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G . What were the key challenges for such an organization ? CV . Riders and horses train for years to compete in this event and you simply cannot allow a health issue to ruin that . The stakes are incredibly high . The site was prepared to the highest biosafety standards . We aimed to provide horses with conditions equivalent to the Olympic Village for athletes , ensuring impeccable hygiene . Everything went smoothly , which was a huge relief and a source of pride for the entire team . Competitors appreciated the efforts made to create the best conditions for the event , reflecting positively on everyone involved .
G . The breeding season is starting . Do you have any recommendations for best practices ? CV . The first and most affordable step is to maintain an emergency stock : gloves , boots , gowns , footbaths , and disinfectant . This ensures you ’ re prepared for any health alert . Second , keep bacterial pressure to a minimum by implementing proper stable-cleaning protocols and ensuring disinfectants are virucidal , bactericidal , and fungicidal , with correct dilution ratios . Finally , establish smart workflows on your farm to avoid exposing vulnerable animals . Start with the most at-risk horses , such as mares and foals , and end with quarantined or training horses . One simple measure we all learned during COVID is frequent handwashing . It significantly reduces the risk of virus and bacteria transmission .
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G . How do you assess the demand for your expertise ? CV . Most of the demand is international , particularly from the Middle East and Asia , involving large infrastructure projects . About half of my work involves existing facilities , while the other half focuses on new construction projects , which is very exciting . I collaborate with architects to design buildings that align with biosecurity protocols . Demand continues to grow as people increasingly recognize the importance of health risks . Major outbreaks have significant economic consequences and can damage reputations , especially in today ’ s social media-driven world .
“ WHEN WE ARRIVE IN THE CITY , EVERYONE CROSSES THE STREET “
Daniel Balavoine
Anybody who has looked at a yearling sales catalogue recently will be aware that there have been several significant changes in the European stallion market over the last ten
ENGLISH TEXTS years . The most obvious , and the one whose long term effects are still uncertain , is the rise of super books of mares for the most popular stallions , in every price range . At the same time there has been a shift in the relative importance of the three major European breeding countries , German , in terms of numbers if not in quality , is only a footnote these days . For about thirty years from the beginning of the 1980 ’ s stallions based in France where of little interest and no importance to the wider European market , dominated at this period by sires in Ireland and Britain . The terms of trade have been transformed and although still the smallest of the three France has had several important sires in recent years and has invested in its future stallion stock too , while , not helped by the disadvantages of Brexit , the stallion market in Britain is in decline . This is particularly true in numbers , and even if the big sires at Juddmonte and Darley are for the time being maintaining the turnover , further decline looks likely in the short run .
A golden era for those owning the best stallions The seventy sires who covered one hundred or more mares in 2022 produced a turnover of around 400 million euros , this is only a guide , reached by multiplying the fee by 80 % of the number covered and obviously doesn ’ t take into account foal shares or mares covered by the stallions ’ owners , but it gives a good idea of the sums involved . The best and most popular sires generate income for their owners of something like 30-40 million euros a year . If there is any justification for the current boom at the top of the market this is , of course , where it lies . This Century has proved to be a golden era for the owners of the best stallions as they have learnt not only is it technically possible to cover 200 or more mares a year while maintaining the same fertility rates , but also that the numbers of mares a stallion covers has little or no influence on the price they can charge for its services . Over the last twenty five years the fees of the top European stallions have increased by 70 % in real terms while the number of mares they cover on average has gone up by 150 %, what is called a win win for any business .
Broodmare books increasingly significant Stallions covering large books of mares have been a topic of debate for decades now , but what keeps changing is the definition of big . During the last bloodstock boom at the beginning of the 1980 ’ s the best stallions commanded huge fees in today prices but they covered , by today ’ s standards , tiny books of mares . Mill Reef , a great racehorse and a top sire standing in Britain from 1974 to 1985 produced a total of about 380 foals in twelve years at stud , an average of 30 to 35 foals a year . Sadler ’ s Wells retired to stud in Ireland in 1985 at a fee , in real terms of about 600.000 € and covered what was at the time a big book of mares , his first crop included 52 foals , ( it is a different story but these included six Group 1 winners a success in percentage terms impossible to imagine today ). Galileo , Sadler ’ s Wells ’ son and successor at the pinnacle of European sires produced about 2.600 named foals in his first nineteen years at stud in Ireland , an average 137 foals a year . The next superstar stallion who survives as long at the top will without any doubt , produce many more still .
