Do ten furlong horses really make good stallions?

[Marginal Value]

Just picking up on a comment that is made fairly frequently, the latest in the thread about the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The poster Eclipse First made some excellent comments about the race, but included: “True the King George is the 2nd best all-aged 12f Event in Europe, but the sad truth is that 10f is where horses really have to show their mettle to enhance their stallion prospects.”

Since my comment is not about that race, I did not want to contaminate that thread. I thought it would be applicable to a wider audience.

Is it a myth that winning over 10 furlongs (especially a Group 1 race) would enhance a stud career, and increase income for the stallion owner?

Such a win might enhance a stallions prospects; until the mare owners see the reality of runners on the racecourse.

Take all of the top fifteen sires (by total prize money) in Britain last year. They include Coolmore’s three most expensive sires, Darley’s two most expensive sires, and the top three most expensive sires standing in Britain. They are a very representative bunch of commercially successful stallions.

Of the fifteen:

…. only FOUR ever ran over 10 furlongs
…. only ONE won a race over 10 furlongs – Galileo won the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial (G3)
…. none, obviously, won a Group 1 over 10 furlongs

From a long list of very good racehorses to win top-class 10 furlong races in the last two decades, only Giant’s Causeway has gone on to be an exceptional sire. There have been a few average ones, and many very ordinary ones.

Why do people think that high-class 10 furlong winners make good sires?

Or, am I missing something obvious?

[Anonymous]

You are right, I think, to spot a Coolmore-driven trend towards 12F horses and stamina. This is due to the comparatively uncompetitive nature of Group races at 14F or over. The concentration on fashionable sires from the Mile and 10F divisions has perhaps been largely responsible for this.

Add this to the current relative decline in USA fiscal dominance (I say relative, note!), plus a perceived need to strengthen the stamina of the breed generally (c.f. the increasing influence of stoutly bred German stock) and you have a situation responsible for the welcome re-emergence of the 12F sires.

[Author]

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