2023 First Season Sires

With the first 2yo races in France and Ireland already run and the Brocklesby on Saturday, I thought I'd do another First Season Sires thread for 2023.

Here are the main contenders for GB/IRE FSS. I will add in any sires standing outside GB/IRE if they have winners here.

ADVERTISE (National Stud - 137 mares = 98 registered foals)
BLUE POINT (Darley - 198 mares = 143 registered foals)
CALYX (Coolmore - 163 mares = 96 registered foals)
EQTIDAAR (Shadwell - 75 mares = 50 registered foals)
FLAG OF HONOUR (National Stud - 40 mares = 23 registered foals)
INNS OF COURT (Tally Ho Stud - 218 mares = 163 registered foals)
INVINCIBLE ARMY (Yeomastown Stud - 139 mares = 88 registered foals
LAND FORCE (Highclere Stud - 155 mares = 96 registered foals)
MAGNA GRECIA (Coolmore - 180 mares = 98 registered foals)
MASAR (Darley - 146 mares = 95 registered foals)
PHOENIX OF SPAIN (Irish National Stud - 148 mares = 91 registered foals)
SOLDIERS CALL (Ballyhane Stud - 164 mares = 117 registered foals)
STUDY OF MAN (Lanwades Stud - 71 mares = 48 registered foals)
TEN SOVEREIGNS (Coolmore - 214 mares = 127 registered foals)
TOO DARN HOT (Darley - 172 mares = 106 registered foals)
WALDGEIST (Ballylinch Stud - 117 mares = 54 registered foals)

Stud stood at and the number of mares covered in their first season are in brackets along with registered foals, though this won’t be 100% accurate as they often don’t include registrations if the foal was born abroad and doesn’t take into account people not filing their paperwork on time!. I've left off those that have been marketed as Jumps/dual purpose stallions but again if they have a runner I'll add them in.

 

Those with runners so far:

1 Magna Grecia - 1 winner from 1 runner
2. Calyx - 0 winners from 1 runner
3. Invincible Army - 0 winners from 1 runner

 

Really liked what I've seen of Advertise's offspring. Think he'll do well.
My vote for damp squib of the lot is Calyx.

They'll probably end up the other way round.

 

I’ve added in the number of registered foals now, as per the Return of Mares. Actual numbers may well be higher when accounting for late registrations (which are technically not supposed to happen, but do!) and overseas births.

 

Updated stats:

1. Magna Grecia - 1 winner from 2 runners
2. Calyx - 1 winner from 2 runners
3. Invincible Army - 0 winners from 1 runner
4. Soldier's Call - 0 winners from 4 runners

 

Updated stats:

1. Ten Sovereigns - 1 winner from 1 runner
=2. Magna Grecia - 1 winner from 2 runners
=2 Blue Point - 1 winner from 2 runners
3. Calyx - 1 winner from 3 runners
=4. Invincible Army - 0 winners from 1 runner
=4. Phoenix of Spain - 0 winners from 1 runner
5. Soldier's Call - 0 winners from 4 runners

 

Upcoming entries for those yet to have runners:

EQTIDAAR - Mistress Teite, 17 April Redcar
INNS OF COURT - Innvincible Friend, 14 April Leicester
TOO DARN HOT - Perelle, 17 April Windsor

 

Beginning to sound ominous about Blue Point. Everyone seems to like them.

 

Updated stats:

1. Blue Point - 4 winners from 8 runners
2. Calyx - 2 winners from 5 runners
=3. Ten Sovereigns - 1 winner from 1 runner
=3. Magna Grecia - 1 winner from 2 runners
=4. Advertise - 0 winners from 1 runner
=4. Eqtidaar - 0 winners from 1 runner
=4. Masar - 0 winners from 1 runner
=4. Too Darn Hot - 0 winners from 1 runner
=5. Invincible Army - 0 winners from 2 runners
=5.Phoenix of Spain - 0 winners from 2 runners
6. Inns of Court - 0 winners from 5 runners
7. Soldier's Call - 0 winners from 7 runners

 

And Calyx. Progeny of both selling for big prices.

