Mastercraftsman (pic Caroline Norris)
Former Irish 2000 Guineas winner Mastercraftsman scored a sensational Gr1 double over the weekend with his sons Kingston Hill (St Leger) and The Grey Gatsby (Irish Champion Stakes). The two colts are members of their sire’s first crop – which, currently, has produced seven stakes winners – of which six are group winners.
Mastercraftsman, whose sire Danehill Dancer continues to exert considerable influence in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, retired to stud in 2010 – as did another sensational young sire, Sea The Stars (Cape Cross). The two clearly rate as two of Europe’s most exciting stallions, and both look like adding further glory to the powerful Danzig male line.
Sea The Stars
At this point in time, Mastercraftsman and Sea The Stars are all but level pegging as sources of stakes winners. While Mastercraftsman has seven black type winners (all from his first crop of 3yos) to his credit, Sea The Stars (who beat Mastercraftsman in both the Juddmonte International and Irish Champion Stakes) is the sire of nine stakes winners – three of whom are Gr1 winners (Sea The Moon, Taghrooda, Vazira). However, one must consider that Sea The Stars (who had a 2014 stud fee of €85,000) would have covered a high-class of mare than his counterpart (whose most recently published fee was €35,000).
Both stallions look exceptionally promising and, considering the large books of quality mares they are likely to cover, both Mastercraftsman and Sea The Stars look more than likely to continue to confirm themselves as among Europe’s elite stallions. However, it is early days yet, and it is worth remembering that many stallions shine with their first crops, but prove unable to continue their success later on.
Swaps
The great runner Swaps (Khaled), one of the finest racehorses ever seen in North America, made a dazzling start to his stud career. Winner of the 1955 Kentucky Derby, Swaps’ first crop contained champion racemare, and 1978 Broodmare Of The Year, Primonetta, while his third crop included Kentucky Derby winner Chateaugay, Gr1 Wood Memorial Stakes hero No Robbery and Champion, and Hall of Fame member, Affectionately. However, following this impressive start to his stud career, Swaps’ success tailed off and his later crops failed to achieve the same level of success.
Former Champion 2YO Colt Fasliyev made a sensational start with his first runners in 2003 earning him the title of Champion First Crop Sire. The son of Nureyev’s first crop included no fewer than seven stakes winners – which included the brilliant Gr 1 winning filly Carry On Katie. However, his success stalled afterwards, and Fasliyev was later sold by Coolmore to Japanese interests. He died in Japan at the age of 16.
Clearly first, and even second, crop success does not ensure long term quality for a stallion, but having said that, many great stallions’ have immediately made an impression with their first crops at the track.
So which of the great sires in recent years got off to comparable starts, in terms of quality performers to have emerged from their first crops, as has the two stallions mentioned above?
Jet Master
In South Africa, it is hard to think of a stallion whose first crop included more high-class performers than Jet Master. The now defunct champion’s first crop, born in 2002, made an immediate impact – and eventually produced 16 stakes winners – of which four were Gr1 winners. Another five horses born in this crop were Gr1 placed, which meant Jet Master’s first crop including a stunning nine Gr1 performers from 77 registered foals. In terms of individual stakes winners, Jet Master’s first crop ranks as his best. Few would debate the fact that Jet Master was the greatest stallion to stand in South Africa over the past two decades.
Former dominant champion sire in South Africa, Foveros, had a remarkable first crop of foals. Comprised of just 29 registered foals, they included eight (28%) stakes winners, including champion Aquanaut. Just three of Foveros’ subsequent crops would produce more black type winners than did his initial crop of foals – and all three crops contained substantially more foals.
Bold Ruler
However, it is a legendary sire of yesteryear who sired the definitively brilliant first crop – with percentages which are hard to believe in today’s world where three figure books of mares are a standard practice for most commercially successful stallions. Eight times champion sire in North America, Bold Ruler made a stunning start to his stud career. From just 16 foals, the former Horse of The Year left behind eight first crop stakes winners (ie 50% of his first crop of foals won at least one stakes race). This astonishing first crop included the ill-fated champion Lamb Chop, as well as Batteur, Bold Consort, and Speedwell – all of whom won what are now Gr1 races.
Another of Bold Ruler’s first crop, Bold Commander, would later go on to sire Preakness Stakes winner Master Derby and became broodmare sire of US Horse Of The Year and successful sire Conquistador Cielo. Bold Ruler’s stakes winning first crop daughter Bold Princess also made her mark at stud – producing the highly successful stallion Sovereign Dancer (by Northern Dancer), as well as Gr1 Hollywood Derby winner Intrepid Hero (Forli).
One can only imagine if another stallion will ever match the stunning first crop achieved by Bold Ruler – whose statistics ensure he rates highly in the lists of history’s greatest stallions.
