WHEN Sea The Stars retired to Gilltown Stud in 2010 he did so as one of the most exciting new additions to the stallion ranks since Sadler’s Wells.
A Timeform 140-rated champion, grandson of Green Desert, son of an Arc-winning half-sister to classic sire King’s Best, and half-brother to the outstanding stallion Galileo, how could he fail?
The are no guarantees, of course, and little can make us look foolish quicker than horses can, but Sea The Stars has made the sort of exciting start for which we could have hoped.
His oldest progeny have just turned five, his 23 stakes winners include three Group 1 scorers, two others who have been placed in classics, and a Group 1-placed juvenile who could be one of the middle-distance stars of 2016.
Regally-related
That regally-related colt is the Andre Fabre-trained Cloth Of Stars, a mile debut winner at Deauville who followed up in the Group 3 Prix des Chenes, was third in the Group 3 Prix de Conde and then runner-up in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud. His pattern success was on good ground, and as he is out of an unraced full-sister to the Group 1 Oaks winner Light Shift, he could improve again when stepped up to 12 furlongs.
The stallion’s best first-crop son is Lanwades Stud sire Sea The Moon, the runaway Group 1 Deutsches Derby hero whose first foals are arriving now. The Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Vazira was also in his initial crop and so too was the outstanding Taghrooda, the Oaks and King George heroine who was third in the Arc. Like Sea The Moon she was rated 127 by Timeform.
Those of note in his second crop include the dual Derby-placed Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes winner Storm The Stars who was a close fourth in the St Leger before joining the Chris Waller stable in Australia.
With such a strong pedigree, race record, and start to his stallion career it is little wonder that Sea The Stars yearlings made up to 650,000gns in 2015 and that his string of six-figure foals included a 400,000gns colt and 380,000gns filly.
One of four Group/Grade 1 winners out of the Arc heroine Urban Sea (by Miswaki), and also a half-brother to three others who were classic-placed – one of whom is 2016 freshman sire and fellow Gilltown team member Born To Sea (by Invincible Spirit) -– Sea The Stars remains one of the most exciting young stallions in Europe.
Champion 3yr old in Europe in 2009. Won eight races, £4,417,164, from 7 furlongs to 1½ miles, at 2 and 3 years including, Eclipse Stakes, Sandown Park, Gr.1, Derby Stakes, Epsom, Gr.1, Juddmonte International, York, Gr.1, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Longchamp, Gr.1, Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.1, 2000 Guineas, Newmarket, Gr.1, Beresford Stakes, Curragh, Gr.2.
Retired to stud in 2010, and sire of the winners of 198 races, and £6,325,683 including SEA THE MOON (GER), TAGHROODA (GB), VAZIRA (FR), STORM THE STARS (USA), CASUAL SMILE (GB), CLOTH OF STARS (IRE), QUASILLO (GER), STAR STORM (IRE), AFTERNOON SUNLIGHT (IRE), ZARSHANA (IRE), MY TITANIA (IRE), ALL AT SEA (GB), ASTRONEREUS (IRE), ENDLESS TIME (IRE), FRENCH DRESSING (GB), NIGHT OF LIGHT (IRE), RADANPOUR (IRE), TALL SHIP (IRE), VARIABLE (GB), ANIPA (GB), BEHESHT (FR), HADAATHA (IRE), SIVOLIERE (IRE), Shamkiyr (FR), Migwar (IRE), Mutakayyef (GB), Sweeping Up (GB), Wonderstruck (IRE), etc.
Stands at: Gilltown Stud, Kilcullen, Co Kildare, Ireland
Contact: Pat Downes (Manager) or Julie White
Telephone: +353 (0)45 481216
Email: pat.downes@agakhanstuds.com
Website: www.agakhanstuds.com/SeaTheStars
Fee: €125,000