The articles of new stallions have been appearing in August. There is a reason for that. The 2YOs start coming on the training track from the month of September and their work-outs are generally  reported with pedigrees. Some new sire names will be encountered in those pedigrees and it is good to know about them in advance.

In the past few years, the Coolmore stallion Galileo has had such an outstanding record that Racing Post simply labels him "phenomenal". Every stud farm sought to stand a son of his but the nurseries in India had to wait a bit before their counterparts abroad had done their shopping. Galileo started at a fee of IRP 50,000; since 2008, it has been shown as "Private" and has to be negotiated. 2016 is a landmark year in Indian breeding because the first two sons of Galileo landed on our shores when ten new stallions were seen in the covering yards. Apart from David Livingston and Planetaire, the two sons of Galileo, there were three other imported stallions while the remaining five were Indian-bred. Just being a son of Galileo is not a guarantee to success. We have had sons of Northern Dancer, Mr. Prospector and Danehill at stud in India earlier and not all of them had conspicuous success. A lot depends on the support that they receive, particularly in terms of number and quality of mares, from the nursery they are resident at.

Brief sketches of five stallions, in alphabetical order, appear below. The remaining five later.

ADMIRALTY (b 2012 Admiralofthefleet - Caprese by Burden of Proof[IRE])
Standing at Chester Stud, Sadawali, Maharashtra
3 wins from 4 starts at 3 (1400 m. and 1600 m.). Best rating 80
Only son of Admiralofthefleet at stud in India
Previous stallions at Chester Stud: None

Admiralty, owned by U.R.B.B. Ltd. and trained by Pesi Shroff, started his career by reeling off an unbeaten hat-trick which culminated in a victory in the Karnataka Juvenile Million, Gr.2. During his preparation for the Bangalore Colts' Championship Stakes, Gr.1, he blew a tendon in his left fore and was on the repair list. He re-appeared at the end of the year in the Deltin Casinos Indian 2000 Guineas, Gr.1 but finished nowhere. He was found lame after the race and also to have broken a blood vessel. That was the end of his racing career.

His trainer, who had no doubts about his ability or potential, was convinced that he deserved a chance as a stallion. He was retired to Nanoli Stud for his first year but moved to Chester Stud, a breeding  enterprise of Pesi Shroff, for the 2017 covering season. He covered seven mares in his first year from which he has four foals. He covered the same number of mares in his second but there was just one foal born.

Admiralty is a full-brother to Captain Morgan whose 7 wins incl. Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy Chettiar of Chettinad Memorial Stayers' Cup, Gr.1, Maharaja's Gold Cup, Gr.2, South India St. Leger, Gr.2, etc. Captain Morgan was a redoubtable stayer which is not surprising since this is the family of Indian Derby, Gr.1 winners Mansoor Beg and his third dam Cordon Bleu. Grandam Cape Star was a winner of the Bangalore Oaks, Gr.2 and a half-sister to the ill-fated, unbeaten Continual. Danehill's son Admiralofthefleet had only a brief tenure in India. Beset by physical problems, his arrival was delayed a bit to begin with. He did cover a few mares abroad and got one winner called Grevillea. His three Indian crops include Admiralty, Captain Morgan, Cameron (Golconda St. Leger, Gr.2), Captain Cook (Calcutta Monsoon Derby, Gr.2) and a speedy one in Captain Courage (Dr. S.C. Jain Sprinters' Trophy, Gr.2), etc.   

Shortage of mares to cover will be Admiralty's main handicap.

AGOSTINI (b 2010 Burden of Proof - Glorious Beauty by Razeen) entered the Hyderabad Race Club Stud in 2016 and covered two mares from which no live foals resulted. He will be thus not having runners in 2019-20. He does have 2 live foals from his 2018 crop so his details will be given next year.  

CZAR OF ROMANCE (b 2010 Mathematician[IRE] - Born Free by Burden of Proof[IRE])
Standing at Sans Craintes Stud, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
4 wins from 20 starts at 2 to 4 (1200 m. to 1600 m.). Best rating 105.
Only son of Mtrhematician[IRE] at stud in India
Recent stallions at Sans Craintes: Ajaad[USA], Mudeer[GB], My Turn, Polar Falcon, Midtown[IRE], Mathematician[IRE], Lucifer Sam[USA], Lord Admiral[USA], Tazahum[USA] and Knight's Tour[AUS].

