Five Key Points Within GB, Irish Return of Mares Bred

The Weatherbys Return of Mares is required reading for professionals and pedigree buffs alike, featuring as it does breeding records for each and every Thoroughbred broodmare in Great Britain and Ireland. The book details the identity of the mares' foals and coverings in that season, as well as current and historical statistics on breeding activity in the two countries. Also provided is an indispensable guide to the popularity of stallions, the latest news on top-class racemares and producers, and crucial clues to the health of the bloodstock business. As a taster for the 2024 edition, which has just been published and is available to purchase on the Weatherbys Shop, here are five key pieces of information contained within its pages. Order Of St George rewarded for a bright start Order of St George was the busiest sire in Britain and Ireland, having covered 311 mares under the Coolmore National Hunt banner at Castlehyde Stud. The champion stayer by Galileo has always been popular with jumps breeders, receiving 288 mares in 2022 and 238 in 2023 for example, but an encouraging display with his first 4-year-olds drove demand even higher this year. Order of St George supplied seven individual point-to-point winners including Buckna, who was sold at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale for £350,000 after bolting up at Kirkistown on debut for Gerald Quinn, while among his early runners under rules were impressive bumper scorers Gore Point and Seo Linn. There was quality as well as quantity in the sire's book this year, as it featured the accomplished racemares Bonny Kate, Irish Roe, Maskada, Theatre Glory, and Zuzka, as well as the dams of stars Angels Breath, Banbridge, Captain Teague, Flooring Porter, Loughglynn, Mister Blue Sky, Rock The Kasbah, The New One, and Thunder Rock. Behind Order of St George, the next most active sires in Britain and Ireland this year were Calyx (273 mares covered), Santiago (251), Good Guess (250), Affinisea (246), Sioux Nation (246), Mehmas (244), Hurricane Lane (236), Triple Threat (225) and Poet's Word (223). Phoenix Of Spain surges in the popularity stakes Irish National Stud-based 2019 Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) hero Phoenix of Spain received one of the biggest year-on-year increases in book size of any sire. The gray son of Lope de Vega covered 217 mares this season, up from 91 in the preceding year, on the back of making an encouraging start by delivering 20 winners at a clip of 39% among his debut crop of 2-year-olds in 2023. Phoenix of Spain has justified breeders' faith in him with another bold showing in his sophomore season, the highlight of which has been Haatem winning the Craven Stakes (G3) and Jersey Stakes (G3) and making the frame in both the Newmarket and Curragh Two Thousand Guineas. His expanded book this year included the dams of Blue Point, Family One, Gold Phoenix, Jaameh, Katla, Layfayette, One Voice, Pandora's Gift, Ship of Dreams, Stratum, and Thunderbear, as well as the mother of his star son Haatem. Among the other sires who enjoyed a big upturn in business between 2023 and 2024 were King of Change, who went from 52 mares to 131 thanks to glowing reports about his first 2-year-olds and some good results at the breeze-up sales, and Awtaad, who went from 74 to 128 in recognition of his excellent results from relatively meager opportunities. An abundance of exceptional mares for Frankel Frankel joined Dubawi as the most expensive sire in the world when his fee was increased to £350,000 as reward for a sensational season in 2023 in which he was represented by group 1 winners Chaldean, Courage Mon Ami, Inspiral, Jannah Rose, Kelina, Mostahdaf, Nashwa, Soul Sister, Triple Time, Westover, and Ylang Ylang and was crowned Britain and Ireland's champion sire by a wide margin. Needless to say, then, his book of 192 mares at Banstead Manor Stud this year contained wall-to-wall quality. It included group/grade 1 winners Abscond, Al Husn, Alcohol Free, And Tell Me Nolies, Announce, Blowout, Caravel, Castle Lady, Emollient, Fallen For You, In Italian, Juliet