Mehmas the busiest new boy in Britain and Ireland with 187 mares

Mehmas was a precocious and polished performer at two – just what many commercial breeders crave – and he shares his sire, Acclamation, with Dark Angel, who had a similar racing record before rising to stardom at stud. So it is hardly a surprise that he was the busiest of this year's new intake of sires in Britain and Ireland.

Mehmas covered 187 mares at Tally-Ho Stud according to figures available on Weatherbys Bloodstock Reports following the September 1 deadline for covering certificates to be returned to the administrative body.

There was quantity as well as quality in his debut book, as it included ten black-type winning mares, among them Alexander Alliance, Golden Legacy and Wunders Dream.

Vadamos, who also kicked off his second career at Tally-Ho this year, has a very different set of credentials to Mehmas as a son of stamina influence Monsun who did not win at two and peaked aged five.

But he was a top-class miler on his day and is widely acknowledged to be an exceptionally impressive physical specimen, and he proved nearly equally as popular as Mehmas, with 184 mares sent to him.

Vadamos covered a striking 18 black-type winners including none other than Group 1 heroine Chinese White and the high-class pair Redstone Dancer and Sorciere. He was also the fortunate recipient of a couple of Tally-Ho owned mares whose progeny have been in the ribbons this year, namely the dams of Prix Morny hero Unfortunately and Saturday's Newbury Group 3 winner Desert Encounter.

Coolmore new boys The Gurkha and Pride Of Dubai covered predictably large books of 175 and 158 mares.

The Gurkha's status as a well-bred Classic winner by Galileo was rewarded by breeders sending him 21 black-type winners including Dublino, Fraulein, Ramruma and Sense Of Style, all of whom struck at the highest level.

He also covered the dams of top-flight winners Cambina, Halfbridled, Magnificent Song, Mastercraftsman, Prince Gibraltar, Shakeel and Temida, as well as the mothers of this season's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches runner-up Sea Of Grace and Tarbela, who holds the distinction of having produced not one, but two Royal Ascot winners in Big Audio and Sword Fighter.

The Gurkha: covered 21 black-type winners in his debut bookCredit: Patrick McCann

Breeders were no doubt encouraged to support Pride Of Dubai as he was a dual Group 1 winner at two in Australia and is out of a half-sister to Rafha, the dam of sire phenomenons Invincible Spirit and Kodiac.

Invincible Spirit, in whom breeders have firmly put their faith as an influential sire of sires, is responsible for the busiest new recruit to the stallion ranks in Britain this year – Prix Jean Prat winner Territories at Dalham Hall Stud. There was significant strength in depth to his book of 148 mares, as it contained 16 black-type winners.

Kodiac, meanwhile, recently broke his own record of two-year-old winners in a single crop and his impact on the breed deepened this year with his first four sons entering stud. Together, the quartet were sent more than 400 mares: Adaay 127 at Whitsbury Manor Stud; Prince Of Lir 122 at Ballyhane; Kodi Bear 105 at Rathbarry; and Coulsty 66 at Rathasker.

Estidhkaar: far more popular with breeders than his half-brother ToormoreCredit: Mark Cranham

Affinisea was the most popular member of the class of 2017 designated as a jumps sire. The first son of Sea The Stars available to breeders in that sphere covered 128 mares at Whytemount Stud including the operation's outstanding producer Western Whisper, dam of Ice Cold Soul, Mart Lane, Outlander and Western Leader.

And do you spot the great irony lurking at the head of the table of mare returns for this year's new sires? Estidhkaar was granted a book of 143 mares in the same season that his half-brother Toormore – according to Racing Post Ratings a 4lbs better horse – was withdrawn from stud duty due to lack of demand.

But, of course, Estidhkaar is a son of Dark Angel, the highly sought-after sire who so many mare owners are hoping Mehmas will emulate, while Toormore is by the less favoured Arakan.

Renewed demand for sons of Dark Angel this year, as well as Galileo, Invincible Spirit and Kodiac, shows once again that sire power counts for so much in breeders' considerations of matings.

