Next to the Champion Stud Farm, the category which interests breeding enthusiasts most is Champion Sire. With Usha Stud having bagged the Championship, it was to be expected that its stallions would grab the honours and Multidimensional duly won his fifth crown in eight years after having been a Champion Freshman Sire in his first year. Unlike the Champion Stud Farm honours, which are decided by a point based formula, the stallion whose progeny has massed the highest stakes becomes the Champion Sire.

Champion Sire 2021-22

Bred and raced by the Niarchos Family and trained by Sir Henry Cecil at his Warren Place establishment in Newmarket, Multidimensional  came to India and covered his first book of mares in 2009. He became the Champion Freshman Sire in 2012-13. His first crop contained a record number of seven Classic winners and it gave him his first Championship in 2013-14. Since then he has been at the forefront of the Indian breeding scene and his 39 individual  Classic winners places him third -- behind only Razeen (57) and Placerville (42) -- in the all-time annals.

His stars of the year include Miracle (Indian 1000 Guineas, Gr.1 and Indian Oaks, Gr.1), Theon (Indian St. Leger, Gr.1), Supernatural (Derby Bangalore, Gr.1), King's Ransom (Pune Derby, Gr.1), Imperial Power (Calcutta Monsoon Derby, Gr.2), Eternal Blaze (Bangalore 1000 Guineas, Gr.2) and Remediesofspring (Nilgiris 1000 Guineas, Gr.1). He is a versatile sire with winners of Sprinters' Cup, Gr.1, Super Mile Cup, Gr.1, Indian Derby, Gr.1 and Stayers' Cup, Gr.1 to his credit with the distances between 2000 m. and 2400 m. seemingly most favoured by his progeny. Among his Classic winners, the fillies outnumber the colts. The Derby wins of Supernatural, Imperial Force and King's Ransom have made him the leading juvenile sire this year.

With just two crops to race for him, Roderic O'Connor did well to finish second but he had numbers on his side. His progeny does win its share of the races at a modest level and so far has not given an indication of excelling consistently at distances beyond 2000 m. His third crop will start racing shortly and he has three more crops already on ground. There is enough ammunition to stage a comeback.  

Excellent Art, Roderic O'Connor's senior barn-mate at Thevur, was launched with two good-sized books and did well to produce six Classic winners including the Indian Derby winner Star Superior. Roderic O'Connor's coming reduced him to subsistence ration for two years. His subsequent crops are better in numbers but he is growing longer in the tooth. He may still sire the four more Classic winners required to have his photograph on the Wall of Fame but it is going to be an uphill task.  

The revelation of the year was Usha Stud's Speaking of Which. He had begun promisingly with three Classic winners in his first crop but his next two contained just one. His fourth crop, current 3YOs, has been firing on all cylinders and he has already doubled his Classic tally through Philosophy, Mojito, Ravishing Form and Salento. As Speaking of Which is a son of Invincible Spirit, it would be no surprise to see those four do well in the Guineas races but how they fare over the Oaks and Derby trips will be interesting to watch.( He has two Classic winners over 2400 m. against his name).  He is on the threshold of becoming a Wall of Fame stallion.

Kingda Ka has proved to be the best of the few stallions from 'down under' who have stood in India and he played his part in helping Nanoli Stud to finish in the upper echelons. Despite being represented by much lesser numbers than Western Aristocrat -- the sire of Zuccarelli -- he finished above his barn-mate. He is consistent, his progeny is comfortable tackling various distances but he has so far not produced a real star.

PAST THE POST

It was in 1976 that the National Horse Breeding Society of India published the first edition of Indian Turf Statistical Record. The NHBSI continued to publish the statistics regularly for some years, then intermittently and stopped altogether after Return of Mares began to carry the statistics. Thus, we have the authentic Indian breeding records for the last 46 years.

Punjab was the Champion Sire in 1975-76. Thirteen other stallions have worn the crown since then. If a question were asked which stallion has been the Champion Sire the most, the answer is likely to be wrong. It is not Razeen; it is not Placerville; nor is it Riyahi or Grey Gaston or Everyday II. To end the suspense, here is the list of the 'Top Five':-

Malvado - 8 times
Placerville - 7 times
Razeen - 6 times
Always A Rainbow - 5 times
Multidimensional - 5 times.  

As a matter of interest, the Champion Sire whose progeny has grossed the highest stakes (Rs. 15.45 crores) is Burden of Proof who achieved that feat in 2015-16. The Champion sire with the highest AE Index is Razeen (6.28) in 1996-97, the year he won his first crown.