Grey was order of the season

Eddie’s Boy was fairly typical of Havana Grey’s season – he won the Super Sprint in July but the colt continued to improve through the season to gain Group 3 Prix Eclipse success in September and finish second in the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte in October

There was no stopping Havana Grey from the get go, writes Alan Porter

GIVEN THAT HE WON five black-type races over the minimum distance, including the Molecomb Stakes (G3) at two, and Flying Five Stakes (G1) and Sapphire Stakes (G2) at three, it’s no surprise that Havana Grey (Havana Gold) made a quick start, but the fact that he’s emerged as leading European first-season sire by prize-money earned was probably not generally anticipated.

Not only has he got the numbers this year but he has also got the quality.

He kicked of with 39 individual winners, no less than 13 achieving some degree of black-type, and five winning black-type events.

That includes a trio of Group winners, Lady Hollywood, who is out of a mare by Cadeaux Genereux and was successful in the Prix d’Arenberg (G3), the Prix Eclipse (G3) scorer Eddie’s Boy, who is out of a mare by Holy Roman Emperor, and Cornwallis Stakes (G3) winner Rumstar. He is out of a mare by Sakhee’s Secret, who is also broodmare sire of Havana Gold’s stakes winner Cuban Mistress, the pair of sires becoming an emerging duo.

Eddie’s Boy was the first to really put the sire on the map with his Weatherbys Super Sprint victory, and the early start he made on the racecourse was maintained through to the end of the season.

He has had success with colts and with fillies, one of his early winners of a two-year-old “marker” race was the Hilary Needler Trophy winner Star Of Lady M, bred by Whitsbury.

It is certainly interesting to see a sprinting branch of Galileo emerging!

Saxon Warrior

As a juvenile Grade 1 winner of the Phoenix Stakes (G1), and by Scat Daddy, the sire of the growing juvenile influential No Nay Never, Sioux Nation always looked sure to figure prominently on this list.

He has racked up 40 individual winners, and heads the first-season stallions’ list on that score.

His leading performer Lakota Sioux (out of a Dalakhani mare) won the Sweet Solera Stakes (G3), while Sydneyarms Chelsea (out of a Tamayuz mare, and also inbred 3x3 to Oasis Dream) the Prix Six Perfections (G3).

The sire produced 10 stakes winners or performers with his first crop – Matilda Picotte with thirds in the Lowther Stakes (G2) and the Balanchine Stakes (G3) perhaps unlucky not to have upgraded her Listed Bosra Sham victory to Group success.

Although he earned a rating as Europe’s second best two-year-old after taking the Beresford Stakes (G2) and Racing Post Trophy (G1), the subsequent 2,000 Guineas (G1) winner Saxon Warrior (Deep Impact) wasn’t expected to get a lot of precocious juveniles, however he started to gain some significant momentum towards the end of the year, his offspring appearing to improve for their racing.

Three of his offspring won Group 3 events – Lumiere Rock, who is out of a mare by Gold Away, giving inbreeding to Sadler’s Wells/Nureyev in the centre of the pedigree, won the Staffordstown Stud Stakes (G3), while his well-bred colt Victoria Road (Invincible Spirit) took the Prix de Conde (G3) and then the upgraded to Grade 1 success in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Juvenile.

Late in the autumn, Moon Ray, who is out of a Giant’s Causeway mare, took the Prix Miesque (G3) in a head-bobbing finish.

Saxon Warrior’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup winner Victoria Road

Saxon Warrior also had three Group-placed horses, most notably the Jim Bolger-trained Gan Teorainn (Rainbow Quest), who finished second in the Prix Marcel Boussac (G1) and fourth in the Criterium de SaintCloud (G1).

That French Group 1 was won by Dubai Mile, who gave his late sire Roaring Lion a posthumous Group 1 winner.

Harry Angel

Dark Angel’s son Harry Angel won the Mill Reef Stakes (G2) at two and progressed to earn honours as Europe’s top three-year-old sprinter the following season winning the Haydock Sprint Cup (G1), the July Cup Stakes (G1) and the Sandy Lane Stakes (G2). He also added the Duke Of York Stakes (G2) to his tally at four.

Through this first season Harry Angel had two Listed winners, and three black-typeplaced horses among his 22 winners, two of them Group placed– the Gimcrack Stakes (G2) runner-up Marshman (Galileo), and the Prix d’Arenberg (G3) runner-up Vicious Harry. He is out of a mare by Encosta De Lago, a son of Fairy King, whose brother Sadler’s Wells is the sire of Galileo, so giving a similar cross to Marshman).

Zoustar (Norther Meteor) should really have an asterix attached as although he is a freshman in Europe, he is a proven, and very accomplished sire, in his native Australia.

Zoustar, who perhaps did not get going as quickly as was expected and had produced 14 winners by the time this piece was written, has just one stakes winner from his European crops, but that one is no less than

Lezoo, who won the Empress Fillies’ Stakes (L), the Princess Margaret Stakes (G3) and then stepped up on that promise to take the Cheveley Park Stakes (G1).

Lezoo is out of a Red Clubs mare who is inbred 3x3 to Roberto, and Lezoo has the brothers Fairy King and Tate Gallery 4x4 at the top and bottom of the pedigree.

Zoustar has a number of interesting looking maiden winners toward the back-end, and it will be interesting to watch his progress with this crop as three-year-olds.

Kessaar

Kessaar (Kodiac) only raced at two, winning the Mill Reef Stakes (G2) and Sirenia Stakes (G3). He had 20 individual winners, including the black-type placed duo of Bolt Action (Equiano) and Ipanema Princess (Tagula).

Below these come the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) victor Expert Eye (Acclamation), who had 18 individual winners but no black-type individual.

The champion European two-year-old colt and champion European three-year-old sprinter U S Navy Flag (War Front), was represented by two Listed winners.

Love Reigns, who is out of a Pivotal mare giving Sadler’s Wells/Nureyev in the centre of the pedigree, winner of the Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga, and Ocean Vision (Mr.Greeley), winner of the Prix de la Vallee d’Auge.

The consistent Group 2-winning and Group 1-placed sprinter Tasleet (Showcasing) scored in the Coventry Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot with Bradsell.

He’s out of a mare by Archipenko and has the sisters Hope, the dam of Tasleet’s grandsire Oasis Dream, and Wemyss Bight 4x4.

Cracksman

The two-time European champion and four-time Group 1 winner Cracksman (Frankel) did better with his two-year-olds than had generally been expected and got hmself 11 winners.

His Italy Listed winner Aloa (Lawman) stepped up to Group 2 success in the mile Premio Dormello towards the end of October.

Cracksman’s British Listed winner Dance In The Grass (Sir Percy) took Sandown’s Star Stakes in July for Mark and Charlie Johnston. The sire’s best days with this crop still surely lay ahead.

Best of the rest

The Group 2-winning and Classic-placed miler Massaat (Teofilo) and Mill Reef (G2) and Greenham Stakes (G3) winner James Garfield (Exceed and Excel) both gathered six winners apiece.

James Garfield’s star of the year was Maria Branwell, winner of May’s National Stakes (L) at Sandown.

Unfortunately, standing at Oak Lodge Stud, produced eight winners from far less starters than those at the top of this list.