A’Ali
Society Rock – Motion Lass, by Motivator
Newsells Park Stud (2022 fee £7,500, 2025 fee £5,000)
In the space of three months, A’Ali won the Norfolk Stakes, Prix Robert Papin and Flying Childers Stakes. While they were hardly vintage renewals, his mind and soundness must be admired, and he returned as a three-year-old to win back-to-back group sprints.
He sold for £135,000 at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale to Stroud Coleman, the same buyers of his three six-figure yearlings. His stock proved popular with breeze-up consignors, and Cormac Farrell, Longways Stables and Station Yard have been rewarded by getting theirs into the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale.
His 75 foals of racing age are in training with the likes of Simon and Ed Crisford, Richard Hannon, James Ferguson, George Scott, Brian Ellison and Jack Channon. His first runner, the Karl Burke-trained Ali Shuffle, won at Redcar novice stakes by two lengths.
Alkumait
Showcasing – Suelita, by Dutch Art
Capital Stud (2022 fee €5,000, 2025 fee €3,000)
Alkumait’s profile suggests he will get precocious progeny, but with 60 to run for him, is unlikely to take the title of leading freshman sire. Off the mark on his second start at Goodwood, Marcus Tregoning’s charge went on to win the Mill Reef Stakes.
Unfortunately for him, it didn’t work out as a strong race, but he won it in a fast time and it’s a race that was won by the likes of Harry Angel and Ribchester in recent years.
His first yearlings sold for up to £32,000 to trainers including Adrian Keatley, Alice Haynes, John Quinn and Richard Fahey. His sole runner to date, Alkuwarrior, was narrowly denied on his second start in a five-furlong maiden at Leicester.
Armor
No Nay Never – Hestia, by High Chaparral
Haras de Bouquetot (2022 & 2025 fee €5,000)
Considering that Armor commanded €5,000 and only has 22 foals of racing age, it’s impressive that his stock sold for up to €85,000 and averaged €28,928 as yearlings.
The son of No Nay Never was the first of those profiled to debut, winning a Doncaster maiden on April 24th. He later impressed in the Molecomb Stakes, before finishing fourth in the Prix Morny and third in the Middle Park Stakes, both won by Perfect Power.
Trainers of his first crop include Christopher Head, David Menuisier, Henri Devin and Tim Donworth.
Lope Y Fernandez
Lope De Vega – Black Dahlia, by Dansili
National Stud (2022 fee £8,500, 2025 fee £7,500)
Though Lope y Fernandez didn’t manage to win a Group 1, he earned respect for placing in five, against the likes of Palace Pier, Pinatubo, Siskin and Space Blues. A dual stakes winner over six furlongs and a mile, the son of Lope De Vega cost €900,000 as a yearling.
His progeny fetched up to €175,000, with buyers including Alex Elliott, Blandford Bloodstock, Jason Kelly, Katie Walsh, Michael Fitzpatrick, Peter and Ross Doyle, Richard Ryan, Robson Aguiar and the Stroud Coleman agency.
Ninety-nine juveniles are with the likes of Archie Watson, Charlie Hills, Charlie Fellowes, Eve Johnson-Houghton, Ralph Beckett, Richard Fahey and Richard Hannon. James Owen trained his first winner, Social Exclusion, who made all to comfortably win a three-runner maiden at Southwell.
Lucky Vega
Lope De Vega – Queen Of Carthage, by Cape Cross
Irish National Stud (2022 fee €15,000, 2025 fee €12,500)
Unlike his rivals, Lucky Vega has a southern hemisphere-bred crop to judge, led by Group 2 scorer Within The Law. His first northern hemisphere juveniles, of which there are 101, are in training with the likes of Richard Hannon, Joseph O’Brien, John Gosden, George Scott, Archie Watson and Francis-Henri Graffard.
Three are in the care of Lucky Vega’s trainer Jessica Harrington in Kildare, while three sold to his owner Zhang Yuesheng’s Yulong Investments for €100,000 plus.
Lucky Vega himself sold for €110,000 and €175,000 on his two sales dates, and justified the spend with a top-flight win in the Phoenix Stakes and Group 1 placings in the Middle Park Stakes, 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes.
Nando Parrado
Kodiac – Chibola, by Roy
Irish National Stud (€6,000 in 2022 and 2025)
Nando Parrado lost his maiden tag on the big stage, winning his second career start in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. Runner-up in the Prix Morny and Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere subsequently, he failed to fire as a three-year-old.
Sons of Kodiac have made a promising start at stud, most notably Ardad, Kodi Bear and Hello Youmzain. Golden Breeze gave Nando Parrado a perfect start at stud; drawing four lengths clear on debut at La Teste.
Buyers of Nando Parrado’s stock were encouraging, including Clive Cox, Eddie Linehan, Eve Johnson Houghton, Highflyer Bloodstock, Kevin Ross, Oliver St Lawrence and Stroud Coleman.
Palace Pier
Kingman – Beach Frolic, by Nayef
Dalham Hall Stud (2022 fee £55,000, 2025 fee £32,000)
Palace Pier’s opening fee of £55,000 is relatively equal to that of St Mark’s Basilica (€65,000), so it comes as no surprise that his first book of mares was of similarly impressive quality. Top-flight winners Integral and Speedy Boarding were among those he covered, as well as the dams of Aclaim, Cracksman and Farhh.
His stock for up to 260,000gns and averaged £71,865 as yearlings, with buyers including Alex Elliott, Blandford Bloodstock, Highclere, Meridian International, Mike Ryan, Peter and Ross Doyle, Stroud Coleman and Tally-Ho Stud.
The son of Kingman debuted towards the back-end of his two-year-old season and went on to win his first five starts. He retired with five Group 1 wins and his only two defeats were placings at the highest level.