BUSIEST NEW SIRES IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND in 2017

Mehmas
Sire Acclamation
Stud Tally-Ho
Mares covered 187
Black-type winnerscovered 10

Vadamos
Sire Monsun
Stud Tally-Ho
Mares covered 184
Black-type winnerscovered 18

The Gurkha
Sire Galileo
Stud Coolmore
Mares covered 175
Black-type winnerscovered 21

Pride Of Dubai
Sire Street Cry
Stud Coolmore
Mares covered 158
Black-type winnerscovered 8

Territories
Sire Invincible Spirit
Stud Dalham Hall
Mares covered 148
Black-type winnerscovered 16

Estidhkaar
Sire Dark Angel
Stud Tara
Mares covered 143
Black-type winnerscovered 3

Twilight Son
Sire Kyllachy
Stud Cheveley Park
Mares covered 142
Black-type winnerscovered 8

Affinisea
Sire Sea The Stars
Stud Whytemount
Mares covered 128
Black-type winnerscovered 2

Adaay
Sire Kodiac
Stud Whitsbury Manor
Mares covered 127
Black-type winnerscovered 3

Belardo
Sire Lope De Vega
Stud Kildangan
Mares covered 122
Black-type winnerscovered 7

Prince Of Lir
Sire Kodiac
Stud Ballyhane
Mares covered 122
Black-type winnerscovered 4

Buratino
Sire Exceed And Excel
Stud Kildangan
Mares covered 121
Black-type winnerscovered 3

Awtaad
Sire Cape Cross
Stud Derrinstown
Mares covered 120
Black-type winnerscovered 16

New Bay
Sire Dubawi
Stud Ballylinch
Mares covered 118
Black-type winnerscovered 15

Markaz
Sire Dark Angel
Stud Derrinstown
Mares covered 108
Black-type winnerscovered 4

Kodi Bear
Sire Kodiac
Stud Rathbarry
Mares covered 105
Black-type winnerscovered 2

Harzand
Sire Sea The Stars
Stud Gilltown
Mares covered 96
Black-type winnerscovered 11

Bobby's Kitten
Sire Kitten's Joy
Stud Lanwades
Mares covered 95
Black-type winnerscovered 11

Ol Man River
Sire Montjeu
Stud Arctic Tack
Mares covered 93
Black-type winnerscovered 0

Fascinating Rock
Sire Fastnet Rock
Stud Ballylinch
Mares covered 91
Black-type winnerscovered 11

The Last Lion
Sire Choisir
Stud Kildangan
Mares covered 90
Black-type winnerscovered 5

Charming Thought
Sire Oasis Dream
Stud Dalham Hall
Mares covered 83
Black-type winnerscovered 5

Coulsty
Sire Kodiac
Stud Rathasker
Mares covered 66
Black-type winnerscovered 2

Ajaya
Sire Invincible Spirit
Stud Rathbarry
Mares covered 59
Black-type winnerscovered 0

Clovis Du Berlais
Sire King's Theatre
Stud Yorton Farm
Mares covered 59
Black-type winnerscovered 1

Pearl Secret
Sire Compton Place
Stud Bucklands
Mares covered 58
Black-type winnerscovered 0

Cannock Chase
Sire Lemon Drop Kid
Stud Nunstainton
Mares covered 55
Black-type winnerscovered 2

Proconsul
Sire Galileo
Stud Mickley
Mares covered 42
Black-type winnerscovered 1

Life Force
Sire Invincible Spirit
Stud Moortown
Mares covered 28
Black-type winnerscovered 0

Eagle Top
Sire Pivotal
Stud Hedgehome
Mares covered 27
Black-type winnerscovered 0

Strath Burn
Sire Equiano
Stud Bridge
Mares covered 23
Black-type winnerscovered 2

Marcel
Sire Lawman
Stud National
Mares covered 23
Black-type winnerscovered 4