It is not common for a horse that is not a black-type winner to find a stallion barn. But then Mr. S. Pathy's Sans Craintes Stud, the southern most breeding establishment in India, is not a usual kind of breeding establishment. It is a passionate hobby. It has perhaps the largest stallion yard in the country -- currently it houses half a dozen stallions -- and Mr. Pathy has often brought back a son of a stallion who has stood there earlier. Sons of Ajaad (Polar Falcon), Mudeer (My Turn) and the 'got-abroad' Groom Street found their way back to Coimbatore despite what can be charitably called modest performance. Czar of Romance  -- a son of Mathematician -- follows in their footsteps.

Czar of Romance was bred and owned by Mr. A.P. Thackersey, a long standing owner-breeder whose Bangalore-based horses are trained mostly by Dominic. The Czar won on his debut as a two year-old and had three wins and a second from his first four starts. Though he was fairly consistent -- 13 times on the board in his career of 20 starts -- his fourth and last win came after two years at Mysore when won the H.H. Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Memorial Trophy and logged his best rating. In between, the high point his racing was placing a close second to Agostini in the Bangalore Derby, Gr.1. His sire died just as his sixth covering season was beginning. He had his share of winners but the Czar was probably the best horse he produced. Czar of Romance traces to the Usha Stud's imported mare Auriolitta and further on to Gondolette. Azhar (Calcutta Derby, Gr.1) and Twilight Lady (Calcutta Oaks, Gr.1) are the two Classic winners from this family in India.

Czar of Romance covered just two mares in 2016 and has foals out of both. Only one mare visited him the following year and she was put out of stud shortly afterwards. Like all Indian-bred stallions, he will always be on short rations and hence denied a realistic chance to succeed.

DANDIFIED (b 2008 Rebuttal[USA] - Dandoona[GB] by Zafonic)
Standing at Dashmesh Stud, Sarai Nanga, Punjab
26 wins from 40 starts at 3 to 7 (1200 m. to 2000 m.). Best rating 127.
Only son of Rebuttal[USA] at stud in India.
Recent stallions at Dashmesh Stud: Green Forest[USA], Local Talent[USA], Forest Gazelle[USA], Rosmini, Hurricane State[USA], Sunday Doubt[USA], Princely Heir[IRE], Carnival Dancer[GB]. Win Legend[JPN] and Abbeyside[GB].

No large stud farm in India has patronised Indian-bred mares and stallions like Dashmesh Stud. The first decade of the 21st century was a trying period for that nursery but the arrival of Win Legend has heralded  a welcome upward swing. In 2015, the stud accepted Dandified, one of the most popular horses at Calcutta in recent times, within its stallion ranks.

Dandified was bred by Nanoli Stud Farm which had imported the Zafonic mare Dandoona in 2005. She was entered for the Tattersalls February Sale but was not holding to her cover by Iron Mask and was withdrawn. The attraction to Nanoli Stud was that the mare was closely related to the dam of Zurbaran and Artois. In India, she first visited Royal Kingdom to whom she remained barren. So she was sent to Punjab to be covered by Sussex. She was again empty and moved to Hazara Stud to be covered by the newly arrived Rebuttal. That mating produced Dandified who was owned by the Khaitan family throughout and trained by Vijay Singh. Only two of Dandified's 40 starts were away from Calcutta  -- that was in Bangalore where he was unplaced --and only twice was he ridden by someone other than C. Alford. He did win the Indian Champion Cup, Gr.1 and Calcutta Monsoon Derby, Gr.3 over 2000 m. and was a faraway second to In The Spotlight in the Eveready Calcutta Derby, Gr.1 but he was at his best at a mile or less. Almost fifty percent of his wins were gained at 1400 m. A most genuine customer, he invariably gave his best. He was on the board in 35 of his 38 starts at Calcutta and that sealed his bond with the Hastings crowd. Dandoona later passed into the ownership of Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy and then of Hazara Stud. Her seven subsequent foals have won just three races between them so Dandified was a one-off. Dandified's third dam is a half-sister to the celebrated Mill Reef. This the stallion producing family of Blushing Groom, Khaled, Pipe of Peace and in India of Fair Ray, Hyder Ali, Red Indian, Royal Kingdom, etc.

