CHURCHILL made an eye-catching start to his stallion career, featuring among the leading freshmen sires of 2021 and supplying a double-digit tally of winners that included six blacktype earners; three won listed races.

Ladies Church (dam by Rio De La Plata) landed the Marwell Stakes at Naas and finished third in the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes at the Curragh, whereas Snaffles (dam by Singspiel) won the Star Appeal Stakes at Dundalk.

Vadeni (Monsun) did not contribute to his sire’s sixth-place finish in the local freshman sires’ championship title race but was Churchill’s top earner of the year and looks a classic contender.

The Aga Khan homebred, a grandson of 10-furlong Group 1 winner Vadawina, followed his debut win with a listed success over a mile at Deauville before finishing third to subsequent Group 1 winner El Bodegon in the Group 3 Prix de Conde over nine furlongs at Chantilly.

The Acropolis (dam by Pivotal) took third in the Group 2 Futurity Stakes, Unconquerable (dam by Oasis Dream) was placed in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes, Group 3 Zetland Stakes and Group 3 Tyros Stakes, and La Estrellita (dam by Tiger Hill) got her blacktype in Germany.

Churchill is a son of the phenomenal Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), whose stallion sons feature the standouts Teofilo, Frankel and New Approach. Teofilo is his first to hit the 100 stakes-winner mark, while newly crowned champion sire Frankel could achieve that feat in 2022.

There is a double-digit number of Galileo stallions with at least one top-level winner, even among those with modest overall blacktype figures, so it odds-on that Churchill will add his name before long.

Churchill is a full-brother to champion two-year-old filly Clemmie, out of the juvenile Group 2-placed stakes winner Meow (Storm Cat), and so is a grandson of Airwave (Air Express).

She was by a leading miler but excelled as a sprinter, winning the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and Group 2 Temple Stakes, and was placed in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes, Group 1 July Cup and Group 1 Sprint Cup.

Airwave’s ill-fated half-sister Jwala (Oasis Dream) won the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes, whereas another half-sister, Vasilia (Dansili), is the dam of the dual Group 1 sprint star Dream Of Dreams (Dream Ahead).

Churchill was champion at two and three years of age, a Group 1 National Stakes and Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes victor who went on to take both the Group 1 2000 Guineas and Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas before chasing home Ulysses in the Group 1 Juddmonte International.

His string of six-figure yearlings made up to 440,000gns in 2021, his top foal made €125,000 in Goffs, and there was a £210,000 breeze-up filly in May.

CHURCHILL (IRE), Bay 2014. Champion 2yr old colt in Europe in 2016. Champion 3yr old miler in Europe & Champion 3yr old in Ireland in 2017. Won seven races, £1,392,477, from 7 furlongs to 1 mile, at 2 and 3 years viz., Dubai Dewhurst Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, Curragh, Gr.1, Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, Curragh, Gr.1, Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes, Curragh, Gr.2, Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.3, Chesham Stakes, Ascot, L, also placed second in Juddmonte International Stakes, York, Gr.1, and third in Qipco Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1.

Retired to Stud in 2018, and sire of the winners of 38 races, and £607,694, including LADIES CHURCH (GB), SNAFFLES (IRE), VADENI (FR), Unconquerable (IRE), The Acropolis (IRE) and La Estrellita (IRE)

Stands at: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, E91 XK26, Ireland.

Contact: Christy Grassick, David O’Loughlin, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Maurice Moloney, Gerry Aherne, Jason Walsh, Tom Miller, Mark Byrne, Neil Magee, Kevin Buckley, or Hermine Bastide

Telephone: +353 (0)52 6131298

Email: sales@coolmore.ie

Web: www.coolmore.com

Fee: €25,000