yesterday (by Sadler’s Wells) and Quarter Moon (by Sadler’s Wells).

The ill-fated dual Group 2 scorer Thomas Chippendale (by Dansili), the pattern scorer Alla Speranza (by Sir Percy), and the classic-placed pair Dragon Dancer (by Sadler’s Wells) and All My Loving (by Sadler’s Wells) also feature in the family.

There is little wonder, therefore, that Aussie Rules has sired a string of stakes and pattern winners, with the popular filly Fiesolana (dam by Kris S), who was sold for 960,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale last year, heading his roll of honour.

That prolific pattern race winner is joined by the classic-placed dual Group 3 scorer Djumama (dam by Barathea), the pattern winners Duck Feet (dam by Zafonic) and Hard Ball Get (dam by Spectrum), and a long list of stakes winners and other blacktype earners that includes the classic-placed Italian trio Cazals (dam by Mujadil), Grand Treasure (dam by Grand Lodge), and Wish Come True (dam by Daylami), as well as the popular Dinkum Diamond (dam by Lomitas).

Most of the Aussie Rules blacktype earners are sprinters or milers, with some that stay a bit further.

His yearlings made up to 60,000gns at auction in 2013, he has already got a couple of winners in England in 2014, and it should not be long before he adds to his current tally of stakes winners.