To mark the publication of the 57th edition of the Bloodstock Sales Review, we have compiled a top ten of the most profitable British and Irish-based yearling sires of last year. We have worked out each sires’ profitability index by dividing their 2021 yearling average by their covering fee of 2019, when the offspring in question were conceived.
In sixth place...
Night Of Thunder
2021 yearling ave: 89,380gns/€105,111
2019 covering fee: £15,000
Profitability index: 6.26
Night Of Thunder was still a sleeping giant when last year’s yearlings were bred. He was standing his fourth season at Dalham Hall Stud at a fee of £15,000, on the eve of his first two-year-old crop yielding a record-equalling seven stakes winners to spark a move back to Kildangan Stud and a pay rise to €25,000. He is now commanding a fee of €75,000.
Breeders who used the Classic-winning son of Dubawi in his last season standing at that less expensive fee made hay at last year’s yearling sales. They sold for an average of 89,380gns/€105,111, led by the 375,000gns given by Dwayne Woods for the Rathbarry Stud-consigned colt out of the Where Or When mare Harlequin Girl at Tattersalls.