The group of stallions who retired to stud for 2002 were a mixed bunch. Overall a number of sires have been showing considerable promise.

Bertolini and Mull of Kintyre is heading the table of winners. Needless to say, both have had considerable more runners than horses lower down on the table, with the exception of Mozart, and therefore the statistics do look suspect.

However, Bertolini has made the best start to date, both in terms of winners and is the only horse to date to be represented by a group winner. His daughter, Donna Blini, won the Cherry Hinton Stakes (Gp2).

Mull of Kintyre was very popular and naturally for a Coolmore inmate covered over 140 mares in his first year at stud.
He is yet to be represented by a stakes winner, however, and it remains to be seen whether he will justify the considerable support he has attracted.

Observatory and the ill-fated Mozart are currently third and fourth on the list and both are showing considerable promise. Observatory's daughter Nidhaal ran second in Saturday's Princess Margaret Stakes (Gp3) and looks to have a bright future. Observatory has also been well represented, having had 27 runners to date. His runners should improve and he looks to have a decent future.

Another son of Distant View who has gotten off to a promising start at stud is former champion two-year-old, Distant Music. He has already being represented by four winners. It remains to be seen if Distant View, only a reasonably successful sire, can sire a top class stallion.

Mozart had his first stakes winner this weekend when Modeeroch won the Tyros Stakes. This will be Mozart's sole crop as he died in first season at stud. He has made a reasonable start considering the quality and quantity of mare he attracted, but will have to do more to be regarded as a great loss to breeding.

Another first season stallion standing at Coolmore is King Charlemagne. The son of Nureyev was represented by his first stakes winner when Alzyea won a Listed race in France. A decent two-year-old himself, King Charlemagne's sire Nureyev has enjoyed mixed success as a sire of sires. King Charlemagne is currently ninth on the first year list.

Medicean's son Regal Royale made a smashing debut on Saturday and with his daughter Nannina running third in the Princess Margaret, Medicean looks to have a bright future. However several sons of Machiavellian have made bright starts to their stud career and none of them have become top class stallions. Medicean is the best son of Machiavellian yet to be represented on the racecourse and he may well be the first son of his sire to make a name for himself at stud.

Both Galileo and Fantastic Light have been represented by winners and both should have improved records next year.