Is There Such a Thing as a Stallion-Making Race?

[Wandering Eyes]

As old-fashioned as it may now seem, in this small corner of the bloodstock world a strong personal preference it still held for the Derby above all races. And by that, of course, we are talking about the original version, at Epsom, with that piece of wood at the end of the unique mile-and-a-half challenge which was made famous in a quote from the revered breeder Federico Tesio. 

We can't all agree on everything though, can we? That would just be dull. But beyond the stifling and shouty sphere of social media, it is still possible to have reasoned debate, disagree with your colleague, while shaking hands and remaining friends. 

So here, on this mostly civilised platform that is the TDN, we will from time to time ask a burning question of some of the industry's finest minds and put their answers to you for consideration.

Lately, the term 'stallion-making race' appears to be used with more frequency, but what does it actually mean? And does such a concept exist beyond individual preferences for certain races or certain horses who have won said races? 

We asked the experts, and it is worth tuning back in on Tuesday to hear what the same panel has to say about what makes a good broodmare sire. But first, let's hear whether they have a favourite race when it comes to stallion selection, or if indeed they believe in the concept of a stallion-making race.

Ed Harper, Whitsbury Manor Stud

“Absolutely not. If Northern Dancer had not raced would he have had a reduced pre-potency? The genetics of a stallion or any horse are already determined no matter what race(s) they win. The racecourse just gives us a few more clues. People who believe in 'stallion-making races' are confusing cause and effect.

“When we bought Showcasing I had a few people tell me the Gimcrack hadn't produced a stallion of note since Mill Reef. I'm pleased we ignored them.”

Kirsten Rausing, Lanwades

“The answer is no, not really. The thing is it's so difficult to find any horse apt to make a stallion nowadays, so you can't just start out by pinpointing a race and going that way. You have to look at what possible horses are about and, as can be seen in the English and Irish stallion park, we are reaching a very dangerous level of low numbers in terms of stallions available, which I think is highly alarming.

“One major contributory factor is surely that so many horses are nowadays gelded – so many Group winners and Group 1 winners are geldings – and I think my position on that is fairly well known.

“From my own point of view, I can say that I very much like and have had great success with winners of the French Derby, for obvious reasons. I've had two horses: Hernando, who won it when it was the full mile and a half, and obviously Study Of Man, who won it at the slightly shorter distance. As we know, it has produced a whole lot of good stallions, particularly in recent years, but even going back historically, it was always a very good race for producing stallions. 

“However, it has to be said that it's probably quite difficult to attract mares for that sort of horse nowadays. The stallion stud has to very significantly support such horses.”

Joe Foley, Ballyhane Stud

“I think the concept of a stallion-making race is a myth perpetuated by stallion marketeers.

“I'm going to give you a few examples. Let's go to some of the stallions that have been very successful in the last number of years, or over the last decade, and see if they won stallion-making races.

“I'll start with Havana Grey, who won the Flying Five and the Molecomb, neither of which is classed as a stallion-making race. And Mehmas, who won the Richmond Stakes and the July Stakes, both races with very poor stallion-making credentials.

“And Dubawi won the National Stakes and Jacques de Marois, he didn't win the perceived big stallion-making races. So, if you go through horses like that, it's very clear to see that when it comes to stallion-making races, there's no such thing. 

“Just because a horse wins a certain race doesn't make him a better stallion prospect. The best racehorses tend to make the best stallions and, as we see from the international classifications every year, the quality of races changes year on year.”

Alex Scrope, pedigree expert and matings advisor

“I looked through Group 1 results for the last 20 years, at different distances, and I think, as much as anything else, it's down to fashion. Now, what I think has happened is that suddenly mile-and-a-half horses went completely out of fashion 10 years ago or so, and they weren't being used anymore.

“I've always thought, looking at Pour Moi and Wings Of Eagles, they both ran the most incredible races in the Derby. You'd have given your back teeth to have had either one of those, but they couldn't fill them. To me, they both had such extraordinary speed, as well as having the stamina, and they both went from last to first from Tattenham Corner, past some very good horses.

“For me, the ultimate test is the Derby, because they've got to have so many things that other horses don't. It's not like Newmarket or York, or any other track you'd like to think of. They've got to have balance, they've got to have speed, and they've got to be really quick at changing tack, because things always go wrong in the race. So they've always got to change plan. I think it's a great test of a jockey as well, because they have no idea what's coming. 

“So for me, that's still the ultimate test and if I had a stud of my own, and I was going to breed horses, that's what I would have. I would follow Tesio's mantra.

“But then there came this fashion, and now the horses that are going to stud are so disparate, and they've got such varied track records. You don't know what you've got, except that all you know is that they don't stay. 

