Such is the obsession with all that is new and shiny in the bloodstock industry around the world, every season there are generally a dozen or more new stallions that attract significant numbers of mares in both hemispheres.
History tells us that the vast majority of these new sires are destined to be failures, but most years see one or two of those new stallions make the grade to one extent or another and enjoy commercial success in the years that follow.
Inevitably, there will be good and bad years for new stallions.
A review of the European scene based on the evidence of the first two-and-a-half seasons that we have seen of the
2011 First Season Sires (the group of stallions that covered their first mares in 2011) this group of sires appear to be an
elite group.
It would be fair to describe this as being a surprise, when you examines their credentials as a group, they seemed just a typical bunch of new stallions on paper - without any standout prospect amongst them at the time they retired (i.e. there were no
Sea The Stars or Frankel, etc).
Indeed, only four (4) of more than 20 new stallions in 2011 stood their first season for five-figure nomination fees.
They were
Makfi (£25,000), Rip Van Winkle (€20,000), Starspangledbanner (€15,000) and Lope De Vega (€15,000).
However,
these four have outperformed the expectations of them and their feats are worthy of closer review.
If success is measured by the level to which a stallion’s fee has subsequently risen, then the star of the class of 2011 has been LOPE DE VEGA (stands at Ballylinch).
The son of Shamardal made an immediate impact with his 2-year-olds in 2014, with him being represented by nine horses that achieved
Europe’s Racing Post Ratings Score of 90 or more - three of which rose above 105, including the Gr1 Dewhurst S. winner Belardo.
Such was the impression he created, his fee increased from €12,500 to €40,000 for 2015. However, as good a start as that was, his progeny achieved positively spectacular results in 2015, with 35 more of them achieving RPR90+ and eight of them hitting RPR105+, including the Group 1-placed pairing of Consort and Endless Drama.
Lope De Vega continues to impress with his older horses in 2016 and with him having covered 112 mares in 2013 and 99 mares in 2014, he can be expected to keep progressing for the next couple of years.
However, what many will really be looking forward towards will be his offspring from the higher quality and quantity crops of mares he covered in 2015 and particularly in 2016.
He covered 187 mares in 2015 and you can accept he was very busy again this year, so it is fair to assume that the best is very much to come from this highly-promising young stallion.
In any other year,
Lope De Vega would be a standout amongst the new sire ranks, but 2011 has produced another major commercial success in France in the shape of
Siyouni.
A son of Pivotal that was unusually precocious and fast for one bred by the Aga Khan, he proved to be popular when retired to Haras de Bonneval at a nomination fee of €7,000. However, even his most optimistic of supporters are likely to have been surprised at just how much of an impact he made with his first runners.
Despite having fewer runners than Lope De Vega in 2014, Siyouni matched his performance in producing nine RPR90+ performers, three of which hit RPR105+.
His star was undoubtedly Ervedya, winning a Group 3 and finishing in the frame in two Group 1 races as a juvenile.
The performance of his first 2-year-olds resulted in his fee rising from €7,000 to €20,000, and all of a sudden he was considered the hottest young sire in France.
While Siyouni’s progeny couldn’t match the sensational performance of Lope De Vega’s progeny in his second year with runners, he produced more smart 2-year-olds and his 3-year-olds trained on very well.
His highlight was once again the exploits of Ervedya, with her winning the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches at Longchamp, the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot and the G1 Prix du Moulin at Longchamp in what was a sensational campaign.
Thanks to her in the main,
Siyouni’s fee took another jump up to €30,000 for 2016.
The two stallions discussed in detail thus far stand in
Ireland and France, respectively, but not to be outdone, the class of 2011 has also thrown up a significant commercial success in Great Britain in the shape of
Showcasing (stands at Whitsbury Manor).
Expectations were slightly lower for the son of Oasis Dream, given his fee in his first season was just £5,000, but his first runners soon made that look a bargain.
The performance of his first batch of 2-year-olds in 2014 was quite similar to Lope De Vega’s, with him producing nine RPR90+ horses, two of which got to the 105 mark, the Group 2 winner Toocoolforschool and the Group 3 winner Cappella Sansevero.
His good start continued in 2015, with him producing 13 new RPR 90+ horses, no less than seven of which hit the RPR105+ mark.
