AS we enter August, the first season sire race has taken shape, yet is constantly changing as juveniles either confirm their promise or muddy the form. The Qatar Goodwood Festival provided plenty of pointers, with a colt breaking their maiden in a Group 3 among those changing their sire’s early profiles.

I looked beyond the bare figures, dissecting the form of the notable winners and examining their pedigrees, as though this feature is about stallions, a portion of their success and disappointments must rest with the mares.

Figures used are from across Europe for stallions based in Ireland, England and France. Figures and ratings were correct at 9am on Friday, August 2nd, while fees and farms listed are for the 2024 season.

Sergei Prokofiev – £6,000 at Whitsbury Manor Stud

Aidan O’Brien’s former charge leads the way by wins, winners and prize money. However, he is also a clear leader by runners at 43, with the next highest coming in at 29, his progeny running 110 times, in comparison to the next closest at 66.

More opportunities mean he has 17 juveniles with official ratings and four of those are rated 80 and above, the best of which is Adrian Murray’s Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes winner Arizona Blaze (OR101). Third in both the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes and Group 2 Railway Stakes since, the £82,000 yearling is the best performer from three runners out of his dam, but that’s not to say his sire didn’t cover some classy mares.

Enchanting Empress (OR86), who has disappointed twice since completing a hat-trick in the Listed National Stakes, is out of a blacktype mare, while the 86-rated Mythical Composer is a half-brother to Group 2 Prix Robert Papin winner Tis Marvellous (Harbour Watch).

Sands Of Mali - €5,000 at

Ballyhane Stud

The Group 1-winning sprinter is joint second by winners (8), while he shares the stakes horses top spot with four others.

Ain’t Nobody and Aviation Time finished first and third respectively in the Windsor Castle Stakes, with the winner subsequently rated 106 before finishing last of six in the July Stakes. His rival is rated 94 after another two runs, making him the highest-rated produce of his dam, who was previously covered by the likes of Dandy Man, New Bay and Showcasing.

Debut Kempton winner and Weatherbys Super Sprint third Time For Sandals (OR86) is the next best of 13 juveniles with official ratings.

Hello Youmzain – €22,500 at Haras d’Etreham

Hello Youmzain goes against the traditional profile of a French stallion, as a dual Group 1-winning sprinter by Kodiac, and has rewarded breeders with an impressive strike rate of 38%.

Electrolyte (OR103) came within a nose of making it two from two in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes, but has failed to reproduce that form in two runs since. The £220,000 breeze-up buy is a half-brother to a Group winner by Lope De Vega, but only the third winner from nine foals out of his dam, whose mixed coverings have ranged from Sea The Stars to Swiss Spirit.

Earthlight - €15,000 at

Kildangan Stud

Early word on Earthlight’s juveniles wasn’t encouraging, but the son of Shamardal has silenced doubters with a Group winner and Group second, while sitting second in the winners’ table.

The Patrice Coittier-trained Daylight impressed on debut at Chantilly and followed up with a fine third against colts in a Group 3. She showed her class when winning at that level next time, beating a previous listed winner and a Coventry Stakes third in the process.

She is out of a listed winner, while Group 3 Molecomb Stakes third Mr Lightside is closely-related to a Stakes performer by Blue Point. Debut Ascot winner Xanthe finished sixth in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes, a race her dam won 18 years prior, which makes her Gilded’s second highest-rated produce from ten other foals.

Kameko - £15,000 at Tweenhills Farm & Stud

The dual Group 1 winner by Kitten’s Joy is responsible for two blacktype horses, matching four others’ tally, from less runners than his rivals.

His highest-rated performer is Listed Pat Eddery Stakes New Century (OR 101), who is a half-brother to a Group winner. Group 2 July Stakes fourth Rajeko (OR 100) is the first winner out of a blacktype mare, while the Gredley family’s homebred Wimbledon Hawkeye (OR 99) is out of a 92-rated sister to James Garfield.

Pinatubo - £35,000

at Dalham Hall Stud

To prove how quickly fortunes change in breeding and racing, I began this by expressing my disappointment at Pinatubo’s lack of a stakes horse, but soon updated with the addition of Group 2 Vintage Stakes runner-up Wolf Of Badenoch.

The outsider was slowly away and first off the bridle under a determined Jamie Spencer, and should improve up in trip, with his Galileo dam having scored over a mile and five furlongs. Andesite, who beat a subsequent listed winner on debut, is bred for speed as a half-brother to Dramatised.

Pinatubo’s strike rate of 33% is one of the best, but given what he had already achieved by this stage of his own career, and the calibre of mares he covered, he remains somewhat disappointing in my opinion.

Shaman - €5,000 at

Yeomanstown Stud

Shaman’s first book of mares may have lacked the quality of some of his compatriots, as evident in his European yearling average of 22,317gns. In spite of this, the dual Group winner and Group 1 performer by Shamardal has sired two winners rated over 80 in the UK, with his other successes coming in Italy and Spain.

6,000gns buy-back Brian is his current flagbearer, with the handicapper judging his ten length third in the Chesham Stakes worthy of a rating of 94. Sylvester Kirk’s charge followed up with a five and a half length win at Newbury, before finishing fourth of five at listed level.

Far Above - €5,000

at Starfield Stud

The son of Farhh raced just five times during his career and that is the same number of winners he has sired so far, at a strike rate of 25%.

The 105,000gns breeze-up buy was represented by 63 yearlings at the sales last year, the second most expensive of which was 65,000gns purchase Twafeed (OR90). The half-sister to Group 3 winner and Group 2 Flying Childers second Corazon (Markaz) won nicely on debut and wasn’t disgraced when beaten six and a half lengths seventh of 16 in a strong renewal of the Group 3 Albany Stakes.

