THE STALLIONS WHO HAD THEIR FIRST YEARLINGS AT THE SALES IN 2024

This year, the most eagerly awaited of the young stallions was the FR St Mark’s Basilica (Siyouni). Winner of the Dewhurst (Gr1) at 2, he had a perfect season at 3: Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Prix du Jockey Club, Eclipse Stakes and Irish Champion (Grs1). St Mark’s Basilica achieved a rating of 127. This was then the best in the world, tied with two super horses: Adayar (Frankel), the Derby winner and winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr1) and Mishriff (Make Believe), who had finished six lengths clear of his rivals in the Juddmonte International (Gr1). At Coolmore, St Mark’s Basilica started his stud career at €65,000. His first crop has 130 yearlings, of which 76 went through the sales and 62 found buyers at an average price of €218,090 for a total of €13.52 million. This places St Mark’s Basilica in the top 10 commercial stallions of the European sales season. At the same time, the young sire equals a record that dates back to 2015, that of Frankel’s (Galileo) first yearlings on the public market.

A daughter of St Mark’s Basilica, bred by Écurie des Monceaux, was sold for €1.7 million to Coolmore at the August sale. She thus became the seventh millionaire yearling out of her dam Prudenzia (Dansili). She has produced the Gr1 winners Chicquita (Montjeu) and Magic Wand (Galileo). A few weeks later, at Tattersalls, Blandford Bloodstock, acting for Saeed Suhail, had the last word at 950,000 Gns (€1.18 million) for a son of Longina (Monsun), Gr2 winner and placed in the Preis der Diana (Gr1). He was bred in France by Al Shahania Stud at Haras des Cruchettes.

In 2015, two Frankels reached the million mark. This was the case of a filly out of Alexander Goldrun (Gold Away), winner of five Grs1, sold for €1.7 million to the China Horse Club at Goffs Orby. But also a filly bred by Écurie des Monceaux for €1.15 million at the August sale. The first, named Goldrush (Frankel) won her first three races including a Listed race on the Dundalk all-weather. The second, out of Platonic (Zafonic), did not race. But as a broodmare, Ghalyah (Frankel) has already produced the black-type winner Scenic (Lope de Vega).

The comparison between Frankel and St Mark’s Basilica was impossible on the track (13 pounds difference in rating) but also in terms of their first steps on the market. The Juddmonte crack started his stallion career at £125,000 (€150,000) per service in 2013. His first crop was 119 foals. More than half of St Mark’s Basilica’s yearlings went through the sales. Whereas among the first Frankels only 22 were presented in the ring. And the 17 sold posted an average price of €683,000. The vast majority of the first Frankels were conceived to go racing without going through the sales. St Mark’s Basilica, on the other hand, has been used extensively by commercial breeders. His first stud fee was €65,000. He also covered a dozen Coolmore mares in 2022 and almost double that in 2023. Frankel’s fee remained unchanged from 2013 to 2017 before rising to £175,000 in 2018, i.e. when his first 3-year-old had finished their racing season. Frankel then had 16 Group winners. Coolmore, on the other hand, has changed St Mark’s Basilica’s stud fee in line with the market. After his first two seasons, the Irish superpower lowered St Mark’s Basilica to €50,000 in 2024 (hence 138 coverings) and to €40,000 in 2025.

Three Darley stallions were represented by their first yearlings in 2024. Palace Pier (Kingman), a dual winner of the Prix Jacques Le Marois (Grs1) and winner of three other Grs1, started covering at £55,000. This is almost the same price as St Mark’s Basilica. Just over half of his first yearlings (61 out of 112) went through the sales ring. Finally, 48 found takers at an average price of €92,685. Six posted a price corresponding to three times the covering fee. But we shouldn’t bury him before we see his progeny on the track. He has about fifteen yearlings bred by Godolphin. History shows that the correlation between wonderful sales and exceptional results on the track is not systematic. While waiting to discover the first 2-year-olds of Palace Pier on the track, it should be noted that during his first season he ran and won twice with a rating of 98. His 2025 fee has dropped to £32,000 (€38,500) after covering 123 mares in 2024.