MILL REEF PRODUCED A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 380 FOALS IN TWELVE YEARS OF HIS CAREER. GALILEO, ON THE OTHER HAND, PRODUCED NEARLY 2,600 FOALS IN 19 YEARS OF HIS CAREER.
The most popular stallions have been covering steadily larger books for decades but this trend has accelerated over recent years . As recently as 2013 no European flat sire covered 200 mares or more , and only 15 covered 150 or more . Move forward to 2022 and these figures had gone to five at 200 + and 42 at 150 + who between them covered a total of more than 11.000 mares . These days the most popular sires have huge numbers of foals , yearlings for sale and runners . Mehmas has 207 named foals of 2022 and of these 153 were catalogued at yearling sales and 159 have already raced . Leaving to one side the long term effect this concentration on a few stallions will have for the thoroughbred , inbreeding is already more or less a necessity rather than a choice , it has already transformed the stallion and breeding business .
“IN 2022, FRANCE ACCOUNTED FOR 19% OF MARES COVERED AND 11% OF REVENUES.“
Jocelyn de Moubray
Evolution of the stallion population in Europe As recently as 2013 France was still a backwater in the European stallion business . French based sires covered 13 % of the total number and produced 2 % of the revenue . Move forward to 2022 and it is already a different story with France accounting for 19 % of the mares covered and 11 % of the revenue . Ireland ’ s share of total revenue went in this period from 58 % to 52 % with Britain ’ s falling from 40 % to 37 %, for Britain the fall
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in numbers was greater but Frankel , Kingman and Dubawi bring in a lot of revenue . Another significant difference between France and the other countries is that Coolmore , Darley and Juddmonte , who make up around 60 % of the European stallion business between them , are hardly active in the French market . The success of French sires has been achieved by syndicated stallions with a broad group of breeders and investors sharing the profits generated by horses like Siyouni , Wootton Bassett , Le Havre and others . As the fees of the top sires increase in real terms so do the risks for commercial breeders , unless of course they are themselves owners of stallion shares ensuring access to the best commercial stallions at the price at which the shares were purchased . The main players in the Irish and British stallion markets rarely if ever offer shares for sale in their new sires .
The racing program also influences the stallion population. After the number of mares covered , the price and the geographical location of a stallion the final factor with a strong influence on the stallion market is the programme of races . This is perhaps more obscure , even if every trainer deals with the programme every day when looking for races to run in and to try to win , but without going into the changes over the last twenty five years there are marked differences between each of the three countries we are concerned with . In France 77 % of flat races are run on turf , so 23 % on all weather surfaces , it is much the same in Ireland where the split is 75 / 25 %, but Britain is very different with only 59 % of all races run on turf and 41 % on all weather tracks . In Britain and Ireland 18 % of all races are for two year olds and 34 % and 32 % for three year olds alone . France is different with only 12 % of races for two year olds but much the same with 34 % of races for three year olds . In all three countries about 50 % of all races are for two and three year olds , and there is a marked emphasis on two year old races in Britain and Ireland . And then in Britain and Ireland these races for young horses are run over shorter distances than in France . For the races restricted to three year olds in France 35 % are run at 1600 metres or less , 64 % at 2000 or less , and then 36 % at over 2000 metres . The British programme is very different with the same figures being 63 %, 83 % and 17 %. A large proportion of flat races in Britain are sprint races on the all weather for two and three year olds , which goes a long way to explaining the success of the stallions whose progeny are suited by such conditions . In Ireland there are more middle distance races than in England and the same figures are 57 % at 1600 or less , 80 % at 2000m or less and 20 % over 2000 . The popularity of sires likely to produce fast and precocious horses in Britain and Ireland is self evident , in France it is of course different .
� PAGE 42SPOTLIGHT ON THE NEW GENERATION
The stallions who will have their first runners in 2025 are , in terms of racing ability , headed by St Mark ’ s Basilica and Palace Pier , both top horses at three and in Palace Pier ’ s case at four too , with Racing Post Ratings of 128 and 127 . They won the races which have counted in the past for identifying future top stallions , the Poule d ’ Essai des Poulains and Prix du Jocky-Club for the first and the Jacques le Marois for the second . However , their first yearlings were not greeted with great enthusiasm by the market . Both returned a yearling median price which was lower than the same crop had achieved as foals in 2023 . St Mark ’ s Basilica ’ s yearling median was 1.9 times his stud fee , while for Palace Pier it was only 1.3 times . As soon as their progeny starts to run these figures will of course be irrelevant and there are plenty of top sires whose progeny the market didn ’ t like at first from Danehill and Dubawi through to horses like Le Havre , Siyouni or Lope de Vega . In terms of ratings these two are followed by Japan , Starman and Space Blues , rated 125.124 and 123 at their best . A top rating of less than 120 is far from a disqualification for a future top stallion as horses like Havana Grey and Showcasing , both rated 115 , as well as Mehmas and Dark Angel , both top rated 114 . Those with the most runners in 2025 are very likely to be Starman and Supremacy who had 170 and 109 yearlings go through the ring this year respectively .