Far Above’s other runner rated over 80 is Ayr maiden winner Stratusnine (OR85), a half-brother to Group 3 winner Ayaar (Rock Of Gibraltar) and the highly-rated Dual Identity (Belardo).

Without Parole - £8,000 at Newsells Park Stud

John and Tanya Gunther’s homebred didn’t debut until December of his juvenile career and progressed to complete a hat-trick in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes.

The son of Frankel later placed in three Grade 1s in the US, where he appears to have a smart juvenile in the shape of Saratoga scorer Without Caution. He is responsible for another six winners in Europe, at an impressive strike rate of 35%.

Mr Chaplin looked a future stakes horse when overcoming a wide draw and troubled passage to fly home in a Goodwood nursery on Thursday, which will no doubt increase his rating from 88. The introductory mark made the Newbury maiden winner the second highest-rated from seven foals out of the mare.

Epsom novice winner Parole d’Oro is another smart prospect, his debut second at Ascot boosted by the more experienced Tiger Mask, who went on to finish fourth in the Vintage Stakes.

Big Mojo became Mohaather's second blacktype winner when landing the Molecomb Stakes \ Healy Racing

Mohaather - £12,500 at

Beech House Stud

Mohaather’s statistics changed rapidly this week, with Molecomb Stakes victor Big Mojo among those boosting his strike rate. Michael Appleby’s Group 3 winner was a 175,000gns yearling purchase and is the first foal out of a blacktype performer.

£95,000 buy Yah Mo Be There is the first foal out of an unraced own-sister to Group 1 third Ornellaia. He is rated 99 for his maiden victory in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes, though it is hard to judge the merit of that win, given that six of the last eight winners of that sprint failed to win again.

That said, Mohaather’s progeny should improve with time, given that son of Showcasing didn’t debut himself until September 21st of his juvenile career and in the space of five weeks, had won a novice and the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes.

Van Beethoven - €4,500

at Karwin Stud

Van Beethoven should be familiar to readers as a Group 2 Railway Stakes winner for Aidan O’Brien, with the son of Scat Daddy later finishing second in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes.

He has had just six runners, but they have made their mark with three wins and a stakes placing. Ciaran was his joint highest-priced yearling at €26,000, but exceeded expectations when drawing three lengths clear at Saint-Cloud, where he beat two previous winners. He subsequently disappointed in a Group 3, but bounced back to finish second in a listed race at Vichy.

Persian King - €25,000 at

Haras d’Etreham

Persian King had Magna Grecia and Circus Maximus behind him when winning the Group 3 Autumn Stakes on his final juvenile start and went on to win three Group 1s over the next two seasons.

Considering that, perhaps we shouldn’t judge his two winners and strike rate of 12% until later in the year. Yoga Master is one to follow after two narrow defeats at Saint-Cloud. He is out of blacktype mare, as is Joseph O’Brien’s promising newcomer Cap Saint Martin.

Arizona - €5,000 at Castlehyde Stud

Arizona had won a Curragh maiden and the Group 2 Coventry Stakes by the same stage of the year when Wizard Of Odds got him off the mark at stud. The Down Royal maiden victor is one of two winners by the son of No Nay Never, who has some promising prospects to improve his current strike rate of 8%.

€100,000 breeze-up buy Senna’s Girl finished third at the Curragh on debut, before finishing fourth of five in Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes, beaten six and a half lengths.

Aleramo is another one to watch, with the Johnny Murtagh-trained filly beaten just a neck on debut at Leopardstown. She is the sixth foal out of a 94-rated mare who has yet to breed a winner, while Arizona’s first winner also got his dam off the mark after three previous foals.

King Of Change - €5,000 at Starfield Stud

The former Derrinstown Stud resident has had just eight runners, but his two winners have both earned a rating over 80. Ger Lyons’ trainee Transcending came up against Bedtime Story at Leopardstown, where she finished fourth, and went on to bolt up by five and a half lengths at the track next time out.

The daughter of a listed-placed mare was bought for €36,000, while Bath maiden winner Lady With The Lamp cost €14,000. Three of their sire’s progeny fetched six-figure sums at the breeze-up sales, though the 180,000gns buy has failed to fire twice and the £280,000 purchase was a promising beaten favourite on debut.

King Of Change himself didn’t run until late October as a juvenile, running twice that year, but didn’t get off the mark until the following April.

Impressive newcomer Ultrafragola got triple Group 1 winner Sottsass off the mark at stud

Sottsass - €25,000 at Coolmore Stud

The Arc hero’s first winner was an impressive one, with newcomer Ultrafragola drawing five and a half lengths clear at Deauville, a few hours after stablemate Chauncey Gardiner went close to getting their sire off the mark.

Both are owned and bred by Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm, who has supported the well-bred chesnut with enviable mares - the two mentioned above are out of Group/Graded performers bought for $800,000 and 300,000gns.

His current strike rate is disappointing, but it’s safe to presume the best is yet to come from a sire who himself improved with age.

Verbal Dexterity - Private

Cork maiden winner Monotone (OR87) is Verbal Dexterity’s sole representative to date and added blacktype to his resume with a six-and-a-half-length third in the Listed First Flier Stakes. Subsequently last of seven in Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes, he is a half-brother to listed winner and Irish 2000 Guineas fourth Wexford Native (Teofilo).

Beckford - Private

Beckman provided Maurice Regan’s pride and joy Beckford with a perfect start at stud when making a smart debut at the Curragh. Fourth of five in the Group 3 Tyros Stakes next time out, Ger Lyons’ charge is one of five foals from his sire’s first crop.

He is out of an unraced sister to a listed winner, as is the Karl Burke-trained Arbitration, who ran green when well-supported on debut. Their sire’s other juveniles are in training with Johnny Murtagh and Joseph O’Brien.