THERE are several factors that we look at when assessing the potential of a stallion and Proconsul is a horse who passes two of those tests with first-class honours. The chesnut is a son of the dual Derby hero and phenomenal stallion Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), a record-breaking stallion who already has a double-digit tally of sons who have sired at least one Group/Grade 1 winner of their own.
That roll of honour includes the proven classic sires Frankel, Nathaniel, New Approach and Teofilo. Rip Van Winkle, who had a successful Group 1 two-year-old here, is currently represented ‘down under’ by Te Akau Shark, a Group 1 star over seven furlongs and a miler, whereas Intello (sire of Intellogent) and Ruler Of The World (sire of four-time Group 1 star Iridessa) are among those who have hit the target in Europe.
Proconsul spent his first two seasons at Mickley Stud in England, so those initial crops will likely start out on the flat, but his main market now looks set to be the National Hunt one. Galileo has, of course, sired some talented jumpers – as pretty much every good flat sire does – whereas his sons now primarily occupied with covering National Hunt mares include some big-name horses.
Mahler is a leading sire of stayers, Soldier Of Fortune has got top-level winners under both codes, the early runners by blacktype sires Imperial Monarch and Sans Frontieres have shown promise, and the array of stars at earlier stages of their career includes Capri (new for 2020), Flag Of Honour (new for 2020), Idaho (new for 2020), Order Of St George (foals of 2020), and Telescope (three-year-olds in 2020).
The second test Proconsul aces is that of the presence of successful stallions in the distaff side of his pedigree. He is out of the stakes-winning sprinter Kind (Danehill), and in addition to being a half-sister to the dual top-level winner and blacktype sire Powerscourt (Sadler’s Wells), she is, of course, the dam of the great Frankel (Galileo).
Proconsul is a full-brother to the Timeform 147-rated superstar whose 10 Group 1 winners among 51 blacktype scorers include two of last year’s classic stars, Anapurna and Logician, plus the Japanese classic heroine Soul Stirring, the now dual Group 1-winning Japanese horse Mozu Ascot, and the runaway dual Group 1 Champion Stakes standout Cracksman (first foals in 2020).
Also, their multiple Group 1-winning full-brother Noble Mission, who stands at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky, is the sire of the classic-placed dual US Grade 1 ace Code Of Honor from his first crop, while half-brother Bullet Train (Sadler’s Wells) was a blacktype sire in North America before moving to Woodfield Farm Sud in Ireland in 2018.
Proconsul’s early crops will be smaller than those of most of his cohorts, but that gives them an added rarity value, and if he lives up to his illustrious pedigree then there is every reason to hope, even expect, that his crop sizes will grow considerably in the coming years.
PROCONSUL (GB), Chesnut 2013. Ran twice in France.
Retired to Stud in 2017, first crop now 2 year olds.
Stands at: Annshoon Stud, Ballinclea, Mullinavat, Co Kilkenny, Ireland.
Contact: Michael Shefflin or Debbie Mountain
Telephone: +353 (0)87 9786428 (Michael) or +974 6612 1795 (Debbie)
Email: annshoon@gmail.com
Web: www.annshoonstud.com
Fee: €1,000