By Sid Fernando
Dutch Art, Dark Angel, and Red Clubs lead a contentious group of freshman sires in the principal European nations of Great Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, and Italy with, respectively, 11, 10, and 10 winners through Tuesday, June 28. Click here to see the European leading sires list, courtesy of Alan Mosley at Weatherbys. The stats don’t reflect Dutch Art’s 12th winner today or Dark Angel’s Czech winner, No. 11, Alan noted.
Compared to five winners for US-based Hard Spun, who leads all sires here by winners, the Europeans are well ahead of us, especially in Great Britain and Ireland where two-year-old racing is a major part of the game and the offspring of precocious sires inevitably dominate the first part of the season.
Dutch Art stands at Cheveley Park in Great Britain while Dark Angel stands at Morristown Lattin in Ireland. Red Clubs died earlier this year but also stood in Ireland, at Tally Ho Stud. All three were top two-year-olds and sprinters.
Dutch Art is by the Machiavellian (by Mr. Prospector) horse Medicean, who won up to 10f in top company. Â Dutch Art, though, was best at 5-6f and at two, when he won the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes and the Group 1 Prix Morny.
Dark Angel, by Acclamation (descending to Northern Dancer through Try My Best), also won the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes over 6f and only raced at two, when he won four of nine starts. This branch of Northern Dancer has been speed oriented and  precocious from Try My Best (champion at 2, winner of the G1 Dewhurst) down, and other notable sires in tail-male include G1 Middle park winner Royal Applause, the sire of Acclamation—winner of the G2 Diadem Stakes over 6f.
Deceased Red Clubs also won the G2 Diadem Stakes, as well as the G1 Sprint Cup at Haydock Park. Altogether he won six races from two to four at distances of 5-7f, including the G2 Coventry Stakes at two. A week ago Sunday, on June 19, Red Clubs was represented by his first Group winner when Vedelago won a G3 in Italy over 6f.
On Saturday, June 25, Dark Angel was represented by stakes winner Lily’s Angel, winner of the Listed Empress Stakes at Newmarket for her fourth win from six starts, while on Sunday his Tough as Nails was second in the G2 Railway Stakes at the Curragh.
Dutch Art is represented by the undefeated Listed winner Miss Work of Art and two other stakes-placed runners.
Great article Sid. Sir Percy has 2 winners in 5 runners and I’m hoping he does well.
Dutch Art was supposed to get early 2yo winners, and he is delivering the volume, as well as the quality.
Flashy Bull, however, was more of a mystery to breeders. His best form was later and longer. Few people are visibly wild at the thought of using a son of Horse of the Year Holy Bull. But Flashy Bull is showing that such thinking can be debilitating. FB showed considerable compatibility with wide varieties of mares from the earliest, and his stock are proving they are racehorses.
That’s where it matters.
Cheers,
Frank