Sergei heads again

The Whitsbury Manor Stud-based sire leading the field in the second season sires’ championship, writes Amy Bennett

In the European table of second season sires, as he did with his first crop last year, Sergei Prokofiev is once again at the top spot, with his progeny banking just over €1,900,000 in Europe.

His runners are led by Arizona Blaze, who, in a muddling sprint division, triumphed in the Flying Five Stakes (G1), having been beaten a neck into
second in the Commonwealth Cup (G1).

Ghaiyyath: siring global winners

In second place in the European table by prize-money is Ghaiyyath, another to have sired a respectable number of winners and earners without ever really threatening to grab attention.

His first three-year-olds in the southern hemisphere are headed by the Victoria Derby victor Observer, a first Group 1 winner for his sire in either hemisphere.

In the northern hemisphere, top honours go to the Irish-bred The Padre, who landed the Del Mar Derby (G2) and My Highness, who triumphed in the
Prix du Calvados (G2).

He also got the Group 3 winner Mandanaba, who finished third in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (G1), bred by Princess Zahra Aga Khan.

And let us not forget the admirable Opera Ballo, who was twice a Listed winner and also Group 2-placed, without ever looking likely to set
the world alight, among a tally of nine black-type performers for the Darley-based sire in the northern hemisphere in 2025.

Mohaather: Group 1 sprint sire

Shadwell’s Mohaather occupies third place in the table, with 39 winners and earnings of just over €1,400,000.

The son of Showcasing was another to sire his first Group 1 winner this season, again in the somewhat chaotic 2025 sprint division.

Having become his sire’s first stakes winner at two when winning the Molecomb Stakes (G3), Big Mojo triumphed in the Sprint Cup (G1) at Haydock in September, having been beaten only a neck in the July Cup (G1) when leading home his group.

As with Sergei Prokofiev, Mohaather registered only one Group winner during the season, although his son Cape Orator, who is out of a Motivator mare, took the eye when finishing third in the Champagne Stakes (G2) at Doncaster and in the Criterium International (G1), having also bagged a valuable sales race at Longchamp along the way.

Zavateri: a stand-out for Without Parole

Another sophomore to get off the mark this year with a first top-level winner was Without Parole, who finished 12th by prize money in the European table.

Represented by 10 winners in Europe last year, the Newsells Park Stud resident put 16 on the board this year, with his biggest earner undoubtedly Zavateri.

Successful in the July Stakes and Vintage Stakes, both Group 2s, he went on to defeat a top-class yardstick in Gstaad by a head at The Curragh in the National Stakes (G1).

Good season for second-season sires at Haras d’Etreham

The Haras d’Etreham pair Hello Youmzain and Persian King also both acquitted themselves well without dazzling. Hello Youmzain’s progeny amassed just under €1,500,000 in earnings, headed by the Prix de Sandringham (G2) heroine Godspeed and two Listed winners.

Having stood at €22,500 in 2023 and 2024, his fee rose to €40,000 this year off the back of finishing 2024 asthe leading first-season sire in France last year, and his fee has been set for 2026 at €25,000.

His stud mate Persian King sired four black-type winners in 2025, headed by the Prix de Psyche (G3) winner Cankoura, who also finished third in the Prix de Diane (G1).

Royal Ascot success for Mali

Sands Of Mali occupied fifth place in the list of leading European sires by prize-money at the beginning of November, sandwiched between the Etreham pair.

Having been the leading Irish-based first-season sire last year, he was represented this year by his breakthrough Group 1 winner in Time For Sandals, successful in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot.

He also notched up two more black-type winners in the Ballycorus Stakes (G3) winner Copacabana Sands and the Listed winner Ipanema Queen.

Pinatubo: sire of 11 black-type performers

Also in the top ten by European earnings is Pinatubo who, much like his Darley stud mate Ghaiyyath, is somewhat of a hard horse to get a handle on.

With 44 individual winners this year and over €1,400,000 in earnings, Pinatubo probably deserves more plaudits than he has received but, like Ghaiyyath, he still lacks that headline horse.

Having waited until November last year to register his first black-type winner, Pinatubo quietly amassed firepower this year, with 11 black-type performers and two black-type winners.

His daughter Qilin Queen won the Prix de Malleret (G2) in July, and he also sired a pair of Listed winners this year, with a further seven of his progeny all Group placed. It will not take much more for Pinatubo to make headlines next year, if only a few of those to hit the stakes race crossbar in 2025 can convert in 2026.

Wooded and Romanised

Another to get a first Group 1 winner on the board this year was Wooded, whose son Woodshauna is much the best of his progeny to date.

Having broken his duck in a Deauville conditions contest last November, the colt defeated subsequent Group 1 winner Time For Sandals in the Prix Texanita (G3), before triumphing in the Prix Jean Prat (G1) and finishing third in the Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1).

The Haras de Bouquetot inmate came close to gaining a second
Group 1-winning progeny with Jawwal, who was defeated only half-a-length in October’s Prix de l’Abbaye.

Wooded shared joint-tenth spot last year with Romanised in the table of leading European first-crop sires by number of winners, both siring 12, and the pair once gain have remarkably similar results.

Now based at Castillon Stallions with a fee of €5,000, Romanised registered his first Group race success when Zia Agnese won the Prix Cleopatre (G3) in April.

He is also responsible for the Group 3-placed duo Curragh Camp and Dalyan, the latter a juvenile.

Kameko on the mark

Kameko was the only one of his peers to sire a Group 1-winning juvenile last year – New Century – and was also responsible for the likeable Wimbledon Hawkeye.

The latter added further lustre to his record this year finishing runner-up
in the Craven Stakes (G3), the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes (G2) and the
Gordon Stakes (G3), and third in the Dante (G2), before landing a Grade 3 success in the US.

Such performances helped his sire to earnings of just over €900,000 and 11th-place in the leading European second-season sires’ table.

Kameko also welcomed a new Group winner in Five Ways, who won the Sirenia Stakes (G3), and the Listed winner American Gal, who was also narrowly beaten in Group 3 company.