Foxtrot, Kitesurf, Laurens, Lightening Pearl, Meditate, Midday, Muskoka, One Master, Pearls Galore, Polydream, Proviso, Saffron Beach, Sauterne, Sobetsu, Special Duty, Tenebrism, Teona, Urban Fox, Viadera, and Wild Illusion. Furthermore, it contained the dams of top-flight winners Ace Impact, Adhamo, Alcohol Free, Big Rock, Churchill, Courage Mon Ami, Desert Crown, Dream Castle, Enable, Gleneagles, Hurricane Lane, Inspiral, Jannah Rose, Johannes Vermeer, Luxembourg, McKulick, Mill Stream, Nashwa, National Defense, Queen Goddess, Ramatuelle, Rebel's Romance, Sealiway, Set Piece, Siskin, Soul Sister, State of Rest, Triple Time, Whitebeam, Windstoss, Without A Fight, and Ylang Ylang. Frankel's 2024 book also featured five incredibly special mares who won at the highest level themselves and have also produced progeny who have done the same, in Beauty Parlour (dam of Blowout), Daddys Lil Darling (dam of Savethelastdance), Dar Re Mi (dam of Too Darn Hot), Mecca's Angel (dam of Content), and Quiet Reflection (dam of Lake Victoria). Happy homecoming for Authorized Derby winner and European champion 3-year-old Authorized was given a hero's welcome to Ireland, where he was born and bred by a partnership that included legendary jockey Mick Kinane, when he was repatriated from the Turkish Jockey Club to stand at Capital Stud in County Kilkenny this year. The 20-year-old son of Montjeu, source of flat group 1 winners Ambivalent, Hartnell, Seal of Approval, and Santiago but better known as the sire of dual Grand National hero Tiger Roll and top hurdler Nichols Canyon, covered 138 mares upon his return. They included the classy racemares Legacy Gold, Poetic Music, Sensulano, and Zambella, and dams of proven performers Bravemansgame, Champ, Rathvinden, Absolute Notions, and Campeador. Authorized served a reminder of his talents as a National Hunt sire before the covering season when Readin Tommy Wrong won the Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle at Naas in January, and another midway through it as I Am Maximus became his second winner of the Grand National at Aintree in April. Lillie Langtry's long wait is over Lillie Langtry must rank as one of the most sparkling jewels in Coolmore's overflowing treasure chest of broodmares. The 17-year-old daughter of Danehill Dancer was a dual group 1 winner in her racing pomp, taking the 2010Coronation Stakes (G1) and Matron Stakes (G1), and she has produced six winners including no fewer than three classic scorers, namely Minding, Empress Josephine, and Tuesday. Furthermore, she is already the granddam of a group 1 winner, with Minding's son Henry Longfellow having scored in the National Stakes (G1) last year. Remarkably, though, Lillie Langtry had produced no male offspring of her own until this year, when the 11th foal she produced May 26 was her first ever colt. The son of Frankel is clearly a priceless commodity. Within the Numbers In Great Britain, 4,074 foals were registered as of Sept. 30, a decrease of 282 compared to 2023, comprising of 2,015 colts (49.46%) and 2,059 fillies (50.54%), compared to 2,107 colts (48.37%) and 2,249 fillies (51.63%) in 2023. In Ireland, 8,504 foals were registered as of Sept. 30, a decrease of 578 compared to 2023, comprising 4,251 colts (49.99%) and 4,253 fillies (50.01%), compared to 4,665 colts (51.37%) and 4,417 fillies (48.63%) in 2023. Mares bred in Great Britain totaled 5,511 in 2024 to date (74.81% of mares reported at stud) compared to 6,186 (82.62%) mares as of Sept. 30, 2023. Mares bred in Ireland totaled 10,472 in 2024 to date (73.69% of mares reported at stud) compared to 12,386 (81.96%) mares as of Sept. 30, 2023. Total mares bred reached 15,983 for Great Britain and Ireland combined in 2024 compares to 18,572 as of Sept. 30, 2023, a 13.9% decrease. Number of stallions in Great Britain has decreased by 10 from 113 as of Sept. 30, 2023, to 103 in 2024 to date. Number of stallions in Ireland has decreased by 19, from 184 as of Sept. 30, 2023, to 165 in 2024 to date. The 2024 number of stallions in Great Britain and Ireland will increase as stallion notifications are frequently received in the following year.