THOSE visiting studs on this year’s ITM Stallion Trail will have an opportunity to see 20 stallions who will be standing their first northern hemisphere season in Ireland this year. One of the two dozen, Pride Of Dubai, has just completed his first season in Australia.
Four other sires, Champs Elysees (Castle Hyde Stud), Mount Nelson (Boardsmill Stud), Workforce (Knockhouse Stud) and Zambezi Sun (Coolagown Stud) are all relocated to Ireland for the 2017 season. Here we take a look at the new sires available to Irish breeders.
AFFINSEA (IRE)
2011 brown by Sea The Stars – Affianced, by Erins Isle
Whytemount Stud, Kells, Co Kilkenny
Affinsea is the first son of Sea The Stars to go to a National Hunt Stud. He was the top-priced foal sold in Europe in 2011 when he realised €850,000 at Goffs. He was sold by his breeder Jim Bolger to Sunderland Holdings. In training with John Oxx he started just twice, winning on his debut by five lengths and beaten a short head on his only other start. Affinsea is a half-brother to two sires, Soldier Of Fortune and Heliostatic. Soldier Of Fortune won the Irish Derby and was placed in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He is sire of two Group 1 winners.
AJAYA (GB)
2013 bay by Invincible Spirit – Nessina, by Hennessy
Rathbarry Stud, Fermoy, Co Cork
Ajaya beat Ribchester to win the Group 2 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes at York, following a five and a half-length demolition of his opponents to win his maiden. He later ran second to Gutaifan in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin and was fourth in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes behind Shalaa. A son of the leading sire Invincible Spirit – sire of Kingman, Lawman, Mayson, Vale Of York and Australian stallion I Am Invincible – Ajaya is from the family of Redoute’s Choice and last year’s successful first-season stallion Bated Breath.
AWTAAD (IRE)
2013 brown by Cape Cross – Asheerah, by Shamardal
Derrinstown Stud, Maynooth, Co Kildare
Great scenes followed Awtaad’s victory last year in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas when he beat Galileo Gold, winner of the English equivalent, with some authority. This followed a win in the Tetrarch Stakes and on Champions’ weekend he captured the Group 2 Boomerang Stakes at Leopardstown. He also performed with credit in the St James’s Palace Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. He is one of the best sons of Cape Cross, responsible for the outstanding racehorses Sea The Stars (also a Group 1 sire) and Golden Horn.
BELARDO (IRE)
2012 bay by Lope De Vega – Danaskaya, by Danehill
Kildangan Stud, Monasterevin, Co Kildare
The best son of Lope De Vega, Belardo joins the Darley roster in 2017 and is a dual Group 1 winner and a European champion. As a juvenile he won the Dewhurst Stakes from Kodi Bear, and while he failed to win at three he was in the frame in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the Irish 2000 Guineas. At four he showed that he lost none of his ability and won the Lockinge Stakes and ran second to Tepin in the Queen Anne Stakes. The best winner for his dam who was herself the best filly of her generation at two, Belardo won over £900,000.
BURATINO (IRE)
2013 chesnut by Exceed And Excel – Bergamask, by Kingmambo
Kildangan Stud, Monasterevin, Co Kildare
From the sire line and the immediate family of Danehill Dancer, Buratino showed his best form at two when he won four times, notably landing the Group 2 Coventry Stakes over six furlongs from Air Force Blue. He was runner-up to Shalaa in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes and third in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes. His grandam is a listed winning Sadler’s Wells half-sister to Danehill Dancer and this is also the female line of the top-class racehorses and successful sires Mr Greeley and Street Sense. The best European son of his champion sprinter sire.
COULSTY (IRE)
2011 bay by Kodiac – Hazium, by In The Wings
Rathasker Stud, Naas, Co Kildare
Winner of five races over four seasons, from five to seven furlongs, Coulsty travelled to France to land the Group 3 Prix de Meautry at Deauville, while at home in Britain he won a pair of listed races over seven furlongs. He was runner-up in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes to Adaay and he won or was second in 12 races. By the sire of Tiggy Wiggy, Ardad, Prince Of Lir, Adaay, Besharah and Kodi Bear, his dam is a three-time winning daughter of a half-sister to the very smart sprinter Lugana Beach, while King’s Stand Stakes winner The Tatling is also related.
