THE STALLIONS WHO HAD THEIR FIRST YEARLINGS AT THE SALES IN 2024
Yearlings by first-crop sires represent, year in and year out, about 15% of the European market. And a little more than 10% of the turnover of a segment which, this year, broke its 2022 record. It’s ultimately quite small, but it’s crucial for the future. A good or bad start in the sales ring is crucial for the rest of the stallion’s career.
By Franco Raimondi
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.
Top-class dams
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.
Remember the first Frankels
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).
For trade or for racing
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
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