From Dubawi and Frankel to Zoustar and Too Darn Hot - unmissable sales stats

Dubawi, who is on course to be crowned champion sire in Britain and Ireland for the first time, has achieved the highest average and median prices of any stallion at this year’s European yearling sales.

The newly published Weatherbys Bloodstock Sales Review Part 1 2022 shows that the Dalham Hall Stud stalwart was represented by 30 lots who sold for an average of 753,244gns and median of 637,500gns, up to October 21.

They were headed by a colt out of the Group 3-winning Dalakhani mare Golden Valentine bought by Godolphin for €2,000,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale. Sheikh Mohammed’s operation was determined to race the sire’s best stock, as reflected by the fact that it bought 17 of the 30 yearlings who were knocked down.

The second best sales figures belonged to last year’s champion sire Frankel, who had 45 lots sell for an average price of 537,285gns and median of 310,000gns.

They included all of the top four lots at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale: a colt out of So Mi Dar sold to Godolphin for 2,800,000gns, a half-brother to Broome sold to MV Magnier and White Birch Farm for 2,400,000gns, a colt from the family of Make Believe sold to Richard Knight for 2,000,000gns, and a colt related to Fantasia sold to Magnier and White Birch Farm for 1,900,000gns.

The Tattersalls Book 1 sale-topping Frankel colt out of So Mi DarCredit: Edward Whitaker

Galileo – champion sire on 12 occasions, in 2008 and from 2010 to 2020 – was the third most in-demand sire at auction in Europe this year, with 33 lots sold for an average price of 300,153gns and median of 248,099gns.

His bestseller was a full-brother to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Waldgeist bought by Jill Lamb Bloodstock for 725,000gns.

Kingman, who was on the mark this year with Group 1 winners Commissioning and Kinross, is in fourth position among the commercial yearling sires, with 41 lots making an average price of 288,269gns and median of 220,000gns.

Top of the pile for the Banstead Manor Stud resident was a half-sister to recent Prix de l’Opera winner Place Du Carrousel sold to Shadwell for 1,050,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1.

Rounding out the top five sires at the European yearling sales this year, by average and median prices at least, was Haras de Bonneval hotshot Siyouni, who achieved impressive figures of 245,967gns and 156,030gns for 76 lots sold.

The most expensive member of that crop was the full-brother to Prix du Jockey Club and Arc victor Sottsass who was purchased by Yoshito Yahagi for €2,100,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale.

The most popular sire with first-crop yearlings on the market in Europe in 2022 was dual champion Too Darn Hot, who had 53 lots sell for an average price of 110,195gns and median of 80,032gns, headed by a colt out of Turret Rocks sold to David Redvers for 600,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1.

Too Darn Hot: the most popular sire with first-crop yearlings in 2022Credit: Edward Whitaker

Not far behind Too Darn Hot among those new names in the index of sires in this season’s yearling catalogues was fellow Darley sire Blue Point. His 72 representatives made an average of 87,497gns and median of 70,000gns, topped by a half-sister to Archer’s Dream bought by MV Magnier for €420,000 at the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale.

The freshman sire with the best results at the sales in Europe so far this year is Zoustar, whose debut northern hemisphere crop has yielded Cheveley Park Stakes scorer Lezoo. Most in-demand of all among his 66 lots who sold for an average of 69,583gns and median of 45,438gns was a half-sister to Boonie bought by Karl and Kelly Burke for 325,000gns at Book 1.

Second best among the first-season sires in 2022 is Saxon Warrior, whose son Victoria Road took the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last weekend. He had 53 second-crop yearlings sell for an average of 67,329gns and median of 36,000gns, boosted by the sale of a half-sister to Going Global to Al Shira’aa Racing for 450,000gns at Tattersalls.

Bragging rights among the second-season sires at the yearling sales in the past 12 months is a very close-run thing.

Ardad leads the way by average on 62,967gns for 14 sold, just ahead of Churchill on 61,065gns for 109 sold and Zarak on 51,177gns for 39 sold.

However, Zarak leapfrogs his peers when it comes to median on 47,219gns, ahead of Churchill on 37,615gns and Ardad on 35,000gns.

For more insights into stallion performance at this year’s yearling sales, purchase the Bloodstock Sales Review Park 1 2022 online at the Weatherbys Shop.

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