Kevin Blake ATR
Last week news emerged that Al Shaqab Racing had sold 50% of the high-class two-year-old MEHMAS to Tally-Ho Stud and he would be retired to stud after his next start in the Middle Park Stakes, forgoing a three-year-old campaign next season.
The news was greeted with anguish by many racing fans, as it grates on many that a high-class two-year-old would be retired despite being physically and mentally sound.
While it isn’t unusual for colts to be retired to stud without having raced as a three-year-old due to injury, making a decision to retire a sound three-year-old to stud based on commercial reasons is a largely modern phenomenon.
Holy Roman Emperor was perhaps the first in 2007, for all that it was George Washington’s infertility that was the big factor in the decision to retire him.
A year later, Dark Angel was retired at the conclusion of his juvenile campaign to stand at Morristown Latin Stud and since then, the O’Callaghan family has bought a string of similarly-profiled two-year-olds to begin their stallion careers as three-year-olds such as Zebedee (Tally-Ho Stud), Approve (Morristown Latin), Sir Prancealot (Tally-Ho Stud) and Gutaifan (Morristown Latin).
Rathbarry Stud also got in on the act by retiring Lilbourne Lad to stud after his two-year-old season.
The traditional argument to justify such decisions was that the programme book made it very tough for three-year-old sprinters, particularly in the first half of the season.
However, that has been addressed in recent years with the introduction of a series of three-year-old sprints on both sides of the Irish Sea culminating in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
So, why is it still happening?
As is the case in so many situations in life, the answer comes down to money. The reality is that the commercial end of the bloodstock industry demands precocious speed and is willing to pay well for it.
While an outside observer wouldn’t have to be too pernickety to express concerns about sending a mare to a stallion that hasn’t proven themselves a three-year-old, the breeding industry has shown that having high-class two-year-old form is enough for most.
For example, in their first seasons alone, Dark Angel covered 120 mares at a fee of €10,000, Zebedee covered 154 at €5,000, Approve covered 118 at €5,000, Lilbourne Lad covered 123 at €7,500 and Sir Prancealot covered 139 at €6,000.
These are numbers that put them up amongst the best supported first-season sires of each of their years. It isn’t just the breeders that have shown an acceptance of horses with such profiles, as the progeny of all of those stallions were amongst the most in-demand of the first-season sires as both foals and yearlings.
The trend has continued and if anything grown this year, as despite being a far from high-profile two-year-old, Gutaifan was in incredibly high demand in his first season at Morristown Latin Stud, covering no less than 203 mares at a fee of €12,500.
At the end of the day, it comes down to risk and reward. If a stallion master feels that a two-year-old has done enough as a juvenile to attract the sort of business that the above sires did, retiring them after their two-year-old year can clearly seem more attractive than rolling the dice with them as a three-year-old, risking devaluing their value and reputation if they fail to add to their achievements.
Of course, for a high-class two-year-old to go on to win the Commonwealth Cup and compete against the top older sprinters as a three-year-old would lead to a significant increase in their value and reputation.
However, when one weighs up the two options in the cold light of day, it is no surprise that the likes of Mehmas are being retired as two-year-olds.
The remarkable success of Dark Angel has served to legitimise this practice and with Sir Prancealot making a strong start of his own with his first runners this season, it is unlikely to stop any time soon.
That said, while the commercial realities make it understandable, one does have to worry if such practice is in the best interests of the thoroughbred breed, particularly if it becomes even more common.
Ultimately, in a free market situation, the power is in the hands of the breeders. If they continue to be willing to embrace sires that haven’t raced beyond their juvenile campaign with such enthusiasm, the practice is likely to increase before it decreases.
