According to a recently published sales review by Weatherbys, Havana Grey (GB) was the highest-earning sire of the year for British and Irish racing in 2023. Havana Grey took the top spot on the list with a profitability index of 10.75, significantly surpassing the next best sire, Sioux Nation, with a score of 6.61. These indices were calculated by dividing the average earnings of each sire in 2023 by their covering fee in 2021 when the mentioned offspring were conceived.
The year 2023 was another incredibly successful year on the racetrack for the progeny of Havana Grey. The standout star of the second crop of two-year-olds was Vandeek (GB), the winner of the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. The rising reputation of this sire was later reflected in the sales ring, where his 65 yearlings were sold for an average value of 90,951 gns/€107,914, providing a significant return on investment for breeders who sent their mares to him for a fee of just £6,000 in 2021. For the 2024 season, the covering fee for Havana Grey was raised to £55,000 (from £18,500 in 2023) during his sixth campaign at Whitsbury Manor Stud.
Coolmore also increased the covering fee for Sioux Nation (from €17,500 to €27,500), who continued his success among two-year-olds in 2022, ranking second only to Havana Grey as a first-crop sire. Several representatives of this group became Group winners in 2023, led by Matilda Picotte (Ire), the winner of the G2 Challenge S. We wish all those who invested in any of the 30 yearlings of this sire for sale last year the best of luck. On average, they made £55,676/€66,060, with an average breeding cost of only €10,000.
Cotai Glory (GB) and Twilight Son (GB) commenced their careers in 2021 with minimal fees, at €5,000 and £5,000, respectively. Breeders who took advantage of this opportunity were certainly able to get value for their money. Cotai Glory from Tally Ho Stud achieved an average yearling value of 25,914 gns/€30,747 in 2023, producing a profitability index of 6.15. Twilight Son from Cheveley Park Stud was not far behind, with an index of 6.00 and an average value of 28,595 gns / €33,928 for 25 yearlings.
Sergei Prokofiev (Can), who joined Whitsbury Manor for a fee of £6,500 in 2021, occupies the fifth position on the list, and his first horses will race in 2024. If their results at last year’s sales are anything to go by, the two-year-olds of this sire cannot be underestimated. The 84 sold horses earned an average of 34,624 gns/€41,081.
With a profitability index of 5.59, Sergei Prokofiev was one of only two first-crop sires in the top ten, alongside Ghaiyyath (Ire) with a score of 4.68. Ghaiyyath is a multiple Group 1 winner who had a significantly higher covering fee of €30,000 when covering his first mares at Kildangan Stud in 2021. Great hopes are held for his first runners in 2024 after 65 horses generated immense interest at the yearling sales, averaging a value of 118,457 gns/€140,549.
Havana Grey was the highest-earning sire of 2023 in the British and Irish racing, achieving a profitability index of 10.75. Sioux Nation followed as the second-highest earning sire with a score of 6.61. These indices were calculated based on the average earnings of each sire in 2023 and the covering fee in 2021. [Link]
Vandeek was the standout star of the second crop of two-year-olds, winning the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. his progeny sold at auctions for an average value of 90,951 gns/€107,914. [Link]
Coolmore raised the covering fee for Sioux Nation from €17,500 to €27,500. Sioux Nation was the second-highest earning first-crop sire in 2022. [Link]
Cotai Glory and Twilight Son commenced their careers in 2021 with low fees. Cotai Glory achieved a profitability index of 6.15, while Twilight Son had a score of 6.00. [Link]
Sergei Prokofiev joined Whitsbury Manor for a fee of £6,500. His first horses will race in 2024. [Link]
Ghaiyyath is a promising first-crop sire. He had a covering fee of €30,000 at Kildangan Stud in 2021. His first progeny achieved an average value of 118,457 gns/€140,549. [Link]
The source of the article is from the blog windowsvistamagazine.es