Two other young Darley stallions offered excellent returns to breeder-vendors. Space Blues (Dubawi) lacked a little precocity for the market – he won his three Grs1 at 4 and 5 – but at a price of €17,500 breeders trusted him. He had 112 yearlings, 80 of which went through the sales ring: the 66 sold posted an average price of €73,964, more than four times the covering fee. His €420,000 yearling was sold in October in Deauville. Eight of his yearlings found takers at over €150,000. Victor Ludorum (Shamardal), winner of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère and the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Grs1), was very well received in France. Out of his first crop of 105 yearlings, 63 of the 76 presented were sold at an average price of €56,385. This is very good for a first-season stallion standing in France. Two of his yearlings were sold for €420,000. Another young French stallion has done very well in the sales test. Armor’s (No Nay Never) yearlings reached an average price of €33,083, more than six times his initial fee of €5,000.

A classy – but late – sprinter, Starman (Dutch Art) started covering at €17,500. No less than 175 of his first 211 foals went through public sales. The risk of inflation was enormous on paper, but buyers played the game. Twenty-three yearlings were sold for at least five times the covering fee, with a top price of 260,000 Gns (€325,000) for Amo Racing at Tattersalls October Book 1. Eight crossed the €200,000 mark. In total, 148 Starmans were sold at an average price of €48,463. Only 48 were sold below the covering fee. Starman’s fee dropped to €10,000 in 2024, pending his first runners.

Another first-season sire had over a hundred yearlings on the market. At 2, Supremacy (Mehmas) won the Middle Park Stakes (Gr1) but did not confirm at 3. Of his 110 yearlings for sale, 87 were sold. The average price was €40,635. Eight crossed the €100,000 mark. His top price at 270,000 Gns (€337,500) is to the credit of the young Frenchman Louis Dubois acting for Wesley Ward. Finally, only 27 were found for less than the 2022 covering fee (€12,500). Lucky Vega (Lope de Vega), runner-up to Supremacy in the Middle Park, has already produced a black-type winner with his first 2-year-olds in Australia… but too late, as it was on November 10^th (after the end of most sales). Yulong supported his stallion by buying three of the six yearlings that reached €100,000. A third of the 54 sold did not reach €15,000, i.e. the covering fee. But the average price remains very correct at €45,194.

In the « speed-precocity » segment, the competition is very tough. Seven years ago, we saw the first yearlings by No Nay Never (Scat Daddy) arrive at the sales. Conceived at €20,000, they were unanimously acclaimed with an average price of €135,000, 63 of the 68 presented were sold, including eleven at over €200,000. No Nay Never became Champion First Crop Sire and his fee then went into six figures. Two years later, Mehmas (Acclamation), who started at €12,500, had over 130 yearlings in his inaugural crop. Of these, 102 went through the sales and 85 were sold with an average price close to €40,000. He broke all records for winners with his 2-year-olds. And in 2025, he will be covering at €70,000. The first crop of Havana Grey (Havana Gold) was conceived at less than €10,000. At the sales, their average price was €33,621. Pending his first 2-year-olds, his fee was down to £6,000 (€7,200). The success of his progeny propelled him to a covering fee of £55,000 (€66,000) in 2024. In 2025, he is private, with selection conditions. The champion of the 2023 First Crop Sires, Blue Point (Shamardal) started in a completely different range at €45,000 per service. In his first crop, he had 161 foals. His yearlings sold well with an average price of €112,922 in 2022. Pending his first 2-year-olds, his fee had dropped to €35,000. It was the success on the track of his first two crops that made his services jump to €100,000.

The arrival of the first yearlings at the sales is a very important test for a young sire. They are all obliged to face the jungle of the public market. Sometimes, the first yearlings are well received and sell well. But if they do not confirm the hopes placed in them the following year, their sire has a hard time not sinking into oblivion…