Martin Stevens unpacks the major stories from the Weatherbys Return of Mares, the industry standard for all those with a stake in the bloodstock sphere
The Weatherbys Return of Mares is required reading for professionals and pedigree buffs alike, featuring as it does breeding records for every Thoroughbred broodmare in Britain and Ireland.
It details the identity of the mares’ foals and coverings in that season, as well as current and historical statistics on breeding activity in the two countries.
The book provides an indispensable guide to the popularity of stallions, the latest news on top-class racemares and producers, and crucial clues to the health of the bloodstock business.
As a taster for the 2024 edition – just published, and available to purchase from the Weatherbys Shop – here are five key pieces of information contained within its pages.
Order Of St George rewarded for a bright start
Order Of St George was the busiest sire in Britain and Ireland, having covered 311 mares under the Coolmore National Hunt banner at Castle Hyde Stud.
The champion stayer by Galileo has always been popular with jumps breeders, receiving 288 mares in 2022 and 238 in 2023, but an encouraging display with his first four-year-olds drove demand even higher this year.
Order Of St George supplied seven individual point-to-point winners including Buckna, who was sold at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale for £350,000 after bolting up at Kirkistown on debut for Gerald Quinn, while among his early runners under rules were impressive bumper scorers Gore Point and Seo Linn.
There was quality as well as quantity in the sire’s book this year, as it featured accomplished racemares Bonny Kate, Irish Roe, Maskada, Theatre Glory and Zuzka, as well as the dams of stars Angels Breath, Banbridge, Captain Teague, Flooring Porter, Loughglynn, Mister Blue Sky, Rock The Kasbah, The New One and Thunder Rock.
Behind Order Of St George, the next most active sires in Britain and Ireland this year were Calyx (273 mares covered), Santiago (251), Good Guess (250), Affinisea (246), Sioux Nation (246), Mehmas (244), Hurricane Lane (236), Triple Threat (225) and Poet's Word (223).
Phoenix Of Spain surges in the popularity stakes
Irish National Stud-based Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Phoenix Of Spain received one of the biggest year-on-year increases in book size of any sire.
The grey son of Lope De Vega covered 217 mares this season, up from 91 in the preceding year, on the back of making an encouraging start by delivering 20 winners at a clip of 39 per cent among his debut crop of two-year-olds in 2023.
Phoenix Of Spain has justified breeders’ faith in him with another bold showing in his sophomore season, the highlight of which has been Haatem winning the G3 Craven Stakes and G3 Jersey Stakes and making the frame in both the Newmarket and Curragh 2,000 Guineas.
His expanded book this year included the dams of Blue Point, Family One, Gold Phoenix, Jaameh, Katla, Layfayette, One Voice, Pandora’s Gift, Ship Of Dreams, Stratum and Thunderbear, as well as Haatem’s dam Hard Walnut.
Among the other sires who enjoyed a big upturn in business between 2023 and 2024 were King Of Change, who went from 52 mares to 131 thanks to glowing reports about his first two-year-olds and some good results at the breeze-up sales, and Awtaad, who went from 74 to 128 in recognition of his excellent results from relatively meagre opportunities.
An abundance of exceptional mares for Frankel
Frankel joined Dubawi as the most expensive sire in the world when his fee was increased to £350,000 as reward for a sensational season in 2023, in which he was represented by G1 winners Chaldean, Courage Mon Ami, Inspiral, Jannah Rose, Kelina, Mostahdaf, Nashwa, Soul Sister, Triple Time, Westover and Ylang Ylang and was crowned Britain and Ireland’s champion sire by a wide margin.
Needless to say, then, his book of 192 mares at Banstead Manor Stud this year contained wall-to-wall quality.
It included G1 winners Abscond, Al Husn, Alcohol Free, And Tell Me Nolies, Announce, Blowout, Caravel, Castle Lady, Emollient, Fallen For You, In Italian, Juliet Foxtrot, Kitesurf, Laurens, Lightening Pearl, Meditate, Midday, Muskoka, One Master, Pearls Galore, Polydream, Proviso, Saffron Beach, Sauterne, Sobetsu, Special Duty, Tenebrism, Teona, Urban Fox, Viadera and Wild Illusion.
Furthermore, it contained the dams of top-flight winners Ace Impact, Adhamo, Alcohol Free, Big Rock, Churchill, Courage Mon Ami, Desert Crown, Dream Castle, Enable, Gleneagles, Hurricane Lane, Inspiral, Jannah Rose, Johannes Vermeer, Luxembourg, McKulick, Mill Stream, Nashwa, National Defense, Queen Goddess, Ramatuelle, Rebel’s Romance, Sealiway, Set Piece, Siskin, Soul Sister, State Of Rest, Triple Time, Whitebeam, Windstoss, Without A Fight and Ylang Ylang.
Frankel’s 2024 book also featured five incredibly special mares who won at the highest level and have also produced progeny who have done the same, in Beauty Parlour (dam of Blowout), Daddys Lil Darling (dam of Savethelastdance), Dar Re Mi (dam of Too Darn Hot), Mecca’s Angel (dam of Content) and Quiet Reflection (dam of Lake Victoria).
Happy homecoming for Authorized
Derby winner and European champion three-year-old Authorized was given a hero’s welcome to Ireland, where he was born and bred by a partnership that included all-time great jockey Mick Kinane, when he was repatriated from the Turkish Jockey Club to stand at Capital Stud in County Kilkenny this year.
The 20-year-old son of Montjeu, source of Flat G1 winners Ambivalent, Hartnell, Seal Of Approval and Santiago but better known as the sire of dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll and top hurdler Nichols Canyon, covered 138 mares upon his return.
They included the classy racemares Legacy Gold, Poetic Music, Sensulano and Zambella, and dams of proven performers Bravemansgame, Champ, Rathvinden, Absolute Notions and Campeador.
Authorized served a reminder of his talents as a National Hunt sire before the covering season when Readin Tommy Wrong won the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle at Naas in January, and another midway through it when I Am Maximus became his second winner of the Grand National in April.
Lillie Langtry’s long wait is over
Lillie Langtry must rank as one of the most sparkling jewels in Coolmore’s overflowing treasure chest of broodmares.
The 17-year-old daughter of Danehill Dancer was a dual G1 winner in her racing pomp, taking the Coronation Stakes and Matron Stakes, and she has produced six winners including three Classic scorers in Minding, Empress Josephine and Tuesday. Furthermore, she is already the granddam of a G1 winner, with Minding’s son Henry Longfellow landing the National Stakes last year.
Remarkably, though, Lillie Langtry had produced no male offspring until this year, when her 11th foal – arriving on May 26 – was her first-ever colt. The son of Frankel is clearly a priceless commodity.
• For further information please contact Weatherbys executive director Nick Craven on +44 (0)1933 440077/+44 (0)7850 025835 or email: ncraven@weatherbys.co.uk
• Visit the Weatherbys website
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