NUREYEV (by Northern Dancer) was an outstanding stallion and his tally of 135 stakes winners ranks him highly among the elite group who have notched up the century.
His lengthy Group 1 roll of honour features superstars such as Peintre Celebre, Sonic Lady, Soviet Star, Spinning World, Theatrical, Zilzal and Miesque.
Many of his daughters made excellent broodmares, and although his stallion sons have not always been the most consistent sources of major winners there is no doubt that they can get champions and classic horses.
Those sons with Group 1 scorers to their name include the aforementioned array of stars, minus Sonic Lady and the hugely influential Miesque of course, and they also include Ballyhane Stud’s Arakan, the dual pattern-winning miler whom Timeform rated 123.
His first crop featured the prolific Dick Turpin, winner of the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat, Premio Vittorio di Capua, three Group 2s and a Group 3, and who was among the successful freshman sires of 2015.
One of the leading juveniles of his year, Dick Turpin was beaten by half a length by Lope De Vega in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas), by one and a quarter lengths when chasing home Makfi in the Group 1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, and by a length when placed in both the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes and Prix de la Foret.
There are stallions who get just one major winner, but when Toormore went through his first season as the unbeaten Group 1 National Stakes winner and juvenile champion, Arakan proved again what great value he is.
Last year that multiple Group 1-placed colt added wins in the Group 2 Lennox Stakes and International Topkapi Trophy, and like Dick Turpin, he has earned over €1 million in prize money.
Of course they are not their sire’s only notable progeny among his growing list of prolific winners.
Trumpet Major won the Group 2 Champagne Stakes as a two-year-old, added the Group 3 Craven Stakes and Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes at three, and then the Group 2 bet365 Mile at four.
Then there’s Sruthan who was beaten by a nose in the Group 3 Amethyst Stakes at Leopardstown last year having won the Group 3 Gladness Stakes, Concorde Stakes and Listed Tetrarch Stakes in his previous two seasons.
A high-class racehorse out of a half-sister to the pattern winning full-brothers Donkey Engine (by Fairy King) and Petit Poucet, Arakan has proved his ability to sire major winners and it is just a matter of time before we see his next ones.
Won six races, £243,279, from 6 furlongs to 1 mile, 3 to 5 years including, Criterion Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.3, Supreme Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.3, Abernant Stakes, Newmarket, L, City of York Stakes, York, L, also placed second in Lennox Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.2, Minstrel Stakes, Curragh, Gr.3, Jersey Stakes, Ascot, Gr.3, Greenlands Stakes, Curragh, Gr.3, and third in Duke of York Stakes, York, Gr.2, Challenge Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.2 (twice).
Retired to stud in 2006, and sire of the winners of 193 races, and £3,306,728 including TOORMORE (IRE), DICK TURPIN (IRE), TRUMPET MAJOR (IRE), SRUTHAN (IRE), VOSNE ROMANEE (GB), AMPLE (GB), COMISO SOUL (IRE), DERULO (IRE), FANTASY JUSTIFIER (IRE), FUNNY HOW (IRE), MEADOWS KISSES (IRE), SEAWIND (TUR), TEODORINA (IRE), UNCLE DERMOT (IRE), etc
Stands at: Ballyhane Stud, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow, Ireland
Contact: Joe Foley or Jane Foley
Telephone: +353 (0)59 9722068 or +353 (0)86 2524135 (Joe) or +353 (0)86 8066000 (Jane)
Email: info@ballyhane.com
Website: www.ballyhane.com
Fee: €3,500