Space Blues
Dubawi – Miss Lucifer, by Noverre
Kildangan Stud (2022 fee €17,500, 2025 fee €16,000)
Space Blues aims to continue the success of sons of Dubawi at stud, following impressive results for New Bay and Night Of Thunder, among others. He has every chance, with 118 juveniles to run for him, and is already off the mark with smart debut scorer Power Blue.
Adrian Murray’s charge made all to a three-and-three-quarter-length victory in a Curragh maiden that the stable previously won with Arizona Blaze and Bucanero Fuerte. Others are in training with Charlie Appleby, Charlie Hills, Fozzy Stack, Jane Chapple-Hyam, Jean-Claude Rouget, Joseph O’Brien and Richard Hannon.
They sold for up to €420,000 and averaged €68,105, from a covering fee of €16,500. Buyers included Alex Elliott, Brown Island Stables, Highclere, Peter and Ross Doyle, Sackville Donald, Sam Sangster and Stroud Coleman. Two are catalogued in the upcoming Craven Breeze-Up Sale at Tattersalls.
Himself once-raced as a juvenile, Space Blues made up for lost time with 11 career wins, eight of them stakes races, and three of those Group 1s.
St Mark’s Basilica
Siyouni – Cabaret, by Galileo
Coolmore Stud (2022 fee €65,000, 2025 fee €40,000)
Expectations are high for St Mark’s Basilica, and understandably so. Crowned European champion two-year-old and world champion three-year-old, the son of Siyouni began his stud career at a fee of €65,000.
His first book of mares featured Group 1 winners Cursory Glance, Estimate, Fiesolana, Talent and Tiger Tanaka, as well as the dams of Harry Angel, Laurens, Rock Emperor and Shakeel, to name just a few.
A half-sister to Chicquita and Magic Wand topped the Arqana August Sale at €1.7 million, contributing to an average yearling price of €213,017. Purchasers included Al Shaqab, Blandford Bloodstock, Joseph O’Brien, M.V. Magnier, Peter and Ross Doyle, Shadwell and Stroud Coleman
It took St Mark’s Basilica three runs to break his maiden in late August of his two-year-old career, but the regard he was held in was clear when sent off favourite for the Phoenix Stakes on his second start. Later third in the National Stakes, he progressed to win five Group 1s in an unbeaten three-year-old season. His 132 foals of racing age will generally be expected to follow his own progression.
Starman
Dutch Art – Northern Star, by Montjeu
Tally Ho Stud (2022 fee €17,500, 2025 fee €10,000)
Given that he didn’t race until July of his three-year-old career, Starman might not have previously been considered an obvious contender for leading first season sire, but with 211 foals in his first crop, he has 59% more fire power than his nearest rival.
Tally-Ho Stud have developed a habit of making stallions and you need only look at Starman’s first winner (and first runner) to see how they’ve supported the European champion sprinter. Lady Iman is a half-sister to dual group winner West Acre, out of a group-placed mare.
She was returned as a yearling after selling for £180,000, but even without her, Starman was responsible for 15 six-figure yearlings. His juveniles are in training with the likes of Richard Hannon, Archie Watson, Clive Cox, Richard Fahey, Karl Burke and Joseph O’Brien.
Supremacy
Mehmas – Triggers Broom, by Arcano
Yeomanstown Stud (2022 fee €12,500, 2025 fee €8,000)
Supremacy looks to have every chance of making an early impression at stud. The Middle Park Stakes victor hails from the family of Harry Angel, and is by Mehmas, a record-breaking sire of two-year-olds.
His 129 foals of racing age sold for up to 270,000gns, the price paid for a sister to dual graded winner and Grade 1 performer Quattroelle (Mehmas). Purchasers included Andrew Balding, Clive Cox, Karl Burke, Richard Fahey, Richard Ryan, Sackville Donald, Shadwell Estate and Wesley Ward.
Supremacy’s first winner was Rod Millman’s £6,000 buy Anthelia, who won a novice stakes at Bath, while Sup Of Red finished second in a Cork maiden on debut two days later.
Ubettabelieveit
Kodiac – Ladylishandra, by Mujadil
Mickley Stud (£5,000 in 2022 and 2025)
Flying Childers Stakes victor Ubettabelieveit began his stud career at £5,000. His debut book resulted in 80 foals of racing age, which sold for an average price of £19,741 and peaked at 70,000gns the yearling sales.
His own trainer and buyer, Nigel Tinkler and Jamie Piggott, featured in the purchasers, along with Alex Elliott, Andrew Balding, John and Sean Quinn, Michael Dods, Rabbah Bloodstock, Richard Fahey and Sackville Donald.
His progeny will be expected to be precocious, he having won three of his six juvenile starts, featuring two stakes wins and a third in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. The son of Kodiac failed to fire as a three-year-old.
Victor Ludorum
Shamardal- Antiquities, by Kaldounevees
Haras d’Etreham (€15,000 in 2022 and 2025)
Victor Ludorum emulated his sire (and relative) Shamardal when winning the French 2000 Guineas, as Lope De Vega also did before his successful stallion career. Victor Ludorum’s first Group 1 win came in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, a race previously won by successful sires Siyouni and Wootton Bassett.
The Godolphin homebred has maintained a fee of €15,000 throughout his career at stud, which returned an average of €53,706 at the yearling sales, with two selling for €420,000. Buyers included Alex Elliott, David Menuisier, Fabrice Chappet, Jean-Claude Rouget, Oliver St Lawrence, Richard Fahey, Sam Sangster and Stroud Coleman.
As well as trainers mentioned above, Eve Johnson Houghton, George Scott and Ralph Beckett are among those responsible for his first juveniles, of which there are 102.