The
$64,000 in Thoroughbred breeding could be said to be who is the best
stallion in the world? It is a question with a changing answer. Stallion
statistics change, red hot sires fade, while sires prematurely dismissed
produce champions. Many look at the hype surrounding a stallion rather
than the actual percentages and the quality of mares he may have had
access to.
InThoroughbred
breeding over the last fifteen to twenty years much has, inevitably
changed. Northern Dancer and Mr Prospector died. Their sons have
continued their success throughout the world and today their names
dominate modern pedigrees.
No
stallion today, for various reasons, can match Northern Dancer’s
staggering stakes winners to foals percentage of 23%. None of Mr
Prospector’s sons have been as consistently outstanding at stud as he
was.
Today
Sadler’s Wells dominates Europe in a way neither his sire, Northern
Dancer, or Mr Prospector was able to. Storm Cat’s stud fee at $500,000
is the highest in the world. The title of Leading Sire in the world is
generally thought to belong to Storm Cat partly due to the perception that
Sadler’s Wells runners fail to succeed on the dirt. In fact this
“statement” appears to be a case of the tail wagging the dog as
Sadler’s Wells better runners are kept to the turf due the perception;
-so validation is difficult. These two are considered the best stallions
in the world as they compete against the world’s best and
consistently come up with top horses. Like everything in breeding, it
will never be fully determined who the greatest is.
Neither
have matched the likes of Danzig and Nureyev’s impressive % Stakes
Winners to foals. Both are considered slightly less than outstanding
sires of sires, with many of their high profile sons going onto less
than stellar careers at stud. Sadler’s Wells has become an outstanding
broodmare sire - helped by the outstanding quality of mare he has
received during his stud career. Storm Cat, has gotten off to a slower
start as a broodmare sire, but as his fillies out of better mares start
producing his percentages look set to improve.
Both
get good colts and fillies.
Sadler’s
Wells has been at stud longer than Storm Cat, (Sadler’s stood his
first year in 1985 and Storm Cat three years later) and began his
stallion career with greater fanfare.
Despite
Sadler’s Wells making his name as a sire of classic horses, no less
than 20 of his offspring have won
Group One races at two.
Storm
Cat is better known as a sire of high class two year olds, and is
represented by 12 Grade/Group One winning juveniles. He is represented
by over 120 Stakes Winners to date, amongst them six champions.
Storm
Cat’s current % Stakes Winners to foals is 13%, whereas his Irish based
rival is 15%. Storm Cat’s percentage, which is considerably lower than
great stallions of prior years, is still higher than the likes of
Seeking The Gold, A.P. Indy and Kingmambo.
Storm
Cat also enjoys commercial popularity unrivalled by any stallion living,
even if that statistic says more about perception than the stallion’s
merit.
The
Overbrook champion is enjoying a slightly quiet season, by his own high
standards, while Sadler’s Wells continues his domination of the UK/Ire
sires list - he is comfortably heading for a 14 sires title. Storm Cat
has been Champion Sire of the US, twice, but has six juvenile sires list
to his credit.
Sadler’s
Wells is represented by more than 200 stakes winners - albeit from 1,486
foals and 65 Group/GradeOne winners.
Like
Storm Cat, his offspring have won at the highest level around the globe.
Storm Cat is represented by slightly more than half the foals his Irish
counterpart - 867. Storm Cat’s AEI is an impressive 3.72 while
Sadler’s Wells is just ahead on 3.82.
The
statistics suggest Sadler’s Wells is slightly ahead of Storm Cat but
with Storm Cat’s best bred horses just hitting the race track the next
few years could see a change in that.