JACK Hobbs (Halling) has averaged more than 90 foals in each of his first six crops, including his present two-year-olds. That number has fallen to just over 50 yearlings, and he will have fewer foals this spring.

However, it is clear that his runners get better with time, as he did when racing, and he had a breakthrough at the weekend with his first blacktype winner, coming from his first crop.