THE LEADING EUROPEAN FIRST SEASON SIRES

For the second year in a row it has been a Darley managed sire that won this years European First Season Sire Championship. The 2009 Championship was dominated by two sires as Dubawi had won the winners title with a total of 30, while Shamadral had topped the prizemony table with earnings of £1,599,122. This year has produced a true Champion as not has Iffraaj (pictured left) headed the earning table with £988,659 but at the time of writing he had also equalled Invincible Spirit's record of 35 winners with his first crop runners. In total Iffraaj’s off-spring won over 50 races in Europe from a winner to runner ratio of 50% from only 69 runners. Iffraaj’s could not have had any better flag bearer this season than Wootton Bassett who concluded his unbeaten season, which included victories in two valuable sales races, with a 2 ½ length win of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, to give his sire not only his first stakes winner but a Group One as well. Iffraaj has been far from a one horse sire as his off-spring this season includes the Prix des Reservoirs (Gr 3) winner, Espirita, the Italian group-placed Stay Alive and Musharakaat, who was third in the May Hill Stakes (Gr 2). With another three also gaining black type, Iffraaj could not have made a better start to his stud career. Although there will be all eyes on this son of Zafonic as his first crop enter their Classic year, but with his dam being a half-sister to Cape Cross he looks to have a promising future and give the Gone West sire line a top class stallion in Europe.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of this year’s first season sire Championship was that second in the table, was Coolmore’s Aussie Rules who headed out the bookies favourite, Holy Roman Emperor. Having had good 2009 yearling average of 24,382gns, from a 2007 covering fee of just €15,000, Aussie Rules was always going to make a solid start at stud. To date Aussie Rules has sired 17 winners from 50 runners (34%) to win earnings of £408,869. This son of Danehill has produced an impressive four stakes winners this season. This included the German Gp 3 winner Djumama and Dinkum Diamond, who not only won the Sandown National Stakes (L) but was also runner-up in the Flying Childers Stakes (Gr 2). With not only Aussie Rules being a son of the great Danehill but also being from a family pack with performers such as Yesterday (Gr 1) he looks to have plenty of success ahead of him.

Holy Roman Emperor was rushed into stud duty off the back of George Washington’s fertility problems and received a top-class book mares. With 21 winners (second highest of season numerically) from 61 runners (34%) Holy Roman Emperor looks to have taken his chance well to finished third on the European prizemoney table. Having been Champion two-year-old colt of France in 2006 it was no surprise that he made an early start with his winners High Award not only to be his first winner back on the 21st March but was also to become his first stakes winner when taking the Woodcote Stakes (L) on Derby day at Epsom. Although this son of Danehill was unable to build on his stakes winners he was able produce the Sweet Solera Stakes (Gr 3) runner-up Crying Lightening and Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) second Petronius Maximus. With Angel Of Harlem, Emperor Hadrian and Juliet Capulet all also gaining black type Holy Roman Emperor finished the season with his earning reaching £373,711.

The Bearstone Stud’s son of Danehill Dancer, Indesatchel, is a sire that was perhaps not likely to finish in the top four of the freshman sires of Europe 2010. However his eight winners, from 27 runners (30%), had earnings of an impressive £264,378. His leading performer was Galtymore Lad, who had earnings of £164,300 which included 3 wins, two stakes-places and finishing runner-up to Wootton Bassett in DBS the Premier Yearling Stakes. With another performer, in Bold Bidder, also winning twice and earnings £48,984 Indesatchel has certainly performed way over expectations.

With the dominance of the Danehill line in Europe it is not surprising that another of his sons, Kodiac, was to prove to be a success with his first crop. This three-part-brother to Invincible Spirit (Green Desert), produced 16 winners from his 42 runners (38%) with earnings of £230,688. Like his fellow son of Danehill, Aussie Rules, this Tally Ho Stud resident had been given a good reception at the 2009 yearling sales. Kodiac seized this confidence to produce three stakes winners with Bathwick Bear in the Ripon Champion 2yo Trophy (L), Sweet Cecily in the Bosra Sham Fillies Stakes (L) and Ileny Princess winning an Italian Listed contest. With Stone Of Folca finishing runner-up in the Molecomb Stakes (Gr 3), Aussie Rules looks to have many of the credentials that his ¾-brother has.

