Coolmore’s Sioux Nation the Busiest Flat Stallion of 2025 with 282 Mares

[Wandering Eyes]

For the third time in four years, Sioux Nation was the busiest Flat stallion at stud in Britain and Ireland in 2025, according to the Return of Mares, which has been published by Weatherbys. The son of Scat Daddy, who stands at Coolmore's Castlehyde Stud in County Cork, was usurped last year by his ill-fated stud-mate, Calyx, but he returned to the top of the charts during the latest breeding season, having covered 282 mares.

The busiest stallion of any description was Whytemount Stud's Affinisea on 314, ahead of Boardsmill Stud inmate Poet's Word (298), the aforementioned Sioux Nation and another Castlehyde resident in Maxios (281). Like Poet's Word, Derby winners Harzand and Golden Horn are other examples of sires who received dwindling support when marketed primarily as Flat stallions, but that duo again covered bumper books this year after they each switched to studs with more of a National Hunt focus back in 2023. Harzand was sent 255 mares at Kilbarry Lodge in 2025, with another 177 going the way of Overbury resident Golden Horn.

Of the other sires better known for their Flat exploits, Tally-Ho Stud was home to three stallions who covered more than 700 mares between them. Champion first-season sire-elect Starman led the way on 267 – up from 104 last year – ahead of Tally-Ho's flagship stallion Mehmas (257) and Good Guess (210), who was again well supported after covering 250 mares in his first season at stud in 2024. For good measure, Tally-Ho also had the newcomers Big Evs (159) and King Of Steel (153) ranked among the 30 busiest Flat sires of 2025, underlining the growing influence of the County Westmeath-based operation.

Leading the way among the newcomers was Luxembourg, who covered 261 mares at The Beeches Stud, while dual Derby hero Auguste Rodin was sent 205 mares at Coolmore's Fethard base. He was joined there by another Epsom winner in City Of Troy (175) and Group 1-winning two-year-old Henry Longfellow (172), while Ballylinch's Look De Vega (195), Yeomanstown's Mill Stream (170) and Cheveley Park's Vandeek (161) were the other newcomers to figure among the 30 busiest Flat stallions.

Mill Stream's stud-mate, Dark Angel, covered 169 mares after being crowned Britain and Ireland's champion sire for the first time in 2024. Coincidentally, exactly the same number of mares was sent the way of this season's champion sire-elect, Night Of Thunder, including the Group 1 winner and producer Dar Re Mi, plus the dams of Desert Flower, Dynamic Pricing, Economics and Ombudsman, all of them top-level winners for the Kildangan Stud resident already.

Night Of Thunder's closest pursuer, the late Wootton Bassett, received a star-studded book of 206 mares during what would prove to be his final season on the Coolmore roster. They included top-class racemares such as Ramatuelle, Tahiyra and Treve, as well as the dams of his Group 1 winners Almanzor, Al Riffa, Camille Pissarro, Puerto Rico, Sahlan, Twain and Unquestionable.

Frankel covered 192 mares, including multiple top-level scorers such as Alcohol Free, Laurens, Mecca's Angel and Quiet Reflection, to name just a few, while fellow heavyweights Kingman and Sea The Stars received books numbering 163 and 140, respectively. Now 23, Dubawi was sent 80 mares, a group featuring celebrities such as Enable – who was sadly barren – Mawj and Misty For Me.

The number of stallions standing in Ireland in 2025 decreased by 24 compared to the previous year, from 165 to 141, while the number in Britain fell by 15 to 88. Of the 30 busiest Flat sires, no fewer than 22 of them were based in Ireland.

This year has also seen a near-10% decrease in the number of live foals registered to date in the General Stud Book. The returns to September 30, 2025 show that a total of 11,374 foals have been born in Britain and Ireland, 1,204 fewer than the 2024 figure of 12,578. In Ireland, the figure has fallen by 12% – from 8,504 to 7,502 – while the 3,872 foals born in Britain represents a 5% decrease on the 4,074 reported last year.

Meanwhile, the total number of broodmares reported at stud in 2025 is 19,971, a decrease of 7% on the 2024 figure of 21,578. Of these, 2,348 were not covered and there were 5,482 no returns, with 202 reported as barren.

Reacting to these figures, TBA chairman Philip Newton said, “The 5% decline in the 2025 British foal crop is not unexpected, reflecting the projections from our own extensive modelling, which we have been sharing with the industry over the past six months.

“What is concerning is the 25% fall in new registered broodmares in 2025, signalling that this downward trend is set to continue, the consequences of which will be felt across every part of the industry.

“While TBA led initiatives such as the Great British Bonus are making a difference, along with the expansion of this year's NH Elite Mares' Scheme providing some support for breeders, more substantial intervention is now needed to stabilise the foal crop and safeguard the future of British breeding.”

The 30 busiest Flat stallions in Britain and Ireland in 2025:

Sioux Nation, Coolmore, 282
Starman, Tally-Ho, 267
Mehmas, Tally-Ho, 257
Good Guess, Tally-Ho, 210
Wootton Bassett, Coolmore, 206
Auguste Rodin, Coolmore, 205
Look De Vega, Ballylinch, 195
Frankel, Juddmonte, 192
Ghaiyyath, Darley, 192
Gleneagles, Coolmore, 188
Camelot, Coolmore, 184
Little Big Bear, Coolmore, 180
City Of Troy, Coolmore, 175
New Bay, Ballylinch, 175
Blue Point, Darley, 172
Henry Longfellow, Coolmore, 172
Too Darn Hot, Darley, 171
Mill Stream, Yeomanstown, 170
Dark Angel, Yeomanstown, 169
Night Of Thunder, Darley, 169
Baaeed, Shadwell, 165
Space Blues, Darley, 165
Kingman, Juddmonte, 163
Vandeek, Cheveley Park, 161
Big Evs, Tally-Ho, 159
King Of Steel, Tally-Ho, 153
No Nay Never, Coolmore, 151
Chaldean, Juddmonte, 150
Dragon Symbol, Whitsbury Manor, 150
Havana Grey, Whitsbury Manor, 145

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