Farhh wins the Gr1 Lockinge Stakes
When Farhh won Saturday’s Gp1 JLT Lockinge Stakes, he became the third offspring of outstanding British sire Pivotal to triumph in this top-level 1600m contest (Virtual and Peeress having preceded Farhh in 2009 and 2006 respectively).
While a top-class sprinter, Pivotal (by 1991 Lockinge winner Polar Falcon) was not bred in the purple, and the lightly raced colt began his stud career at a fee of just GBP 6,000. Remarkably, Pivotal’s fee (which is now GBP 45,000) rose to as much as GBP 85,000 during a stellar career, which has seen the stallion sire over 100 stakes winners – and no fewer than 22 individual G1 winners.
He has also been an exceptionally versatile stallion, siring G1 winners from 1000-2400 metres. Pivotal is also siring a world-class 9% stakes winners to foals and remarkably, of his 22 G1 winners, 19 are out of mares by different broodmare sires.
Throughout history, there have been cases of stallions who start out at the lower end of the fashion spectrum and end up champions. This phenomenon has happened all over the globe, and includes horses who became breed shapers of the modern day thoroughbred. Great stallions have come in all shapes and sizes, and a number overcame serious physical faults to head their respective lists.
Gallinule
A horse who battled various physical problems during training, Gallinule became one of the greatest sires of his generation. The former bleeder, and roarer, who only won as a juvenile in an injury (and controversy) interrupted career, retired to stud in Ireland in 1891, where he stood his first season for 25 guineas.
Despite being represented by just 8 juveniles in his first crop, Gallinule would subsequently go on to head the British sires list twice, and he sired the peerless champion Pretty Polly. Gallinule sired no fewer than six Irish Derby winners, and four British classic winners. He headed the broodmare sires list on five occasions. Remarkable for a horse who began his stud career with so little fan fare!
Mr Prospector
While Mr Prospector was the sales topping yearling of his generation, the colt, while a speedy and talented runner, never reached the same heights on the track. His seven wins included the Gavesend and Whirlaway Handicaps, but Mr Prospector, who began his stud career at a fee of $7,500, will forever be remembered as arguably one of the five most influential sires of the 20th century.
Beginning his stud career in Florida, Mr Prospector’s very first crop of 27 foals included champion filly It’s In The Air and three other stakes winner. The stallion was moved to Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, and never looked back in a long and illustrious stud career.
He would subsequently top the US sires list twice (1987, 1988), before becoming an outstanding broodmare sire (9 times champion!) and highly influential sire of sires.
Mr Prospector’s sons include the breed shapers Fappiano, Forty Niner, Gone West, Kingmambo, Machiavellian, Miswaki, and Seeking The Gold, to name a few, and his descendants include 11 Kentucky Derby winners!
Sir Tristram
Sir Tristram is one of the all time great rags to riches stories in the world of horse racing. The only outstanding sire son of champion racehorse and leading sire Sir Ivor, Sir Tristram became a modern day legend in Australasia. The fiery “Paddy” won just two minor races in a 13 race career, and began his stud career at Cambridge Stud for just $1,200.
However, the well bred Sir Tristram (a descendant of mega matron Selene) overcame all the doubts surrounding him to become a sire sensation. He sired 45 G1 winners during his lengthy stud career, including champion sire Zabeel (himself now an influential sire of sires and leading broodmare sire). Sir Tristram, sire of 130 stakes winners, won no fewer than 17 sires titles during his remarkable career!
Kris S
Lightly raced, Kris S made just 5 starts during his brief racing career, winning three. His sole stakes success came in the unheralded Bradbury Stakes, but Kris S made up for this in a magnificent stud career.
He retired to stud at Meadowbrook Stud (for a $3,500 fee) in Florida originally, but was later moved to Kentucky following a sensational start to his stud career. Kris S’s stud fee would eventually reach $150 000.
During his career, Kris S proved a world class sire with such progeny as Kris Kin (Epsom Derby), Arch (leading sire), Cheval Volant (Starlet Stakes), Dr Fong (St James Palace Stakes) and You And I (Met Mile).
However, the stallion truly proved sensational as a sire/grandsire of Breeders Cup winners. His offspring included five individual Breeders Cup winners: Action This Day, Brocco, Hollywood Wildcat, Prized and Soaring Softly.
To date, Kris S mares (which include two Broodmare of the Year winners) have produced such Breeders Cup winners as Life Is Sweet, Sweet Catomine, War Chant and the mighty Zenyatta. Few sires have exerted a greater influence on racing’s greatest festival as has Kris S!
Sharpen Up
Few, if any, would have tipped Sharpen Up, when he retired to stud, as future chefs de race, and world leading sire. By a very poor sire in Atan, Sharpen Up was an unbeaten G1 winner at two, scoring his principal success in the Middle Park Stakes of 1971. At three, Sharpen Up ran Parsimony to a neck in the July Cup, but ended his career with a last place finish in the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes.
When he retired to stud, Sharpen Up was evaluated at GBP 3750 – and he covered just 34 mares in his first season at stud. However, Sharpen Up’s son Kris who set his sire on the way to stardom. A champion miler, Kris won 14 of his 16 starts and received a Timeform Rating of. He would go on to become a champion sire.
Subsequent racing and breeding stars sired by Sharpen Up included Diesis (Champion 2yo), Selkirk (Champion miler), Sharpo (Champion Sprinter), Pebbles (Breeders Cup Turf) and Trempolino (Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe). The latter two were outstanding performers at 2400m – displaying stamina deficient in their sire.
Sharpen Up’s sons, Diesis, Kris, Sharpo, Selkirk and Trempolino all enjoyed success at stud, and Sharpen Up himself is also the broodmare sire of leading sire and champion sprinter Cadeaux Genereux. Between them, Diesis and Kris sired five Epsom Oaks winners, and both became outstanding broodmare sires.
There are a number of other sires who fall into similar categories – horses like former hurdlers Wrack and Wild Risk, one time winner Night Shift, as well as such horses as Foxbridge and Fairy King. Clearly, topping the sires list is not the sole prerogative of champion racehorses!