 

Sad to report that FSS Eqtidaar has been put down on veterinary advice due to complications from a health condition.

The Law of Sod dictates that his offspring will now prove to be pretty decent.

 

The Blue Point’s and Calyx’s continued to sell well at Doncaster

 

Latest Stats:

1. Blue Point - 5 winners from 9 runners
2. Calyx - 2 winners from 6 runners
3. Ten Sovereigns - 1 winner from 1 runner
4. Magna Grecia - 1 winner from 2 runners
=5. Invincible Army - 0 winners from 1 runner
=5. Land Force - 0 winners from 1 runner
=5. Masar - 0 winners from 1 runner
=5. Study of Man - 0 winners from 1 runner
=6. Advertise - 0 winners from 2 runners
=6. Eqtidaar - 0 winners from 2 runners
=6. Phoenix of Spain - 0 winners from 2 runners
=6. Too Darn Hot - 0 winners from 2 runners
7. Inns of Court - 0 winners from 6 runners
8. Soldier's Call - 0 winners from 9 runners


Still to have a runner:

Flag of Honour
Waldgeist

 

Reason I'm against Calyx (and I'm probably going to be proved wrong to be) is that his career was unsatisfactory and the nature of his last two runs. Sure, he looked a good 2yo when he won the Coventry but then did not run again. If you look back to my post on the day of the Coventry I said the 2nd, Advertise, was the one to take out of the race: and so it proved to be.
His 3yo run at Ascot did not inform us he had progressed but his final run at Haydock seemed to be by a horse whose action was all wrong. My concern is that he will pass this on. I fully realise he may not.

 

You will probably be right Busty. My thoughts about him are that he could very well be a leading sire of juveniles. Of course a lot depends on the mares (type) he gets to service.
I was looking at the breeze ups to see if I could spot MPR,s latest superstar for the coming season and the one I really liked that they bought was a Calyx (Bereka). They paid 140k but sold him out within 48 hours of purchase.
I also liked a Calyx that Nick Bradley purchased out of Fluvial.
With good reason the wife is very anti racing these days. It might be because we have paid three years of training fees for the grand return of one run. So although I showed them to her I got a very sniffy response.
I will add their names on here when I find them, just out of interest.

 

He was definitely a fragile sort (as apparently a lot of the Kingman’s are), part of me suspects the reason Juddmonte sold him to Coolmore was because they didn’t want to risk standing a stallion that had proven to be so delicate on track.

 

So he'll have 3 full crops. Is it known whether he covered any this year?

 

I won’t get numbers for another 6 weeks, but I’m guessing it won’t be a large number. He only had 26 mares last year and if he’s been ill for a few weeks that will have curtailed his book.

 

If only we had the benefits of critiques that we have in dog shows (I'm thinking mainly Championship level). The dogs get assessed by several top level judges over the period of their career and, with all that information, it makes it easier (although still bloody complex) to get some idea of which matings should be successful and which may throw up problems. For example, given that no dog is perfect, you could have a handsome dog and a beautiful bitch (both champions) but both have the same minor fault. Breeding these together will likely double up on the fault and this applies back through the pedigrees, not just the immediate "sire and dam". With dogs though you may get up to 11 or 12 in a litter and some will be show quality and most of them not. Hence the good judge of a dog will spot the best of the litter after about 4 weeks. We don't have that luxury with thoroughbreds as only one foal results from a mating. Now, I'm not an expert on breeding but I can't help wondering sometimes if what would have been the "pick of the litter" isn't the one that makes it. That could explain why some bred in the purple foals don't live up to expectations

 

NELLIE LAYLAX was a nice little winner for Team Calyx at Beverley today. Not particularly fancied in the betting and then pretty sluggishly away but came home with a real rattle and took the scalps of a couple who had already had a run and looked promising. She could be pretty useful.

I see the Calyx that Nick Bradley purchased has joined Craig Lidster.