Weatherbys has published this year’s Return of Mares, which features breeding records for every Thoroughbred broodmare in Britain and Ireland, detailing the identity of their foals and coverings, as well as current and historical statistics on breeding activity in the two countries.
Martin Stevens took a deeper dive into the numbers for Weatherbys, which shared that analysis with BloodHorse.
Frenzy for Frankel’s services
Frankel is on course to be crowned Britain and Ireland’s champion sire for a second time, with progeny earnings nearly £3 million ($3.66 million) ahead of his closest pursuer Dubawi up to British Champions Day at Ascot.
Needless to say his 196-strong book at Banstead Manor Stud this year was another who’s who of top-class racemares and proven producers.
Among the group or grade 1 winners covered by the son of Galileo were—take a deep breath!—Alpine Star, Althiqa, Audarya, Blond Me, Con Te Partiro, Coronet, Emollient, Emulous, Glass Slippers, Going to Vegas, Journey, Juliet Foxtrot, Left Hand, Mabs Cross, Madame Chiang, Mangoustine, Mecca’s Angel, Mother Earth, Newspaperofrecord, Nezwaah, Pearls Galore, Precieuse, Pretty Gorgeous, Quiet Reflection, Rougir, Rushing Fall, Saffron Beach, Sea La Rosa, Siyarafina, Sobetsu, Sunny Queen, Sweet Idea, Teona, Thundering Nights, Treve, Urban Fox, Viadera, Villa Marina, Wild Illusion, and Wonderful Tonight.
The similarly lengthy list of top-level scorers whose dams visited Frankel included Adayar, Adhamo, Alpinista, Aunt Pearl, Battaash, Blue Rose Cen, Chaldean, Churchill, Cracksman, Desert Crown, Dream Castle, Hermosa, Homeless Songs, Inspiral, Johannes Vermeer, Kelina, Luxembourg, McKulick, Nashwa, Quadrilateral, Queen Goddess, Set Piece, Siskin, Speedy Boarding, State of Rest, Thunder Snow, Whitebeam, and Ylang Ylang.
Frankel’s book also included four very special mares who were group 1 winners themselves and have also produced group 1 winners at stud: Dar Re Mi (dam of Too Darn Hot), Halfway To Heaven (Magical and Rhododendron), Lillie Langtry (Empress Josephine, Minding, and Tuesday) and Nahrain (Benbatl).
brilliant blue hen
There is cause for celebration in this year’s Return of Mares as arguably the best broodmare anywhere in the world has produced her first living foal in four years.
You’resothrilling, a group 2-winning Storm Cat full sister to iron horse Giant’s Causeway, produced eight foals 2011-19 and each and every one was either a group 1 winner or group 1-placed.
The octet, all by Galileo, were, in order of birth: Marvellous (won the 2014 Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1)); Gleneagles (won the 2014 National Stakes (G1), and 2015 Two Thousand Guineas (G1), Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1), and St James’s Palace Stakes (G1)); Coolmore (third in the 2016 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T)); Taj Mahal (runner-up in the 2017 Secretariat Stakes (G1T)); Happily (won the 2017 Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) and Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1)); Vatican City (second in the 2020 Irish Two Thousand Guineas); Joan of Arc (won the 2021 Prix de Diane (G1)); and Toy (runner-up in the 2022 Irish Oaks (G1)).
You’resothrilling was covered by Galileo again in 2019 and 2020 but didn’t produce foals from the matings, and sadly the Dubawi colt she foaled last year has died since birth.
We therefore won’t be treated to the sight of the 18-year-old mare’s progeny ruling the racecourse again for a while, but fortunately she delivered a Dubawi filly this April. She later joined the long line of blue-chip mares visiting Frankel.
Crystal Ocean riding wave
Crystal Ocean was crowned joint-world champion in 2019, when he defeated Magical and Waldgeist to win the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot, and he is brilliantly well bred, being by Sea The Stars out of the listed stakes-winning Mark of Esteem mare Crystal Star, whose earlier foals include the high-class pair Crystal Capella and Hillstar, so it is hardly surprising that he is proving so popular with jumps breeders.
Indeed, he was in such strong demand during his fourth season on the Coolmore National Hunt roster at The Beeches Stud this year that he was the most active sire in Britain and Ireland, covering 335 mares.
Crystal Ocean’s book this year contained classy racemares Augusta Kate, Aurore d’Estruval, Elimay, Posh Trish, and Whiteout, and the dams of top-notchers Ashtown Lad, Blazing Khal, Chris’s Dream, Dunvegan, Flooring Porter, Gold Present, Impact Factor, Moyhenna, Sole Pretender, and The Real Whacker.
He also covered champion bumper heroine Relegate and her dam Last of The Bunch.
Crystal Ocean certainly shouldn’t lack representation on the racecourse in the coming years. His three previous books comprised 280, 302, and 356 mares.
Boosted books for Diamond Boy
Kilbarry Lodge Stud’s French recruit Diamond Boy was the subject of one of the biggest increases in book size in 2023, with his tally of 242 mares up by two-thirds from the 82 he received one year earlier.
The son of Mansonnien’s popularity surged on the back of his earlier French crops yielding last season’s top-class chaser L’Homme Presse and exciting young hurdler Impaire Et Passe, and his first Irish-conceived 4-year-olds producing three point-to-pointers sold for six-figure sums at auction in Diamond Dealer, Diamonds For Luck, and Waynes World.
Honeysuckle in good company
History-making hurdler Honeysuckle, who retired after a rousing victory in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, was one of three champion hurdle winners to be covered by leading jumps sire Walk In The Park this year.
The daughter of Sulamani, who won the blue riband of hurdling twice among her 17 career successes, was joined in the book of 213 mares by Annie Power and Epatante.
Walk In The Park continues to be many jumps breeders’ first port of call for their best mares, and this year he was also sent big-race winners Apple’s Shakira, Benie Des Dieux, Cap Soleil, Dame De Compagnie, Dolcita, Elfile, Heaven Help Us, Indefatigable, Jer’s Girl, Quevega, Shattered Love, Sparky May, Verdana Blue, and Vroum Vroum Mag,
He also received at his home of Grange Stud the dams of Black Tears, Burning Victory, Chacun Pour Soi, Douvan, Mrs Milner, Party Central, and Zanahiyr.
