Soldier of Fortune Most In-Demand Sire in Europe

Soldier of Fortune was the busiest sire in Britain and Ireland in 2018 for the third year in a row, according to the recently published Weatherbys Return of Mares.

The son of Galileo covered 290 mares under the Coolmore National Hunt banner at Beeches Stud, down from 353 in 2017 and 304 the season before.

There is still a chance he might creep over the 300 mark again, as Weatherbys may receive some late covering registrations, which will be reported in the Supplement to the Return of Mares in February.

Soldier of Fortune has been a smash hit with jumps breeders since returning from France in 2016 after supplying the likes of grade 1 winner Mega Fortune, Cheltenham Festival scorer Flying Tiger, and classy mare Slowmotion.

The six most active stallions of 2017 belonged to the Coolmore National Hunt brigade but, one year on, their hegemony is broken by Mount Nelson, Kodiac, and Diamond Boy.

Mount Nelson proved himself the model dual-purpose sire in 2017, the year he joined Boardsmill Stud from Newsells Park Stud to cover jumps as well as flat mares, as one son, Penhill, struck at the Cheltenham Festival and another, Librisa Breeze, took the QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes (G1).

The son of Rock of Gibraltar was duly sent 267 mares, up from 225 covers 12 months ago and the second largest book of any stallion in 2018, and he no doubt earned himself a late season boost when Penhill once again graced the festival winner's enclosure —this time after the Stayers' Hurdle.

A stellar 2017 also meant an upturn in business for Tally-Ho Stud's 2-year-old sire par excellence, Kodiac.

That year he posted a world record-smashing 61 individual juvenile winners and revealed a new aspect of his talent when sons Best Solution and Danehill Kodiac landed middle-distance Pattern contests.

The Danehill half-brother to Invincible Spirit was rewarded with 239 mares, up from 197 in 2017 and making him the fourth most active stallion this year.

Having spent his first eight years at Tally-Ho covering at a fee of €10,000 or less, Kodiac is now being supported by Europe's leading breeders at a price that now stands at €50,000—including the Aga Khan, Haras de Saint-Pair, Kirsten Rausing, Juddmonte, Moyglare Stud, Newsells Park, Shadwell, and Sunderland Holdings.

Con O'Keeffe's Kilbarry Lodge Stud re-entered the stallion market in spectacular fashion this year with its French recruit Diamond Boy warmly welcomed by jumps breeders, who sent him 235 mares.

The striking son of Mansonnien's French-bred representatives include Auteuil grade 3 winner Cat Tiger and Paul Nicholls' useful 4-year-old hurdler Grand Sancy.

Coolmore stallions Getaway, Champs Elysees, and Mahler feature third, sixth and seventh on the list of leading sires by number of mares covered this year, with 249, 228 and 227 apiece.

Champs Elysees stood in a dual-purpose capacity and might find favour with more flat breeders in 2019 after his daughter Billesdon Brook stormed to victory in the QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (G1) in May.

As previously reported by the Racing Post, the Coolmore-based pair Caravaggio and Churchill enjoyed the greatest patronage among the newcomers to the British and Irish stallion ranks.

Caravaggio, a top-class sprinter by the late, lamented Scat Daddy, covered 217 mares and Churchill, a champion juvenile and classic winner by Galileo, finished on 211.

Frankel was the busiest British-based stallion, as was the case last year, with a tally of 183 names on his dance card.