The flat season is officially over in the UK and Ireland barring a handful of all weather track meetings and while the champion sire for GB/ Ireland by prizemoney is not declared until the end of the year and often produces a predictable victor a long way from the finish line, this year has been different and the champion sire elect has a name that will make plenty of Queensland breeders very happy.
The Euro racing scene tends to be dominated by the progeny of four major farms Coolmore, Juddmonte Farms, Godolphin and Aga Khan Studs.
Leading into Champions Day at Ascot last month it was looking like either Dubawi or Galileo would take the Champion Sire title for 2024 title ahead of Frankel, but when the dust had settled it was the dark horse, Dark Angel, who surged from fourth to take top billing courtesy of his Champion Miler Charyn.
Standing at Yeomanstown Stud at a fee of 60,000 pounds, Dark Angel has been in the Top Five for the last five seasons finishing second last year to Frankel and the rising 20 year-old was probably overdue for a turn at the top with Chayrn the catalyst for his success.
Dark Angel is renowned as a prolific sire of winners and just needed that one ‘big horse’ to kick the final goal for him and four year-old Charyn did that this year starting seven times at a mile for five wins and two seconds with three of those wins in G1 races.
Last year, Basil Nolan at Raheen Stud in Queensland decided to take a punt on gorgeous grey Dark Angel stallion Top Ranked (IRE), who came to Australia and joined the Annabel Neasham stable for Australian Bloodstock.
He had just four starts on our shores before injury curtailed his career, but it was enough for us to see he was a genuine elite performer with wins in the Group III ATC Bill Ritchie (1400m) and the Group I ATC Epsom Handicap (1600m) before his unfortunate withdrawal from the Cox Plate.
Top Ranked received a warm welcome at Raheen Stud last spring covering 109 mares at the modest fee of $7,700 and his foals are earning high praise.
“He was an elite G1 winning racehorse by one of Europe’s best sires in Dark Angel, a stallion that has already enjoyed success here through Harry Angel, so we were thrilled to have the opportunity to bring a horse of his quality to Queensland,” said Basil Nolan.
Top Ranked is one of 17 Group I winners for Dark Angel and all of them are brilliant sprinter milers.
It’s a renowned speed sireline, although Top Ranked has plenty of stamina in his female family making for an intriguing mix that brings some quality outcross blood into the local Queensland broodmare pool.
“We’ve been really happy with his foals and he’s had good support again this spring,” added Basil Nolan.
