Giant's Causeway's Fee Upped to $200,000

Giant's Causeway  , whose son Noble Causeway is one of the top Kentucky Derby (gr. I) contenders, has had his stud fee boosted to $200,000 from $150,000, according to the Racing Post. The champion son of Storm Cat now boasts the third-highest fee in North America, behind Storm Cat ($500,000) and A.P. Indy and Kingmambo (each at $300,000). He stands at Ashford Stud, a satellite of Irish-based Coolmore Stud, near Versailles, Ky.

A member of his sire's first crop, Noble Causeway boosted his Kentucky Derby status with a strong runner-up effort in the Florida Derby (gr. I). He currently occupies the sixth spot on Steve Haskin's Derby Dozen.

Giant's Causeway, whose initial 2005 advertised fee was $135,000 before it was raised to $150,000 around the start of the new year, was the leading English/Irish freshman sire of 2004 by progeny earnings. Carrying the largest part of the earnings load was his son Shamardal, who was England's champion 2-year-old male. In North America, Giant's Causeway ranked fourth on the first-crop list.

Eight-year-old Giant's Causeway, who was produced from the Rahy mare Mariah's Storm, began his stallion career at Coolmore and is in the midst of his fourth season at Ashford. A champion in England and Ireland, he is best known in North America for running a close second to Tiznow in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I).