French Racing / La Casaque Noire / 10 September 2007 /

La Casaque Noire has rooted through the stats of Arc winners at stud

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe has been won just six times by a filly in the last 30 years and only once in the last 20 which begs the question - what happens to all the colts that win?

The winner is almost inevitably crowned champion racehorse but does that automatically mean a successful career as a stallion?

Dalakhani (2003) certainly has a stallion's pedigree, being by Darshaan with a Mr Prospector damline. However, he was a late developer and has just five winners from 20 runners, none of significance, in this, his freshman season. It's probably too early to judge him, especially with a few months of the season still left.

The shock winner in 2002 was Marienbard. He was promptly shipped off to Japan and I found the grand total of zero wins by his progeny.

In 2001 World Champion Sakhee ran out an easy winner, but as a stallion, the jury is still very much out. He had just three winners in his first crop, but has sired a Group One winner this year in the shape of Sakhee's Secret. But, he needs to do a lot more.

Sinndar (2000) was very much a galloper, not everyone's favourite trait in a potential sire. He was a slow starter with just three winners in his first crop but now boasts 16 Stakes winners including three at Group One level.

The quirky Montjeu (1999) was, surprisingly, an instant success, producing 19 juvenile scorers and he already totals an amazing 15 winners in the top grade. He will surely succeed his father (Sadler's Wells) as the Coolmore flag-bearer.

The top-notch Sagamix was a runaway winner in '98, but his sire, Linamix, despite being one of Europe's best stallions, has yet to produce a son to succeed him. Sagamix isn't going to change that.

Despite being by the speed influence Nureyev, Peintre Celebre (1997) was more a stayer than speedster. He struggled to get early runners and was quickly written-off. However, given a bit of time, his progeny shone, and I think it's safe to say that he is a decent sire - he's chalked up 15 Group One winners and not many stallions can boast that by the age of 10.

Winners in the early nineties and late eighties have been almost universally disappointing at stud. Helissio retired to Japan, spent a few years at the National Stud and is now in Ireland somewhere. He was given every chance and didn't take it.

The fragile Lammtarra also went to Japan where he did little. Carnegie went to South Africa and has produced six Group One scorers, while Subotica, who ploughed through the mud in '92, has more chance of getting a decent jumper than a flat horse of note. The brilliant Suave Dancer didn't quite cut it considering the fee he started at.

Saumarez, a son of Rainbow Quest (see below) didn't make it either - he's a fair stallion but his progeny are backward, staying types which are difficult to sell at the sales, so he was shipped to South Africa as a failure.

Carroll House, Tony Bin and Trempolino are other failures, the latter now in France standing at a fraction of his original American fee.

Who can forget Dancing Brave's late winning surge in 1986? He was just about turning the corner as a stallion (although with the opportunities he was given he should have done better in the first place) when he died prematurely. He got 13 Group One winners before he passed away.

Which brings us to another Juddmonte Champion in Rainbow Quest (1985). He's sired an incredible 145 Stakes winners, 27 of them in the top flight.

Before that we have to go back to Mill Reef (1971, great grandsire of Dalakhani) to find a really strong influence on today's breed.

Verdict: with the stayer Hurricane Run, quirky Bago and late-developer Rail Link to come, the stallion graveyard might need enlarging.

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