THE POPULARITY OF STALLIONS LIKELY TO PRODUCE FAST AND EARLY- MATURING HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND IS EVIDENT, UNLIKE IN FRANCE.
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Metropolitan , the 2024 Poule d ’ Essai des Poulains ( G1 ) champion . Last year , there were 8 Group 1 winners ( 36 %), including classic champions Ace Impact , Mishriff , and Vadeni . Ireland leads in Group 1-winning recruits , with 9 such stallions ( 69 %) including Auguste Rodin and City of Troy , both Derby ( G1 ) winners , and Look de Vega , the 2024 Prix du Jockey Club ( G1 ) champion .
If a disappointing reception in the market is not necessarily the end of a stallion ’ s career then a positive one doesn ’ t ensure long term success either , but it is clearly an encouraging sign . In this respect even if it is from a very small sample , it is extraordinary that the German Derby winner Windstoss should have achieved a median yearling price fourteen times greater than his stud fee . Other sires whose progeny ’ s median yearling price was significantly greater than their stud fee include A ’ Ali , Lope Y Fernandez , Space Blues and Victor Ludorum . Those retiring to stud in 2025 are headed on ratings by City of Troy , Charyn , Big Rock , Auguste Rodin , King of Steel and Bradsell whose best were 129 , 128 , 126 , 125 , 125 and 124 . It is a sign of the changes mentioned above that two horses are good as Big Rock and Charyn should retire to stud in France in the same year , as well as several other Group 1 winners like Metropolitan , Feed The Flame and Puchkine . There are in contrast only three sires retiring to Britain on the list , Bradsell , Issac Shelby and Vandeek .
Half of Europe’s New Stallions Are French The annual renewal of a national stallion roster is essential to replace sires that are retired , exported , or deceased . In 2025 , France will see a 6 % rotation , introducing 17 new stallions . Similar trends can be observed in Germany ( 3 new sires ) and Ireland ( 13 new sires , about 5 %). England , however , is lagging behind with less than 2 %, welcoming only 3 new stallions , according to current announcements . By the start of the breeding season , other additions may be announced , but as of now , Europe is set to debut 36 new stallions , nearly half ( 47 %) of which will stand in France . For reference , France introduced 22 new sires in 2024 and 23 in 2023 , maintaining a stable and regular rotation . The situation is similar in Ireland ( 13 recruits in 2025 , compared to 15 in 2024 and 11 in 2023 ) and Germany ( 3 new stallions in 2025 ). England ’ s decline , however , is notable : only 3 new stallions so far in 2025 , compared to 9 in 2024 and 6 in 2023 .
Precocious Speed Is English The aptitude distribution of France ’ s 17 new stallions is as follows : 8 milers ( 47 %, including stars Big Rock , Charyn , and Metropolitan ), 4 middle-distance types , 2 classic runners , and 3 jumpers . Notably , only 24 % ( 4 stallions ) are Group-placed or winners at 2 years old , compared to 77 % ( 10 stallions ) in Ireland and all 3 in England ( 100 %), which are also sprinters .
NEARLY HALF OF THE NEW EUROPEAN STALLIONS WILL START IN FRANCE IN 2025.
Jump Racing Is French Integrating jump stallions into the breeding program is a French specialty . In 2025 , France will debut Carlton du Berlais , Master d ’ Oc , and Nietzsche Has , all Group winners or placed at Auteuil . Additionally , 3 – 4 flat performers will be directed toward mixed production , including jumps , representing 40 % of the new recruits . Ireland , by contrast , introduces only one such stallion : Luxembourg , a 5-time Group 1 winner from 1600 to 2400m . Coolmore traditionally reserves its roster for Derby-winning 2400m performers , redirecting others to jumps . However , Luxembourg ’ s extensive book of mares could produce nearly as many foals as all of France ’ s new jump sires combined .
BACK TO THE ARTICLE � � PAGE 43Classicism Is Irish Quantity does not always equate to quality , but the upcoming class of sires includes promising prospects . All 2025 debut stallions have achieved black-type status , including 3 in jumps racing , with 35 % being Group 1 winners , including a classic winner :