“I think that most really good Derby horses are just as happy at 10 furlongs because they've got the speed, and  if they've got the speed to win a Derby, they've got the speed to win a Juddmonte.”

Andreas Putsch, Haras de Saint Pair

“When you pick a stallion that is not proven, racing performance is very important because it's the best guide you have. But once we talk about proven stallions, then the proof is in the pudding, and we've seen so many that have less impressive race records that became very good stallions.

“Then you have to look at what the offspring really does, to see if there's a pattern and attitude that they pass on. And for me that tops form. Form is always great, but genetics can top form.

“So when I can I look at genetics. When enough time has passed in the breeding performance then I go on that and I forget about whatever the horse did on the racetrack.

“There are no rules, and you can breed a good horse with a bad breeding decision and a terrible one with a good breeding decision. You're just looking for clues, and I guess the best guide is probably also your intuition.

“The one race that has really surprised me is the Jockey Club since they shortened the distance. And I have asked myself many, many lonely nights, how can that make such a difference?

“It has a better performance with producing good stallions than the English Derby, for example, or the Jockey Club before [at a mile and a half]. Although we all know that in the Jockey Club, when Darshaan beat Sadler's Wells and Rainbow Quest, that was still over 2,400 metres, so maybe that's also to do with the track. I think Chantilly is a very selective track but also a very fair track. The best horse usually wins.

“The race is early enough in the year and you need a certain amount of speed yet to win that race. You have to be able to accelerate, and in Chantilly you can't win plodding along. So maybe there are all these factors that play into the Jockey Club having made such a contribution to the stallion park, and that stands out against any other race, I think, in Europe. 

“But again, do I know the answer why? No, I'm just speculating.”

Jim Bolger, Classic-winning trainer and breeder

“The two Guineas, the Irish and the English, and the St. James's Palace are probably the key mile races. And then, of course, not everybody will agree, but the two Derbys and the Arc after that, and the King George, are, we would like to think, important. And I suppose in recent years, the mile-and-a-quarter French Derby is the one that's producing the stallions.

“I don't know how much sense this is going to make but they're only stallion-making races historically, and there's no guarantee that if you win one or all of those races that you're going to have a stallion.

“The Epsom Derby, when the race was run in a traditional way, the way it was always run, up to, say, 10, 15 years ago, I'd say those horses had a better chance of being a stallion.”

Mathieu Alex, Haras de Beaumont

“As a Frenchman, I would probably first of all say the Prix du Jockey Club. Shamardal won it the first year that it was reduced to a mile and a quarter, which I think was a very good idea because what you need from the winner now is to have enough speed, but also enough stamina. 

“It's a very challenging track, you're going uphill to the finish. It seems to work, and it's an obvious one.

“A race that I really like is the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère. I generally like two-year-old races that are quite late in the year because usually that's when you find the best horses. And don't get me wrong, you can have very good Prix Morny winners and all the rest, but sometimes they're just more precocious.

“Two of the best recent stallions in France have been Siyouni and Wootton Bassett and they both won the Jean-Luc Lagardère. It's a race which has serious competition from abroad and it's kind of a championship.

“As we've seen with Camille Pissarro, he won the race and went on to win the Prix du Jockey Club, and Sealiway won it very impressively and he was second to St Mark's Basilica in the Jockey Club. The winners generally have the speed and the precocity but should stay a mile-plus the year after, which I think is very important.

“And further back you've got Kendor, Irish River, Blushing Groom. They were all very successful stallions. So, yes, I like this race.”

John O'Connor, Ballylinch Stud

“My answer is probably a little bit more nuanced in the sense that, yes, I think there are some races which can give you a good indication in terms of what might make a good stallion, and the Prix du Jockey Club just seems to have accelerated a bit in terms of the production since they shortened the distance.

“We've had four [winners] so far. Lawman was the first one who did well, he sired Classic winners, but the subsequent ones have probably done even better. Next was Lope de Vega, who is obviously an outstanding stallion and continues to do really well. And then our next one on the list was New Bay, who I think could have a huge year this year. And the most recent Jockey Club winner we have is Look De Vega. He's covered a very nice book in terms of numbers and in quality. So we're eagerly looking forward to his first foals being born in the next couple of weeks.”

Nicolas de Chambure, Haras d'Etreham

“Well, probably not. I think there isn't a race that is enough in itself to justify buying a horse or setting a certain fee or whatever. I think historically some races have produced more than others, but I think it's more the form of a particular race, the style of the win, the distance.

“Every year is different and every profile is different. So, basically, the answer is no.”

 

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