In the last ten years three new stallions added their names to the list of Champion Sires -- Multidimensional, Burden of Proof and Excellent Art. All three of them had been Champion Freshman Sires in their years and though Multidimensional  and Excellent Art were Champion Freshman Sires and Champion Sires in consecutive years, there was a gap of a dozen years between Burden of Proof's two titles.

Not every Champion Freshman Sire goes on to become a Champion Sire. In fact, in the last 30 years, only five stallions have done so, the two greats Razeen and Placerville, being the other two.

Becoming a Champion Freshman Sire depends on various factors like the number of new stallions that year, their individual calibre and where they are standing. This last factor is important as becoming a Champion Sire requires a strong support in number and quality of mares. However, the intrinsic calibre of the stallion himself is crucial. The five Freshman Sires who went on to become Champion Sires later had an AE Index of 3.40 or more in their first crops. 

Six new stallions will see their progeny race from November onwards, if racing has finally resumed by then. Pen pictures of three of them are given below and the other three  will be discussed in the next part. The intriguing question is there a stallion among these six who will end the year with an AE Index of more than 3.40 ?

 AGOSTINI (b 2010 Burden of Proof - Glorious Beauty by Razeen)

Standing at Hyderabad Race Club Stud, Race Course, Hyderabad (Telangana)

Racing Performance: 8 wins from 32 starts in India at 3 to 6 (1400 m. to 2800 m.). Best Rating 114. 

Other stallion sons of Burden of Proof in India: Fantabulous King, Fleeting Arrow, Aboline and Desert God.

Some of the previous stallions at H.R.C.:Allez Vite, Chaitanya Chakram, All The Best, Donegal, etc.

Kunigal Stud-bred Agostini raced in the colours of URBB and Mr. Ashok Ranpise who owned the dam. He was trained initially by J.S. Dhariwal and then moved to S.S. Attaolahi  and proved himself to be a high class, staying horse. His best performance was in winning the Bangalore Derby, Gr.1 and twice placing second to Alaindair at Hyderabad; first in the Indian Turf Invitation Cup, Gr.1 and then in the President of India Gold Cup, Gr.1. His victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Gr.3 at the age of six, testifies his durability. By a Champion Sire and out of a mare by the all-time great stallion Razeen, Agostini meets some major requirements for a stallion. Glorious Beauty won just once in her short racing career. She is a three-parts sister to the Indian Turf Invitation Cup, Gr.1 winner Autonomy.

With the exception of Madras Race Club, other Turf Authorities have dabbled in breeding at some time or the other with varying levels of commitment. H.R.C. is no exception. Its involvement has been sporadic and also on a low scale. Agostini is unlikely to get anything more than a token support and the stallion will have little chance of making a mark. He should console himself with the fact that he has a comfortable and pleasurable life post his racing days and so is much luckier than most others.

Agostini actually retired to stud in 2016 but he had two live foals in his first crop so he is being discussed here. He has two foals in his 2018 and 2019 crops but did not cover a single mare in 2019.  

AMPERE[FR], b 2012 (Galileo - Amorama by Sri Pekan)

Standing at Equus Stud, Talegaon, Maharashtra)

Racing Performance: 2 wins in France from 5 starts at 3 (2200 m.)  Best Rating 116  

Other stallion sons of Galileo in India:David Linvingston[IRE], Planetaire[GB] and Roderick O'Connor[IRE]

Some previous stallions at Equus Stud:Red Rocket[FR], Broto{USA], Metal Precieux[IRE], Royal Kingdom[IRE], Tariq[GB], Varenar[FR], etc.

Ampere was bred by Haras de Saint Pair, one of the oldest stud farms in France located at Cambremer, just a half an hour's drive due south of Deauville in Normandy.  It was at one time owned by Count Evremond Saint-Alary and some legendary horses like Upas, Omnium II, Ksar, Comrade, Kantar, Samos, Kizil Kourgan, etc. were bred there. Ampere was owned by the stud and raced in its colours. He was trained by Andre Fabre, reverently called 'Le Magician' in France and ridden by M. Barzalona in all his races. He did not race at 2 but won his first two starts at 3, both at Longchamp, the second of which was the Prix Hocquart, Gr.2. Fabre considered him too inexperienced for the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly in May  but brought him out for Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris, Gr.1 (2400 m) in July where he finished second to Erupt. In August, he was third to stablemate New Bay, a winner of the Prix du Jockey Club, Gr.1, in the Prix  Guillaume d'Ornano, Gr.2 at Deauville.He had some problems thereafter and did not race again till April of the next year. He was unplaced on his last start and it was decided to retire him from racing.

