Ten Sovereigns Retired to Join the Coolmore Roster

Sprint sensation Ten Sovereigns has been retired to join his successful sire, No Nay Never, on the roster at Coolmore in Fethard next year.

The colt turned heads when he strolled to a seven-length victory over 24 rivals in a six-furlong Curragh maiden on debut and confirmed the star-in-the-making impression when he won the John Sisk & Son Round Tower Stakes (G3) by a wide margin just a week later.

He made it 3-for-3 at 2 by defeating the useful Jash in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (G1), with the pair pulling clear of the remainder of the field.

Ten Sovereigns started as the favorite for the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1) in his 3-year-old bow this season and ran a creditable fifth over a distance that stretched him. Dropped in trip, he finished fourth in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) before posting an impressive victory in the Darley July Cup (G1), with group 1 winners Advertise, Fairyland, and Pretty Pollyanna in arrears.

After following that win with a sixth in the five-furlong Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (G1), he was last seen finishing last in the TAB Everest at Randwick. Trainer Aidan O'Brien felt the colt didn't handle racing around a bend for the first time.

"Ten Sovereigns has great power and great presence," said Coolmore's David O'Loughlin. "He's the second-fastest July Cup winner and the third-fastest Middle Park winner of all time and is by a seriously good sire in No Nay Never. I have no doubt that breeders are going to love him."

Ten Sovereigns is one of 19 stakes winners to emerge from the first two crops of No Nay Never, winner of the Norfolk Stakes (G2) and Darley Prix Morny (G1) and runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T).

On the back of No Nay Never's flying start with his debut juvenile runners last year, his covering fee was hiked to €100,000 (US$111,202) from €25,000. A son of the short-lived Scat Daddy, No Nay Never has become a stallion of priceless importance to Coolmore, and his pedigree contains no Sadler's Wells or Danehill blood.

This year, No Nay Never covered star mares such as Alexandrova, Bracelet, and Yesterday, and he has already been appointed as the first date for Hermosa and Magical—both multiple group 1 winners by Galileo owned by Coolmore—as they begin their broodmare careers in 2020.

Ten Sovereigns was bred by Camas Park, Lynch Bages, and Summerhill out of the listed-placed Exceed And Excel mare Seeking Solace, a half sister to group 2-placed Flash Fire from the family of Australian group 1 winner Shamal Wind.

His fee, along with those for all the Coolmore roster, will be announced in the coming weeks.