Sea The Stars fee rises to €180,000 as Aga Khan Studs reveals 2023 roster

The brilliant Sea The Stars has been allotted his highest fee to date of €180,000 for the 2023 breeding season as the Aga Khan Studs revealed its four-strong line-up.

The son of Cape Cross enjoyed another exceptional year headed by the world's highest rated turf performer Baaeed, whose victories this term saw him take in the Lockinge, Queen Anne, Sussex Stakes and Juddmonte International, the last-named by a phenomenal six and a half lengths from 2021 victor Mishriff.

Sea The Stars, who began stallion life in Ireland at Gilltown Stud in 2010 from an opening fee of €85,000, has been steady at €150,000 for the last three years and should remain in the top three or four most expensive in Europe once Darley, Coolmore and Juddmonte have finalised their own rosters for the likes of Dubawi and Frankel.

He sired 22 stakes winners and four top-flight scorers overall in 2022, including British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes winner and Oaks runner-up Emily Upjohn, Prix de Royallieu heroine Sea La Rosa and Coronation Cup victor Hukum, the full-brother to Baaeed.

The sire of over 100 individual worldwide stakes winners, Sea The Stars is likely to finish the year third in the overall table for Britain and Ireland.

Zarak, the rising star of the Haras de Bonneval roster, has had his fee for next year more than doubled from €25,000 to €60,000.

The son of Dubawi and the team's unbeaten Arc winner Zarkava is responsible for 15 stakes performers, including five individual Group scorers such as Group 2 Prix de Sandringham winner and Group 1 Criterium International third Purplepay.

Zarak has had a hefty fee hike for 2023Credit: Aga Khan Studs

He has 19 per cent stakes performers to runners and 11 per cent stakes winners to runners from just two crops of racing age, while three of his runners have been placed at the highest level.

As well as Purplepay, La Parisienne and Times Square have finished second in the Prix de Diane and second and third in the Prix Marcel Boussac and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches respectively. Times Square most recently won her first stakes race in the Listed Prix de Saint-Cyr at Longchamp last month.

Siyouni's huge success continued on both the track and sales ring in 2022 with the exciting and unbeaten Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Tahiyra heading into the winter as one of the favourites for Classic glory in 2023. She is also rated the top-rated European two-year-old filly.

Her sire is responsible for more than 30 stakes performers this season, while his yearlings sold for for up to €2.1 million. He was the fourth leading active sire by yearling average (at over €335,000), and he is among the top sires in Europe by prize-money for the fifth consecutive year.

Siyouni's fee rises slightly from €140,000 to a new high of €150,000 in 2023.

The roster is completed by Dariyan, a son of Shamardal who will remain at €5,000. His four stakes performers this year include Mister Saint Paul, who subsequently sold at the Arqana Arc Sale for €230,000, and Group 2 second Galaxie Gold.

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