Rebuttal, the sire of Dandified, had an outstanding first crop which included Classic winners Lovely Kiss, Pedalo, Toroloco and Dandified. He later also produced the Indian Derby winner Super Storm but his subsequent crops were not as sensational. Though he sired two Derby winners -- Toroloco and Super Storm -- he was essentially a speed stallion and the average winning distance of his progeny was under 1400 m.

Dandified is represented by 6 foals in first crop and has just one in his second.

DAVID LIVINGSTON[IRE] (b 2009  Galileo - Mora Bai by Indian Ridge)
Standing at Hazara Stud, Ambala, Haryana
3 wins at 2 and 4 from 17 starts (1400 m.  yielding to soft, 1600 m. heavy and 2100 m. good to firm). Best Official Rating 114.
Other stallion son of Galileo in India (till 2016): Planetaire[GB]
Recent stallions at Hazara Stud: Rebuttal[USA], Dancing Forever[USA], Net Whizz[USA], Saamidd[GB] and Corporate Jungle[USA].

Running in the Coolmore colours during his first two years of racing, David Livingston won two races from eight starts including the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes, Gr.2. He was then acquired by Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla and moved  from Ballydoyle to trainer Mike de Kock. He ran six times -- in UAE, England and Turkey -- for Dr. Poonawalla winning the Rose of Lancaster Stakes, Gr.3 at Haydock. As a six year-old he was saddled thrice by trainer Roger Charlton for Miss Jane Allison and twice placed third. He reverted to the Poonawallas when his racing career ended and  landed in India in time for 2016 covering season. It was a while before his future was sorted out. Eventually, Hazara Stud bought him and he commenced covering rather late in the season.

There is  nothing more to be said about Galileo. He is the stallion who turns everything to gold. At the moment, he probably has more sons standing as stallions than any other horse. The fact, unfortunately, is that so far no son of his appears to have inherited Galileo's prepotence. The same used to be said of Galileo's sire Sadler's Wells till, late in his career, he came up with Montjeu and Galileo. So there is always hope.

One of David Livingston's half-brothers, Hunting Horn, won the Hampton Court Stakes, Gr.3 at Royal Ascot. A very close relative of his High Chaparral, a winner of six Gr.1 races and twice third in Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Gr.1. High Chaparral was by Sadler's Wells out of Kasora; David Livingston is by a son of Sadler's Wells out of a daughter of Kasora. Also from the immediate family is a horse called Smuggler's Cove who took up stallion duties in India in 2016.

Despite the late start, David Livingston has 26 foals in his first crop. There are 60 foals in his second while his third crop will have even more.

PAST THE POST

Galileo is nearing a century of Gr.1 winners world wide. His own Gr.1 hat-trick comprised of Vodafone Epsom Derby, Budweiser Irish Derby and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and was fully in keeping with his pedigree. His dosage profile reads 9-1-22-8-0 with a DI of 1.11 and a CD of 0.28. The average winning distance of his progeny is 2240 m. (11.2 fur). Most sons of Galileo -- certainly the ones in India -- have lower dosage figures than Galileo himself. The question, therefore, is how suited are the Galileos to Indian environment where the average distance of a race is around 1300 m.? We will know the answer a few years down the line.

It will not be known to many that Galileo stood as a stallion in India ! Not, of course, the Coolmore stalwart. The one who held court in India was an Usha Stud-bred Galileo (Grey Gaston - Sky Witness) who was owned by Mr. S. Rangarajan of The Hindu. Initially, he was trained by M.H. Ali Khan and later by Jaggy Dhariwal. Racing at Hyderabad, Ooty and Guindy , he won 7 races over three years including the South India Gold Cup. Hardly the performance of a future stallion. But, he found an admirer in -- who else ? -- Mr. S. Pathy and was at Sans Craintes for four years. He produced 6 foals, 4 of them were named, all named ones started and two won 9 races between them. Just a bit of trivia!