A leading classic fancy who won the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes and the Group 2 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial but missed the Derby due to a setback, he went on to become one of the best stayers of the modern era, taking the Group 1 Gold Cup at Ascot four times.
He also won the Group 1 Irish St Leger, the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak, and the Group 1 Coronation Cup, in addition to two editions of both the Group 2 Goodwood Cup and the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes.
Yeats has been hugely popular since retiring to stud, which is hardly a surprise, and he made an eye-catching start last season with his first two-year-olds.
He is on Coolmore’s National Hunt roster but has been attracting support from the flat sector too, as not only was he such an exceptional son of a great sire, but he is bred on the same cross as the team’s brilliant middle-distance horse and outstanding stallion Montjeu: by Sadler’s Wells and out of a Top Ville mare. Montjeu died in 2012.
Yeats is out of Lyndonville, who is the winning dam of the Group 2 winner Solskjaer (by Danehill) and of the talented Japanese horse Tsukuba Symphony (by Danehill), and the mare has the added attraction of being a half-sister to several horses of note.
Her half-sister Ivanka (by Dancing Brave) was a leading classic fancy following her victory in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile, but sadly she died that spring. Her half-brother Keen Cut (by Sharpo) won the Listed Marble Hill Stakes as a juvenile, her stakes winning half-sister Pretoria (by Habitat) is the grandam of the classic placed stakes winner Bahama Mama (by Invincible Spirit), and she is also a half-sister to Sahara Breeze (by Ela-Mana-Mou). That filly was only placed on the track, but she went on to a significant career at stud.
Her star son Alcazar (by Alzao) was a prolific stakes and pattern winning stayer, and her top daughter is the Group 1 winning miler Lady Of Chad (by Last Tycoon).
Yeats ran just once as a two-year-old, winning easily, and with his overall profile one would not have expected to see him get many juvenile winners, but he got several, and they include the stakes placed Italian colt Dress Drive (dam by Cadeaux Genereux).
That augurs well for his future, and so do the results that his offspring have been achieving in the sales ring.
In 2013 he had a €180,000 Fairyhouse September yearling from the family of Love Divine, a €145,000 Goffs Orby daughter of the Group 1 scorer Edabiya, and a €120,000 foal half-brother to the brilliant Hurricane Fly, that colt sold at Fairyhouse in November.
Yeats appears to have everything going for him. He promises to get stakes and pattern winners on the flat, potentially even winners at the highest level, and it will be a considerable surprise if he fails to get National Hunt Grade 1 winners in time.
YEATS (IRE)
Race Record: Winner of 15 races, over 8-20f, from, two-eight years inc Gold Cup, Gr.1 (four times), Prix Royal-Oak, Gr.1, Irish St Leger, Gr.1, Coronation Cup, Gr.1, Goodwood Cup, Gr.2 (twice), Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, Gr.2, Ballysax Stakes, Gr.3, Vintage Crop Stakes, Listed (twice), Saval Beg Stakes, Listed, 2nd Irish St Leger, Gr.1, Mooresbridge Stakes, Gr.3, third Prix du Cadran, Gr.1 (twice), etc
Stud Record: Retired to stud in 2010. First crop are three-year-olds. Sire of winners inc Dress Drive (second Premio Giuseppe de Montel, Listed), Montaly, Rajang, etc. Yearlings made €180,000, €145,000, €62,000, etc in 2013. Foals made €120,000, €65,000, €40,000, etc in 2013.
Stands at: Castle Hyde Stud, Fermoy, Co Cork. Contact: David Magnier, Joe Hernon, or Tom Gaffney on 025 31966 /31689 /33006.
Email: info@coolmore.ie
Website: www.coolmore.com
Fee: €6,000