MARTIN Stevens now lists the best four stallions on the list for last year, two each standing in Ireland and Britain. Whitsbury Manor Stud capped an amazing year by having the best two.

In fourth place...

Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy)

2024 yearling average: 42,976gns/€51,893

2022 covering fee: €10,000 (€30,000 in 2025)

Profitability index: 5.19

Sioux Nation has quietly impressed, with his first three crops producing decent strike-rates of winners and stakes performers. The tough Group 2 winners Brave Emperor and Matilda Picotte have been the best adverts for his talents in the northern hemisphere, leading to him covering a bumper book of 246 mares at an increased fee of €27,500 at Coolmore last year.

His fourth crop of yearlings were conceived at just €10,000 though, so the strong demand for them resulted in an impressive profitability index of 5.19. Most expensive of the lot was a colt out of the listed-placed Areion (Big Shuffle) mare Westfalica, sold by Mountain View Stud to Federico Barberini for 280,000gns.

In third place...

Awtaad (Cape Cross)

2024 yearling average: 21,666gns/€26,161

2022 covering fee: €5,000 (€7,500 in 2025)

Profitability index: 5.23

Awtaad has been many people’s idea of a bona fide bargain sire since multiple top-level winners Anisette and Anmaat, plus other group winners Al Qareem, Create Belief and Diamil, emerged from his early, mainly modestly bred crops.

The Derrinstown Stud-based son of Cape Cross (Green Desert) took off last year when his book size grew to 128 from 79 in 2023, and his 18 yearlings who changed hands sold for an average of 21,666gns (€26,161), a steady enough figure but one that allowed some nice profits for supporters who used him at his fee of just €5,000 in 2022, as it resulted in a profitability index of 5.23. The sire is still available at just €7,500 this year, so might be a sensible choice.

In second place...

Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy)

2024 yearling average: 31,052gns/€37,495

2022 covering fee: £6,000 (£8,000 in 2025)

Profitability index: 5.43

Sergei Prokofiev, a sharp, speedy and strapping son of Scat Daddy (Johannesburg), has been a popular working man and woman’s stallion, covering full books of mares at affordable fees since he retired to Whitsbury Manor Stud in 2021. His supporters will have been pleased to see him make an encouraging start with his first two-year-old runners last year, leading the freshman table thanks to Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Arizona Blaze, and listed winner Enchanting Empress.

Those who used him in his second season at a fee of £6,000 were well paid for correctly predicting he would be quick out of the blocks, with 89 of the resultant yearlings selling for an average of 31,052gns (€37,495), making a profitability index of 5.43. S&R Investments swooped for the most expensive lot, a half-brother to listed-winning sprinter Great State, for 170,000gns.

In first place...

Havana Grey (Havana Gold)

2024 yearling average: 85,395gns/€103,114

2022 covering fee: £6,000 (Private fee in 2025)

Profitability index: 14.94

Rags-to-riches sire Havana Grey takes the top spot for the second year in a row, and by a huge margin again. He also gives Whitsbury Manor Stud the first and second most profitable sires of 2024, which pays tribute to the value on the Hampshire operation’s roster.

The son of Havana Gold (Teofilo), who has supplied 37 blacktype runners including Group 1 runners Vandeek, Arabian Dusk, Jasour, Shouldvebeenaring and Havana Cigar, had 90 lots sell for 85,395gns (€103,114), nearly 15 times his covering fee of £6,000 in 2022. There was no end of big paydays for vendors, with 21 of his yearlings fetching six-figure sums, led by a full-brother to Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes winner Rumstar, sold by Longview Stud to George Boughey for 500,000gns.

Havana Grey will find it harder to maintain his position as the most profitable yearling sire in Britain and Ireland this year, as this crop is the result of him covering at an increased fee of £18,500 on the back of his freshman exploits. There is a good chance he can do it, though, as he keeps delivering on the track, and it was widely agreed that his price rise in 2023 wasn’t as steep as it could have been.

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