THE National Stud in Newmarket is home to Rajasinghe (Choisir), and this Group 2 Coventry Stakes winner has a remarkable ability to sire winners. He has made an explosive start to 2024, with six individual winners of seven races in Britain, while Aisling Oscar won twice in Dundalk.

One of the weekend winners for Rajasinghe was Phil Cunningham’s Toxic, a 4,000gns foal purchase by bloodstock agent J.D. Moore. She won over nine furlongs on the all-weather at Wolverhampton on her debut, continuing the fine run of form for trainer Richard Spencer. Toxic is the first winner for Encantar (Equiano), a five-furlong winner at two on the all-weather and on turf.

Toxic and her placed own-brother Phenomenon (Rajasinghe) are two of the first three living offspring of Encantar, and that mare is one of four winners from Enrapture (Lear Fan), a Cheveley Park Stud owned and bred winner over seven furlongs at three. Enrapture was sold off for 2,500gns before her son Red Gulch (Kyllachy) won the Listed Prix Ranelagh at Longchamp.

Strike rate

At the time of writing this, Rajasinghe is responsible for 17 winners from 25 runners in Europe, and this is a winners to runners strike rate of 68%. His son Waiting All Night was runner-up in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes, but it cannot be long until he gets more stakes performers. With small books of mares covered for his initial years at stud, only eight recorded in 2022, it was refreshing to see that he covered more than 40 mares last season. This year should see more breeders wake up to the potential to breed a winner, and all for just a £3,000 covering fee.

Multiple Group 1 sire Starspangledbanner is a son of the top-class sprinter-miler Choisir (Danehill Dancer), as is the top-class miler and multiple Group 1 sire Olympic Glory, and so is Rajasinghe. He was a four-length debut winner over six furlongs at Newcastle a month before landing the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot for Rebel Racing and trainer Richard Spencer. He also finished third to Cardsharp in the Group 2 July Stakes.