Coolmore’ dominance in the National Hunt stallion market is illustrated in the recently published journal by Weatherbys Return of Mares, their roster accounted for the six busiest sires, in Britian and Ireland, in the past covering season.

The jumps squad, belonging to the lads, spread between the Grange and Castle Hyde studs, in County Cork and Beaches Stud in County Waterford, had almost accounted for five of the six most active sires in 2016, and remarkable nine of the top ten in 2015.

In the strongest demand all of this year, as was the case 12 months earlier when he returned to his native Ireland, having commenced his stud career In France, was the Irish Derby hero, Soldier Of Fortune.

He actually increased and managed his already prodigious book size at Beeches Stud in the space of a year, from 304 to 352 in 2017.

For the second year in succession Grange Stud’s resident sire, Getaway had to bow his head    to Soldier Of Fortune in terms of popularity.

The son of Monsun, whose young crops yielded five point to pointers (steeplechasers), fetched six figure prices at a boutique sale in the 2016-17 jumps season, received 284 mares.

Beeches Stud’s resident sire, Mahler, another son Galileo, is in third position on the table of busiest sires, with his son, Sutton Place, a three time graded winner over hurdles, doing most to encourage the breeders who sent him 262 mares.

Westener and Champs Elysees, sons of Danehill, who stands at Castle Hyde, covered books 250 and 248 mares in 2017, with Walk In The Park, the Grange Stud source of the exceptional Douvan, rounding out the top six for Coolmore, with 228 appointments in the breeding shed.

Breeders evidently could not get enough of Frankel, after his first crop of two year olds ran breeders sent him 195 mares, the greatest patronage of any British based sire this season.

Frankel