The first two sons of Galileo -- David Livingston and Planetaire -- had their first runners during the abruptly ended winter season. Between the two of them, they had 27 starters and only one winner. That winner, though, is Black Pearl (by Planetaire), the star of the 2017 crop so far. Precocity and speed are not the attributes on which Galileo's sky-high reputation is based. His progeny needs time and distance to show its true colours. So hasty conclusions in the case Galileo's sons, too, are not warranted.  Ampere's dam Amorama was a high class performer on the track, winning her races on either side of a mile in France and U.S.A., including the Del Mar Oaks, Gr.1 and John C. Mabee Handicap, Gr.1. Ampere is bred on the same lines as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Found who was by Galileo out a mare by a son of Red Ransom. Ampere's further connection with the Arc is that Treve and Generous, both winners of that famed international race, are from the same family. His fourth dam Trillion was a Champion Older Mare in France and a Champion Grass Mare in U.S.A.  

Ampere has been provided with decent support and has 41 foals in his first crop and 36 in his second. The stud had to divert more numbers to launch Ampere's new barn-mate Moonlight Magic so the son of Galileo has just 14 foals in his crop born this year. A stallion usually shows his calibre even from small numbers. Bigger crops only make it easier for him. Ampere has adequate numbers to show the stuff he is made of. 

BE SAFE (b 2011 Holy Roman Emperor - Oriental Lady[IRE] by King's Best)

Standing at: Sans Craintes Stud, Tamil Nadu (Tamil Nadu)

Racing Performance: 11 wins from 19 starts at 2 to 5 in India (1000 m. to 2400 m.). Best Rating 125.

Other stallion son of Holy Roman Emperor in India: Leitir Mor[IRE]

Some previous stallions at Sans Craintes Stud: Mudeer[GB], My Turn, Polar Falcon, Midtown[IRE], Mathematician[IRE], Lucifer Sam[USA], Lord Admiral[USA], Tazahum[USA], Knight's Tour[AUS], etc.

It is safe to say that there has not been a more popular horse this millennium in India than Be Safe. Dr. Ramaswamy's Champion captured the hearts of race goeres like no one else. Horses like Mystical, Set Alight, In The Spotlight and Desert God may have earned the approbation and respect of a large number but they could not quite command the affection bestowed on Be Safe. It may have been muted when he was winning but it simply gushed forth when he was beaten by Quasar in the Omkar Indian Turf Invitation Cup, Gr.1 at Mumbai. 

Be Safe was a 'got abroad' foaled at Hazara Stud. Dr. Ramaswamy always had a soft corner for the 'got abroads' and Be Safe was an exceptionally good looking horse so there was no question of passing him over. He was duly purchased and entered Malesh Narredu's yard.  Be Safe made a winning debut in a 'million'  as a 2yo at Pune and followed it up with another 'million' and the Kunigal Stud Breeders' Produce Stakes, Gr.3. All his wins so far had been easily gained and he started as the favourite for the Poonawalla Breeders' Multi-Million, Gr.1. There he met with his first defeat, going down by a neck to Shivalik Storm. There was no uproar. A bad day at office and a slightly inept ride by the still raw Sreekanth being readily accepted as the reasons for the reversal. Besides, he was still not the idol he was to become.

That exalted status came to him over his next six consecutive wins including effortless victories in the Kingfisher Derby Bangalore, Gr.1 and  the McDowell Signature Indian Derby, Gr.1. Then came the shattering debacle in the Omkar Indian Turf Invitation Cup, Gr.1. Much has been written and discussed about that loss and it is not relevant in this context. The immediate upshot was that Dr. Ramaswamy, from his ailing bed in Chennai, took the horse away from Malesh Narredu's yard that very evening. Trained now by S. Ganapthy, Be Safe duly won on his reappearance in Bangalore to confirm all said and unsaid innuendoes. That, however, was his last notable win. He won just one race thereafter at Chennai. From the high noon of his Indian Derby triumph, the rest of his career was an anti-climax. At his best, though, he had shown all the credentials required of a prospective stallion. 

His sire Holy Roman Emperor had had the most impact by a stallion standing abroad on Classics in India. Apart from Be Safe, he is also the sire of Smashing, Fastest Finger and Mrs. Patmore. Besides, his son Leitir Mor, has already sired a Classic winner in India. Be Safe traces to Plucky Liege and that matron is quite unique in the breeding annals. She is the only mare to produce four chefs de race -- Admiral Drake, Bois Roussel, Sir Gallahad and Bull Dog and each was in a different category !

He has had only moderate support at Sans Craintes Stud with 17 foals in his first crop and 14 in the second. He covered 22 mares in 2019.

PAST THE POST

It is also a fact from the last thirty years of breeding records that the Champion Sire has generally been a Champion Freshman Sire. There is only one exception and that is Chettinad Stud's Always A Rainbow.  Most breeders do not accept Always A Rainbow as a true Champion because his honour was the result of manipulating the system. They readily point out that Always A Rainbow never sired a Classic winner outside the state of Tamil Nadu.