IT was a very rewarding season for Coulsty’s first crop of two-year-olds in 2020, as he sired 20% stakes performers to runners, all the more creditable as his stud fee is a modest €4,000.

This son of Kodiac has already sired Santosha, who scored in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot and was third in the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket. In Italy Suicide Squad took the Listed Premio Repubbliche Marinare, and Sopran Aragorn carried off the Listed Premio Rumon, also at Rome.

In addition, Coulthard was third in the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes at the Curragh and Santishara won a high-class race in France in December, while Coul Queen was listed-placed at Newmarket.

Trained by Richard Hannon, Coulsty was a winner in each of his four seasons in training, at distances up to seven furlongs. As a two-year-old he won at Leicester and was placed three times, including third in the Listed Prix Francois Boutin at Deauville.

His most prestigious victory was also at Deauville, where he won the Group 3 Prix de Meautry as a three-year-old, following a win in the Listed King Charles II Stakes at Newmarket in May and second in the Listed Queensferry Stakes at Chester.

Returning to Leicester the next season, Coulsty scored in the Listed King Richard III Stakes and was also second to Adaay in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury.

Then in his final year he won by two lengths over seven furlongs at Thirsk and was placed three times in blacktype events.

Coulsty’s sire Kodiac was the champion sire in Europe in 2020 both by number of individual winners, with over 135, and by number of races won, while he was also in the top half dozen in financial terms. Surprisingly, he never won a group race, though he won four races in England and Dubai, and was Group 1 placed. Kodiac is a half-brother by Danehill to Invincible Spirit, a champion sprinter and sire of many champions.

Hazium, the dam of Coulsty and three other winners, is a daughter of In The Wings.

She won three races and is out of a half-sister to the very speedy Lugana Beach, winner of the Group 3 Duke of York Stakes and Group 3 Prix du Petit Couvert, also second in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye, while she is a half-sister to the dam of the King’s Stand Stakes victor The Tatling, who was three times second in the Nunthorpe Stakes. Her grandam was half-sister to Mtoto.

COULSTY (IRE), Bay 2011. Won five races, £197,737, from 5 furlongs to 7 furlongs, 2 to 6 years including, Prix de Meautry - Lucien Barriere, Deauville, Gr.3, Tamdown King Charles II Stakes, Newmarket, L, Totepool EBF King Richard III Stakes, Leicester, L, also placed second in Betfred Hungerford Stakes, Newbury, Gr.2, MBNA Queensferry Stakes, Chester, L, Tote EBF King Richard III Stakes, Leicester, L, and third in Prix Francois Boutin, Deauville, L.

Retired to Stud in 2017, and sire of the winners of 18 races, and £217,595, including SANTOSHA (IRE), SOPRAN ARAGORN (IRE), SUICIDE SQUAD (IRE), Coulthard (IRE), Coul Queen (IRE)

Stands at: Rathasker Stud, Kilcullen Road, Naas, Co Kildare, Ireland.

Contact: Maurice or Madeline Burns.

Telephone: (353) 86 3774430.

Email: info@rathaskerstud.ie

Web: www.rathaskerstud.com.

Fee: €4,000.