We are closing on the end of the season with new sires announced

Breeding operations around the country and getting their new stallions announced as plans start to be fixed for the spring. 

There are a lot of horses who are retiring at the moment with their futures already focused on the breeding side of the sport. A number of smart performers have been seen on the track for the last time before they start their new life as stallions. 

It is almost May and the end of the top racing is fast approaching before we turn to the winter action. At this time of year, the top horses are off to stud in the hope of covering their first mares in the coming months so that in the spring of 2025 we will see their first progeny on the ground and in 2027, we can witness them on the track.  

Darley announced Cylinder and Golden Mile 

The new retirees joining the Darley ranks both wore the Godolphin blue in their race career to great success. Cylinder enjoyed his biggest day in the sun earlier this autumn when he beat Imperatriz in the Newmarket at Flemington.  
 
He was a precocious two-year-old last season, finishing second in the Golden Slipper so those looking for early types will be interested. A son of super sire Exceed And Excel who recently retired from stud duties, he will be looking to fill that gap in the market. 
 
Golden Mile was a spring performer, winning the Caulfield Guineas in 2022 and the Theo Marks in 2023 at that time of year. Fourth in the Geo Ryder last month in his final race, he was a horse who perhaps didn’t achieve as much as he promised so it will be interesting to see how much he is used. 
 
Darley will also shuttle Native Trail and Triple Time. The former was an exceptional two-year-old then won the Irish 2000 Guineas as a three-year-old. The latter is a Royal Ascot winner, saluting in the Queen Anne over 1600m as a roughie last year. 

Triple-headed monster of newcomers at Newgate 

Newgate will be excited for the future with Ozzmosis headlining their new stallions. The winner of four of his seven career starts, including the Group 1 Coolmore, he will be hugely popular as a son of Zoustar who everyone is after. 
 
Militarize is the top performer to join the ranks with three Group 1 wins under his belt. Two of those came as a two-year-old, adding the Golden Rose this season. He was placed in the Doncaster and Geo Ryder on his final two starts.  
 
Finally, there is King’s Gambit who is a bit of a wildcard with only a Group 2 win to his credit. He was third in the Golden Slipper behind Shinzo (recently retired by Coolmore to stud) so he was certainly not without ability at the top level. One thing he does have is looks. If he stamps his offspring in the same way, he will throw some nice ones. 

Yulong invests in a new Japanese stallion 

Panthalassa is the new kid on the block when it comes to the stallions at Yulong. A Group 1 winner in both Dubai and Saudi Arabia, saluting in the 2022 Dubai Turf and then the Saudi Cup the following year. 
 
It might seem strange to say but his career-best run was one that came in defeat, in the 2022 Tenno Sho when only a length behind the mighty Equinox. His wins came at 1800m and 2000m on both grass and dirt and although he showed a preference for quicker ground, he did win as a two-year-old on soft.  

There are some very smart types who are heading to stud to start their careers as a stallion as the season enters the quieter, later stage. It is always great when their names start to appear on the betting sites in years to come when their offspring start to race.