THREE stallions have transformed the global bloodstock industry over recent decades, siring more than 900 individual stakes winners between them and a current tally of 226 of those being Group/Grade 1 stars. It’s not just their success as sires of racehorses that has made them so important but the dynasties that they have founded at stud.
Danehill (by Danzig) leads the way with 83 top-level winners among 348 stakes winners and he is followed by the phenomenal father and son combination of Sadler’s Wells (by Northern Dancer) and Galileo. The former came up with 294 stakes winners, 73 Group/Grade 1 scorers, and he has had a profound impact on both flat and National Hunt racing and breeding.
At the time of writing, Galileo, also a multiple champion sire across Europe, sits in third place in the all-time rankings with 70 Group/Grade 1 winners among 267 blacktype scorers, and it looks odds on that the 20-year-old will eventually move past his great sire.
The early Galileo stallions include classic sires Frankel, New Approach and Teofilo, a standout trio among the double-digit tally of his sons who already have at least one top-level winner to their name somewhere in the world. He is already the grandsire of stakes winners thanks to the excellent results from the first crop of Havana Gold (by Teofilo), and so we have the early signs that, like his sire, he may forge a dynasty.
His early stallion sons also include one of the most talented horses to retire directly to a National Hunt stud in recent seasons – The Beeches Stud’s Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris star Imperial Monarch. The decision was hardly a surprise as this former Ballydoyle inmate is out of Ionian Sea, a mare by the sire of Stowaway (by Slip Anchor) and out of Snow Day (by Reliance II), the mare who gave us Oscar (by Sadler’s Wells).
A long-time flag bearer at Coolmore’s Grange Stud, Oscar’s lengthy list of major winners includes Big Zeb, God’s Own, Lord Windermere, Our Duke, Oscar Whiskey, Peddlers Cross, and Rock On Ruby, to name a few, plus last week’s Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 scorer Kilbricken Storm.
A 210,000gns yearling, Imperial Monarch is a three-parts brother to Derby runner-up The Great Gatsby, a half-brother to Group 1-placed pattern winner Mount Athos (by Montjeu), and also closely related to Derby second Blue Stag (by Sadler’s Wells).
He is one of the best-bred National Hunt sires around and his first crop are only three-year-olds.
IMPERIAL MONARCH (IRE), Bay 2009. Won three races, £347,634, from 1 mile to 1½ miles, at 2 and 3 years including, Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris, Longchamp, Gr.1 and Bet365 Classic Trial, Sandown Park, Gr.3.
Retired to stud in 2014, first crop now three-year-olds.
Stands at: The Beeches Stud, Lismore, Co Waterford, Ireland.
Contact: Bobby McCarthy, Robert McCarthy, or Peter Kenneally
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