The French raced Diamond Green was another sire to produce plenty of winners with 17 winning from 55 runners (30%) and filled the sixth spot. This son of Green Desert, who stands at Ballyhane Stud, best performer was the colt Stand To Attention who proved an impressive winner of Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes and winning £65,486 of his sire’s £202,628 earnings. The Barry Hills trained Diamond Geezah also proved a useful performer with earning of £17,815 and an official rating of 90.

Of the future middle distance sires it was a son of Montjeu, having been the sire of Motivator in 2009, who looks to have a bright future. Hurricane Run (pictured left) sired an impressive 13 winners to earn £193,541 from 49 runners (27%). With his winners including his Rockfel Stakes (Gr 2) runner-up Cochabamba as well as his group-placed Kreem and Listed-placed Hurricane Havoc this Coolmore based sire has plenty to look forward to. With Montjeu a stakes winning two-year-year himself as well as the sire of Gr 1 winning juveniles such as Motivator, Authorized, Fame And Glory and Sir Nicholas Abbey it is not astonishing that his sons have had such strong starts with first crops. With this Irish Derby (Gr 1) and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1) winner’s off-spring not expected to peak until three-years the 2011 season will sure to be an even better season than one pasted.

America’s impressive freshman sire Bernardini has also made an equally strong impression in Europe despite only siring three winners from eight runners winning seven races and £177,883 it was enough to be eighth and the only US sire in the top ten. In fact two of his four stakes winners are in Europe which not only includes his Italian Gran Criterium (Gr 1) winner Biondetti but also the highly thought of Prestige Stakes (Gr 3) winner Theyskens' Theory (pictured left). This son of AP Indy certainly has a big future for his owner Sheikh Mohammad, both sides of the Atlantic, as Bernardini also produced both the Frizette Stakes (Gr 1) AZ Warrior and the runner-up in the Hopeful Stakes (Gr 1), Stay Thirsty, in the US.

The Danzig half-brother to Dubai Destination, Librettist, may have finished ninth on the European list but on the British/Irish Listed he was fifth having sired nine winners of £175,818. Libranno, one of Europe’s leading two-year-olds of 2010, winner of both the July (Gr 2) and Richmond Stakes (Gr 2) could have been no better advertisement for this French based Haras du Logis sire. With other smart performers such as Leiba Leiba and Major Conquest there is no reason why French breeders can’t build on this promising start made by this Group 1 winning miler.

With all of Majestic Missile winners coming in Britain or Ireland meant he was only tenth on the European list but sixth on the GB/Ire table. From just 28 runners Majestic Missile managed to sire six winners, of £164,249, to which a third were stakes winners. Having been a sprinting son of Royal Applause it was unsurprising that he sired both the Rockingham Stakes (L) winner Katla and New Planet, winner of the Roses Stakes, races run over 5 furlongs. With Royal Applause proving to be a sire of sires Majestic Missile looks to be source of speed for the future.

Other sires that certainly took note include 2004 Middle Park Stakes (Gr 1) winner Ad Valorem (Danzig) who had 12 winner in Europe Italian Listed winner Samaden and the Silver Tankard Stakes third Rigoletto.

Sleeping Indian (Indian Ridge) was another sire to get double figures with 11, his winners, which includes the Listed runners-up Night Carnation and Shoshoni Wind, and total earnings of £125,769.

Sons of Green Desert have long been associated with precociousness and Darley’s Byron too was able to have his impact with ten winners winning a total of an eye-catching 17 races and £111,891. Bryon proven to be the leading earner winning £15,478 from her four wins from only eight starts.

Often a sire that has died proves to have promising season and this is also the case with Iceman (Polar Falcon). This Coventry Stakes (Gr 2) winning 3/4-brother to Virtual (Gr 1) produced 11 winners. CWC - This article appeared in the December issue of International Thoroughbred Magazine