MAXIOS IS Britain and Ireland’s new BUSIEST STALLION
There was a new name at the head of the list of Britain and Ireland’s busiest sires in 2020, ending Soldier Of Fortune's four-year reign at the top. The much sought-after stallion in question was Coolmore's recent National Hunt recruit Maxios.
The 12-year-old son of Monsun covered 298 mares in his first season at Castlehyde Stud, having spent the first six years of his stallion career in a Flat role at Gestüt Fährhof in Germany.
Maxios was always bound to be popular with jumps breeders, being an attractive dark bay son of Monsun, whose male-line descendants include the superstars Sprinter Sacre (by Network) and Annie Power (by Shirocco). Furthermore, he hails from one of the Niarchos family’s most illustrious dynasties, as a half-brother to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Bago out of Moonlight’s Box, an unraced daughter of champions Nureyev and Coup De Genie.
Maxios maintained family honour by landing two Group 1 races, the Prix d’Ispahan and Prix du Moulin, and his first crops yielded Diamanta, winner of the Preis der Diana in 2019, and Master Of Wine, a Group 3 scorer since being exported to Australia.
More to the point, perhaps, was that several offspring of Maxios had started to shine over jumps in Britain and Ireland by the start of this year’s breeding season, such as Ecco and Star Max. And what would have intensified already strong demand for his services was the victory of his son Aramax in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The Maxios bandwagon keeps rolling, and in recent weeks he has been represented by Quilixios, a 13-length winner of a Punchestown juvenile hurdle on his debut for Gordon Elliott, and Ucanever, a 20-length scorer in a Fontwell bumper on her first run for Anthony Honeyball.