ESTIDHKAAR (IRE)
2012 bay by Dark Angel – Danetime Out, by Danetime
Tara Stud, Tara, Co Meath
This son of the highly successful Dark Angel was trained by Richard Hannon and won four races from two to four. His three stakes victories included the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster with top weight and beating Belardo, and the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket by almost five lengths. He also won the Listed Ben Marshall Stakes at Newmarket on his final start last year. He was a neck second to champion sprinter Muhaarar in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes. A £200,000 yearling, his dam also bred the European champion juvenile colt Toormore.
FASCINATING ROCK (IRE)
2011 bay by Fastnet Rock – Miss Polaris, by Polar Falcon
Ballylinch Stud, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny
This dual Group 1 winner over 10 furlongs beat Found on both occasions, capturing the Champion Stakes at Ascot at four and the Tattersalls Gold Cup the following year. Jack Hobbs and Vadamos were among the vanquished at Ascot when Dermot Weld’s charge won in a time faster than that recorded by Frankel. In all he won six group races. A grandson of Danehill, he is the highest rated son of the champion Fastnet Rock who has established himself as one of the leading sires in the world, with more than 25 Group 1 winners already to his credit.
HARZAND (IRE)
2013 brown by Sea The Stars – Hazariya, by Xaar
Gilltown Stud, Kilcullen, Co Kildare
Continuing a remarkable record for the Aga Khan, Harzand became his fifth dual Derby winner when adding the Irish Derby to his victory in the Epsom showpiece and he has emerged as one of the outstanding performers for his sire who stands alongside him at Gilltown. One of three stakes winners for his group-winning dam, he is from the immediate family of champions or Group 1 winners Hittite Glory, Decision Time and Streama. He joins Sea The Moon as a Group 1 winning son for his sire who won six Group 1s in a row.
KODI BEAR (IRE)
2012 brown by Kodiac – Hawattef, by Mujtahid
Rathbarry Stud, Fermoy, Co Cork
Kodi Bear earned all his four racecourse successes in stakes races. At two he won a listed race over seven furlongs at Ascot before running second to Belardo in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes. He stretched to a mile at three to win the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood and the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes. He is a son of the hugely successful Kodiac, sire of Tiggy Wiggy, Adaay, Prince Of Lir and Coulsty among others, while on the dam side this is the family of the triple Group 1 winner Esoterique and Group 2 winning juvenile Cool Creek.
MARKAZ (IRE)
2012 grey by Dark Angel – Folga, by Atraf
Derrinstown Stud, Maynooth, Co Kildare
Dark Angel has been a great success story as a stallion and another of his sons off to stud in 2017 is Markaz. Now a Group 2 winner in Germany and a Group 3 winner in England, he was most consistent throughout his career and ran with distinction against the best sprinters of his generation. His dam won six times at sprint distances, while his grandam won the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg at two. Markaz is a full-brother to the dual Group 1 winner and sensational sprinter Mecca’s Angel. Dark Angel is also the sire of dual Group 1 winning sprinter Lethal Force.
MEHMAS (IRE)
2014 bay by Acclamation – Lucina, by Machiavellian
Tally-Ho Stud, Mullingar Co Westmeath
Dark Angel is a son of Acclamation and a Machiavellian mare, so we know the cross works well. Now Tally-Ho welcomes Mehmas, one of the best juveniles of 2016 and winner and placed in all of his eight starts. His most important victories came in the Group 2 Arqana July Stakes and Qatar Richmond Stakes, both over six furlongs, while his placed efforts included finishing second to Churchill in the Group 1 National Stakes and to Caravaggio in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes. His sire is also responsible for Equiano, Harbour Watch and Lilbourne Lad.
NEW BAY (GB)
2012 bay by Dubawi – Cinnamon Bay, by Zamindar
Ballylinch Stud, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny
A son of Dubawi and from the family of Oasis Dream and Kingman, New Bay was destined for great things and he crowned his career when he ran out an impressive winner of the Prix du Jockey Club, the French Derby. He narrowly failed to land another when finishing second in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas), while other notable performances included his third to Golden Horn in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. His close relation Oasis Dream is a leading Group 1 sire, while much is expected of another relation, the brilliant Kingman.