Showcasing’s fast start has seen his fee jump from £4,500 in 2014 to £15,000 in 2015 and up to £25,000 for 2016, thus the best is very much ahead of him. While he covered a smaller book of 63 mares in 2013, word of the speed of his 2-year-olds had clearly got out at the beginning of the 2014 season as he covered 111 that year, which should mean that he has plenty of 2-year-olds to keep his momentum going through 2017.
Given that he covered 130 mares at his much-increased fee in 2015 and was presumably very busy again this year, the anticipation for his higher quality crops reaching the track in 2018 and beyond is only likely to grow in the years ahead.
While Lope De Vega, Siyouni and Showcasing achieved enough with their first runners in 2014 to grab all the headlines in any other year, the three of them were eclipsed in terms of headlines and column inches generated by the remarkable exploits of Starspangledbanner (stands at Coolmore).
Starspangledbanner was a top-class sprinter in both Australia and Europe, he retired to Coolmore at a fee of €15,000 in 2011, but it soon became clear that he was
sub-fertile, siring just 33 foals in his first season in Ireland and
30 foals when shuttled to Australia later that year.
With his problems by then common knowledge,
Starspangledbanner only covered 22 mares back in Tipperary in 2012 and with that, he was returned to training in Ballydoyle, but failed to win in six starts. With little left to lose, Coolmore allowed him to return to Australia to his part-owner Anthony Mithen’s Rosemont Stud for one last throw of the dice, which resulted in
24 mares going in foal to him in 2013.
At this stage, most people had all but forgotten about Starspangledbanner, writing him off as just another stallion with fertility issues that was too much of a risk to support. Then his first runners hit the track in 2014.
From his first Irish crop of just 33 foals, Starspangledbanner made a simply stunning start. His first three runners all won and two of them, The Wow Signal and Anthem Alexander, proved to be amongst the best 2-year-olds of their sex that season.
The Wow Signal won the Coventry S. at Royal Ascot and the Prix Morny at Deauville, whilst Anthem Alexander won the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot and was just touched off in the Cheveley Park S.
Since then, that small first crop has yielded eight more RPR90+ performers in Europe, including two more RPR105+ horses, most notably the Group 3 winner Home Of The Brave.
Unsurprisingly, Coolmore were very keen to get Starspangledbanner back in Tipperary for the 2015 season, but in another dramatic turn of events, a bout of colic prevented him from doing so and it was decided he would remain at Rosemont Stud in Australia for the 2015 Southern Hemisphere breeding season. He covered 32 mares, getting
16 in foal, prior to returning to Tipperary late last year for the 2016 breeding season.
While his book will remain carefully managed, recent reports from
Coolmore suggest they may have found the key to Starspangledbanner, as he reportedly has 78 mares in foal thus far in 2016.
Such strong numbers are sure to encourage breeders to send even higher-quality mares to him next year and it appears that despite his numerous setbacks over the years, Starspangledbanner is going to have every chance to be a commercial hit as a stallion after all. It will be a long wait to see the 2-year-olds that are born from this covering season on the track, but based on his stunning results thus far, they are likely to be worth the wait.
Those four stallions may well be the biggest commercial hits from the class of 2011, but the remarkable depth of that group of stallions is illustrated by the fact that no less than four other members of it have produced Group 1 winners.
Makfi (formerly Tweenhills Farm, now Haras de Bonneval) was the most expensive first-season sire of 2011 at £25,000 and has established himself a solid sire in the years since, producing 40 horses that have achieved RPR90+. His star performer has unquestionably been Make Believe, the winner of the G1 Poule D’Essai Des Poulains and the G1 Prix de la Foret who retired to stand at Ballylinch Stud this year. Makfi was relocated to France in 2015 and looks to be a valuable addition to their stallion ranks.
Rip Van Winkle (Coolmore Stud) was the second most expensive first-season sire in 2011 at a fee of €20,000 and while he had a first-crop Group 1 winner with Dick Whittington in the Phoenix S. at The Curragh, he has sired over 25 RPR90+ performers to date. Noting he covered 139 mares at €20,000 in 2014 and 120 mares at €25,000 in 2015, his supporters are assured he will continue to deliver on his early promise as the racing trips increase to middle distance and beyond.
