THE National Stud in Newmarket is home to Rajasinghe (Choisir), and this Group 2 Coventry Stakes winner has a remarkable ability to sire winners. He has made an explosive start to 2024, with seven individual winners of eight races in Britain, while Aisling Oscar won twice in Dundalk.

At the time of writing this, Rajasinghe is responsible for 17 winners from 25 runners in Europe, and this is a winners to runners strike rate of 68%. His son Waiting All Night was runner-up in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes, but it cannot be long until he gets more stakes performers.

It is such a pity that support for Rajasinghe fell away quickly, though last season, buoyed by the success his stock were enjoying, some 40 mares were bred to the stallion, including some who travelled from Ireland. This year should see more breeders wake up to the potential to breed a winner, and all for just a £3,000 covering fee.

Multiple Group 1 sire Starspangledbanner is a son of the top-class sprinter-miler Choisir (Danehill Dancer), as is the top-class miler and multiple Group 1 sire Olympic Glory, and so is Rajasinghe. He was a four-length debut winner over six furlongs at Newcastle a month before landing the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot for Rebel Racing and trainer Richard Spencer. He did so too in a a very fast time. Rajasinghe also finished third to Cardsharp in the Group 2 July Stakes.

Rajasinghe is a half-brother to the stakes-placed juvenile Kurland (Kheleyf) who narrowly missed out on a third-place finish in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes. They are out of the similarly credentialled Bunditten (Soviet Star) who also ran fourth in the Queen Mary Stakes but earned blacktype in the Listed National Stakes. He is a grandson of the pattern-placed dual juvenile listed scorer Felicita (Catrail).

The speedy Group 1-placed, multiple Group 2 scorer Super Cash (Written Tycoon) appears under a branch of the third generation of his pedigree, as do a couple of stakes winners in Britain and Australia, while Caergwrle (Crepello), his fourth dam, won the 1000 Guineas. The first four dams in the family have bred a total of 23 winners, the lion’s share of nine produced by Rajasinghe’s dam.

Given the chance, Rajasinghe has the ability to be a prolific winner-produing sire, and getting quality too.

Race record

RAJASINGHE (IRE), Bay 2015. Won two races, £100,789, over 6 furlongs, at 2 years including, Coventry Stakes, Ascot, Gr.2, also placed third in Arqana July Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.2.

At stud

Retired to stud in 2019, and sire of 18 winners, of 37 races, and £400,215, including Waiting All Night (GB).

Information

Stands at: The National Stud, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 0XE, England.

Contact: Anna Kerr or nominations department

Telephone: +44 1638 675929

Email: stallions@nationalstud.co.uk

Web: www.nationalstud.co.uk

Fee: £3,000