GALILEO, 11 times champion sire in Ireland and Britain, achieved the highest average and median prices for his yearlings than any other stallion in 2020.

In all, 11 colts and 12 fillies by the Coolmore phenomenon sold for an average of 652,904gns (€808,948) and median of 305,000gns (€377,895).

These statistics are revealed in the new Bloodstock Sales Review Part 1, published by Weatherbys. Priced at £15, the book contains details of yearlings sold at public auction in Europe and those by European-based sires sold at the major auctions in North America and Japan.

Galileo was also represented by the most yearlings who sold for one million guineas or more in 2020, with four. They were headed by the filly out of Shastye, a full-sister to Group 1 winners Japan and Mogul, who was offered by Newsells Park Stud at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and bought by M.V. Magnier for 3,400,000gns.

Progeny of Dubawi, Darley’s source of 44 Group/Grade 1 winners, were also immensely popular at the yearling sales of 2020. He had 14 colts and 10 fillies sell for an average of 488,652gns (€605,440) and median of 287,207gns (€355,850).

Banstead Manor Stud-based Kingman, one of the rising stars of the European stallion scene, delivered the third-best average yearling price of any sire in 2020. He had 15 colts and 14 fillies sell for an average of 356,017gns (€441,105) and median of 177,563gns (€220,000).

It was Kingman’s Banstead Manor studmate Frankel who mustered the third-best median yearling price among his peers in 2020, though. The unbeaten dual world champion was the sire of 20 colts and 18 fillies who sold for a median of 185,317gns (€229,607) and average of 317,627gns (€393,540).

Rounding out the top five best-selling stallions in 2020 was Sea The Stars, whose son Stradivarius gained his third Gold Cup in June. Some 25 colts and 27 fillies by the Gilltown Stud-based world champion were sold at the yearling sales for an average of 201,888gns (€250,139) and median of 147,639gns (€182,925).

The Coolmore duo of Churchill and Caravaggio were among the most popular freshmen sires at the yearling sales. Churchill, a champion two-year-old and dual 2000 Guineas winner by Galileo, had 46 colts and 27 fillies sell for an average of 82,543gns (€102,271) and median of 62,000gns (€76,818), while crack sprinter Caravaggio, by Scat Daddy, had 37 colts and 31 fillies sell for an average of 75,137gns (€93,094) and median of 61,905gns (€76,700).

There was considerable clamour for the second-crop yearlings by New Bay, Goken and Mehmas in the wake of those sires’ debut two-year-olds shining on the track.

Ballylinch Stud’s New Bay had 18 colts and 17 fillies sell for an average of 64,133gns (€79,461) and median of 30,000gns (€37,170); Haras de Colleville-based Goken had only two colts and two fillies sell but they achieved an average of 48,478gns (€60,064) and median of 53,373gns (€66,129); and Mehmas, Tally-Ho Stud’s stallion who broke the record of individual first-crop two-year-old winners in October, had 38 colts and 33 fillies sell for an average of 46,109gns (€57,129) and median of 25,000gns (€30,975).

Bloodstock Sales Review Part 1 is published by Weatherbys and costs £15. It will be available from the Weatherbys offices in Goffs and Tattersalls (UK) during the upcoming sales, or it can be ordered by telephone or online.

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