For seven stallions in any one crop to produce Group 1 winners in their first two-and-a-half seasons with runners is remarkable. That two more of them came within inches of being added to that list just enhances the view that the stallion class of 2011 is truly out of the ordinary. With more than a couple of members of the class very much having their best days in front of them in terms of the quality and quantity of their future crops, their legacies are only likely to grow in the years to come.
In Australasia:
The most promising sires for southern hemisphere owners and breeders certainly are
LOPE DE VEGA and RIP VAN WINKLE.
Both these shuttle boys covered small but quality books in their first couple of seasons at stud.
LOPE DE VEGA was in a shuttle contract with the now defunct Nathan Tinkler’s Patinak Farm and is considered “too valuable” to return to Australia. He is doing a supreme job with over 50% Winners:Runners and 2 x Group 2 winners on his resume in just one and a half crops to race.
In fact, LOPE DE VEGA is the LEADING 2nd Crop Sire in Australia for Winners:Runners Strike Rate at 51%.
Whilst
RIP VAN WINKLE who has a pedigree and conformation to produce middle distance and staying horses in Australasia, is doing a fabulous job.
He’s had
103 winners, 8 Stakes Winners, 9 stakes placed and in the first 10 days of June he has sired
Melbourne Winners WAR LEGEND, EURO ANGEL and the highly impressive Rosehill trained 2yo debut winner
AWOKE.
Dynamic Syndications purchased an outstanding yearling this year by each of these 2 super young sires.
We had been watching the stats unfold in the Northern Hemisphere prior to Christmas 2015 and had reviewed the quantity and quality of the first crop of yearlings by these sires offered in Australia and NZ and believed both these boys successes would mushroom on the first half of 2016.
We have proven our judgement to be correct in backing both stallions and by picking what we consider the best yearlings we could find by each sire in 2016.
Dynamic Owners now have the opportunity to embark on the ride of a lifetime.
our colt
The
LOPE DE VEGA Colt we purchased from the MAGIC MILLIONS ticked all the boxes and will make into a terrific autumn 2yo and whatever he does he will continue to be better as he matures. Big, strong athletic and correct in the hands of Hall Of Fame, Champion Trainer GAI WATERHOUSE, this colt at
$6,350 a share is awesome value from a mare that has a strong, black-type pedigree.
He comes from the direct family of our own Blue Diamond Winner REWARD FOR EFFORT and GAI’s Golden Slipper Winner OVERREACH.
The RIP VAN WINKLE filly we purchased in magnificent with the BEST PEDIGREE you can find.
RIP VAN WINKLE himself a Gr1 Winning racehorse by the
World’s Best Sire – GALILEO.
He has already produced a Gr1 Winner in his First Crop.
our filly
Our Filly is -
A daughter of
VAAYALA – (herself a daughter of Champion Sire & Broodmare Sire
VOLKSRAAD) was
a winner at 1600m.
Her true recognition is her incredible pedigree.
VAAYALA is a ½ sister to wonder horse (IT’S A) DUNDEEL – HORSE OF THE YEAR in NZ 2013-14, Champion NZ 3yo 2012-13 and Champion older middle distance male in Australia and New Zealand 2013-14.
(IT’S A) DUNDEEL won 10 races – 6 at Group 1 level.
IT’S A DUNDEEL is now at Arrowfield Stud and his first crop weanlings sell at the recent Magic Millions breeding stock sale where they averaged $147,000 and had a 100% clearance rate. Clearly he will be the leading first crop sire at the 2017 yearling sales.
VAAYALA is from STAREEL (by ZABEEL) – NZ BROODMARE OF THE YEAR in 2013-14.
STAREEL has produced 5 to race – all winners including (IT’S A) DUNDEEL and TWOEEZY a Stakes Placed winner of 6 races.
STAREEL is from Champion NZ 3yo STARING – Champion 3yo Filly in NZ 1991-92 and NZ Filly of the Year.
She won 8 Races = 2 x Gr1 wins inc NZ OAKS, 1 x Gr2, 3 x Gr3 and 1 x LR.
As potential owners can see the residual value of this filly on her racetrack retirement is huge.
Imagine what it would be if GAI WATERHOUSE can polish her into a Black Type winner?
With shares in this stunning filly at only $7,900 and huge residual value this filly is a gilt-edged investment.
Contact Adam Watt at Dynamic Syndications on 02 9587 1511 or 1800 61 99 99 to chat about how you can become an owner in these 2 wonderful yearlings.