SEA The Stars has made a brilliant start to his stud career, with over 45 stakes winners from his first five crops, eight of which have been successful in Group 1 events.
His son Harzand, now standing with him at Gilltown Stud, scored in both the Epsom Derby and the Irish Derby, while the filly Taghrooda also brought off a Group 1 double in the Oaks and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, besides finishing third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Another son, Sea The Moon, ran away with the German Derby by 11 lengths, while Cloth of Stars scored in the Group 1 Prix Ganay and was the champion stayer in Europe in 2017.
Not surprisingly, yearlings by Sea The Stars are in very strong demand and no less than 19 of them sold for over €300,000 last year, with a top price of exactly 1,000,000gns at Newmarket for a colt from Deerpark Stud.
His foals brought prices up to €460,000 at Goffs in November.
Only once beaten in nine starts, on his debut, Sea The Stars won twice as a two-year-old, including the Group 2 Beresford Stakes.
At three he set a high standard by winning a Group 1 race every month for six months, starting in May with the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, then comfortably defeating subsequent Irish Derby winner Fame And Glory in the Epsom Derby.
Further wins in the Eclipse Stakes, Juddmonte International and Irish Champion Stakes preceded a final coronation in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, coming home two lengths clear of a star-studded field. In the World Rankings, he was given a rating of 136, the highest for 12 years, confirming his status as the best horse in the world.
Cape Cross, the sire of Sea The Stars, was a champion miler and he was the leading sire in Europe in 2009.
He has sired two other great champions in Golden Horn, Horse of the Year in 2015 after winning the Epsom Derby and the Arc, and the filly Ouija Board, successful in both the Epsom and Irish Oaks and two Breeders’ Cups, and the dam of Australia.
Urban Sea, the dam of Sea The Stars, was the champion racemare in Europe in 1993 when she won the Arc, and she is one of the few mares to produce two Derby heroes, as her son Galileo completed the Epsom and Irish Derby double in 2001 and he has been the champion sire nine times.
SEA THE STARS (IRE), Bay 2006. 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, Coral Eclipse Stakes, Sandown Park, Gr.1, Investec Derby Stakes, Epsom Downs, Gr.1, Juddmonte International Stakes, York, Gr.1, Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Longchamp, Gr.1, Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.1, stanjames.com 2000 Guineas, Newmarket, Gr.1 and Juddmonte Beresford Stakes, Curragh, Gr.2.
Retired to stud in 2010, and sire of the winners of 453 races, and £16,747,722 including CLOTH OF STARS (IRE), MEKHTAAL (GB), STRADIVARIUS (IRE), HARZAND (IRE), ZELZAL (FR), SEA THE MOON (GER), TAGHROODA (GB), VAZIRA (FR), ARMANDE (IRE), MUTAKAYYEF (GB), ACROSS THE STARS (IRE), ENDLESS TIME (IRE), STORM THE STARS (USA), CHEMICAL CHARGE (IRE), CRYSTAL OCEAN (GB), RAHEEN HOUSE (IRE), ASTRONEREUS (IRE), OCEANOGRAPHER (GB), STELLAR MASS (IRE), CASUAL SMILE (GB), QUASILLO (GER), STAR STORM (IRE), AFTERNOON SUNLIGHT (IRE), ZARSHANA (IRE), MY TITANIA (IRE), BEAULY (GB), HEBAH (IRE), LISTEN IN (IRE), NIGHT MUSIC (GER), SEPTEMBER STARS (IRE), SIRRIN (IRE), ALMELA (IRE), CRIMEAN TATAR (TUR), LILY PASSION (GB), ALL AT SEA (GB), FRENCH DRESSING (GB), NIGHT OF LIGHT (IRE), RADANPOUR (IRE), TALL SHIP (IRE), TASHAAR (IRE), VARIABLE (GB), ANIPA (GB), BEHESHT (FR), HADAATHA (IRE) and SIVOLIERE (IRE)
Stands at: Gilltown Stud, Kilcullen, Co Kildare, Ireland.
Contact: Pat Downes or Julie White
Telephone: (353) 45 481216
Email: pat.downes@agakhanstuds.com
Web: www.agakhanstuds.com.
Fee: €135,000