Sadler's Wells Wins 12th Sire Title

Sadler's Wells' sire record keeps looking better and better the further back one goes. And we're talking all the way back to the late 1700s when the great English stallion Highflyer reigned supreme.

Sadler's Wells tied Highflyer's mark of 13 leading sire titles in 14 years. Twelve of Sadler's Wells' titles have come in consecutive fashion, starting in 1992. Sadler's Wells first headed the list in 1990 and finished second the following year.

Sadler's Wells, a 23-year-old son of Northern Dancer out of the Bold Reason mare Fairy Bridge, topped the 2003 English/Irish list with progeny earnings of $6,152,929, a total more than twice the $2,626,030 for runner-up Danehill. The latter also was second the previous year. Sadler's Wells, who sired 31 stakes winners in 2003 and a career total of 229 stakes winners, stands at Coolmore Stud in Ireland. Danehill, who holds the all-time mark of 237 stakes winners, stood at Coolmore prior to his death last year.

Heading the English/Irish 2-year-old list by progeny earnings is Cape Cross, whose runners earned $930,472, only $17,000 more than Royal Applause's runner-up sum of $913,302. Ten-year-old Cape Cross (Green Desert-Park Appeal, by Ahonoora) stands at Kildangan Stud in Ireland. Royal Applause holds court at the Royal Studs in England. Two North American stallions, Storm Cat and Stravinsky, finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

2003 Leading Sires in England/Ireland
Sire Runners Winners Earnings
1. Sadler's Wells 173 76 $6,152,929
2. Danehill 136 58 $2,626,030
3. Key of Luck 47 12 $2,510,612
4. Kris S. 14 9 $2,318,897
5. Indian Ridge 106 49 $2,309,953
6. Cadeaux Genereux 121 41 $2,217,854
7. Green Desert 83 35 $2,052,894
8. Grand Lodge 140 43 $1,913,705
9. Selkirk 88 33 $1,845,112
10. Darshaan 76 36 $1,831,898

2003 Leading Sires of 2-Year-Olds
in England/Ireland
Sire Runners Winners Earnings
1. *Cape Cross 44 20 $930,472
2. Royal Applause 40 16 $913,302
3. *Fasliyev 48 19 $872,952
4. Storm Cat 13 9 $841,072
5. *Stravinsky 30 16 $703,057
6. Danehill 39 18 $662,084
7. Night Shift 33 12 $612,065
8. Cadeaux Genereux 31 13 $521,246
9. Green Desert 32 16 $510,776
10. Sadler's Wells 55 15 $409,485
* indicates first-year sire
Statistics courtesy of Weatherbys
Dec. 31, 2003 conversion rate of £1= $1.7785