OL’ MAN RIVER (IRE)
2012 bay by Montjeu – Finsceal Beo, by Mr Greeley
Arctic Tack Stud, Foulksmills, Co Wexford
Ol’ Man River first came to our notice when he sold to MV Magnier for €2,850,000 at Goffs as a yearling. He made the perfect start to his racing career, winning his first two starts, the second being an authoritative win in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes, also won by Azamour, Sea The Stars and St Nicholas Abbey. On pedigree he is hard to fault, being a son of Montjeu (sire of Hurricane Run, Authorized, Motivator and Camelot) and out of the dual champion and multiple Group 1 winner Finsceal Beo, a half-sister to the classic winner Frozen Power.
PRIDE OF DUBAI (AUS)
2012 bay by Street Cry – Al Anood, by Danehill
Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Co Tipperary
Few horses can ever claim to retire to stud as the winner of two races, both of them Group 1s. This is the story with Pride Of Dubai who has his first season at stud in the Northern hemisphere after completing his first down under. The best of three stakes winners for his dam who is a stakes-placed half-sister to Rafha, the Group 1 winning dam of Invincible Spirit and Kodiac, Pride Of Dubai is a son of the Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry, sire of outstanding world performers such as Street Sense, Zenyatta, Shocking and Winx.
PRINCE OF LIR (IRE)
2014 bay by Kodiac – Esuvia, by Whipper
Ballyhane Stud, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow
Prince Of Lir made quite an impact on his first two starts as a juvenile last year, his only season to race, beating The Last Lion (subsequent Group 1 winner) on both occasions and landing the five-furlong Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in the process. A joint sale-topper at last year’s Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale, he is out of a three-time winning half-sister to the good sprinter Resplendent Glory. He is one of the best sons of Kodiac, himself a three-parts brother to the leading sire Invincible Spirit. From a top sprinting pedigree.
STRATH BURN (GB)
2012 bay by Equiano – Irish Light, by Irish River
Bridge House Stud, Mullingar, Co Westmeath
The first son of dual King’s Stand Stakes winner Equiano (also sire of Group 1 winning sprinter The Tin Man and last year’s Group 2 winning juvenile Medicine Jack) to go to stud, Strath Burn showed his class as a two-year-old when runner-up in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin. The following year he captured the six-furlong Group 3 Hackwood Stakes and was runner-up to Twilight Son in the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup. One of seven winners from his winning dam, he comes from the family of the dual Group 1 Locking Stakes winner Soviet Line.
THE GURKHA (IRE)
2013 bay by Galileo – Chintz, by Danehill Dancer
Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Co Tipperary
The Gurkha overcame a major challenge at two when surviving colic surgery and he raced just for one season. On his third start he was thrown in at the deep end when sent to contest the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) and he was well clear of the rest when passing the winning post in front. He added a second Group 1 when defeating Galileo Gold and Ribchester in the Sussex Stakes and was runner-up in the Eclipse Stakes. Three wins and three places in six starts earned him £1 million. He is a son of the multiple champion Galileo.
THE LAST LION (IRE)
2014 bay by Choisir – Mala Mala, by Brief Truce
Kildangan Stud, Monasterevin, Co Kildare
One of the best juveniles of last year, The Last Lion won the Brocklesby Stakes at the start of the turf season and ended his career with a Group 1 success in the Middle Park Stakes on his 10th start. Never out of the first three, he also won the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes, was runner-up to Prince Of Lir in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, to Ardad in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes and third in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes. Along with Olympic Glory and Starspangledbanner, he is one of the best winners by his sire and comes from the family of Myboycharlie and Tarascon.
VADAMOS (FR)
2011 bay by Monsun – Celebre Vadala, by Peintre Celebre
Tally-Ho Stud, Mullingar Co Westmeath
Vadamos raced for four seasons, was ultra-consistent and improved with age. A listed winner over a mile and a half at three, he dropped back to a mile at four and won a Group 2 in Germany.
The best was to come and last year he showed great speed to beat a high-class field in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin run at Deauville.
He also beat Ervedya in the Group 2 Prix du Muguet and was runner-up to Ribchester in the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois. From an excellent Aga Khan family, he is one of more than 20 Group 1 winners by his sire.