‘He breeds lovely horses who want to run and win’ - Yeomanstown Stud buys Group 1-producing sire Sands Of Mali

Sands Of Mali, one of Europe’s hottest young stallions, will join the Yeomanstown Stud roster after the operation struck the winning bid to secure the sire in a silent auction conducted by Tattersalls Ireland. 

The son of Panis will stand his first season at the Kildare Stud at a fee of €22,500. 

Yeomanstown Stud’s David O’Callaghan said: “Sands Of Mali is the perfect fit to bolster our already strong team of stallions. He was a highly touted breeze-up horse who proved himself on the track, winning the Group 2 Gimcrack at two and the following year landed the Group 2 Sandy Lane and Group 3 Prix Sigy before his crowning moment in the Group 1 British Champions Sprint at Ascot."

Sands Of Mali stood at Joe Foley’s Ballyhane Stud in County Carlow, but his ownership became the subject of a legal dispute between Foley and racehorse owner Steve Parkin. In February the High Court in Dublin ruled that Sands Of Mali should remain at Ballyhane until legal proceedings resolved the case between Foley and Parkin, who disputed each other's stake in the horse.

However, during that time, Sands Of Mali announced himself as one of the most exciting young sires in Europe. He supplied his first Group 1 winner when the Harry Eustace-trained Time For Sandals sprang a surprise in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, while he is also responsible for Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes winner Copacabana Sands, as well as Listed scorers Ain't Nobody - also second in the Nunthorpe - Ellaria Sand and Ipanema Queen.

Time For Sandals and Richard Kingscote win the Commonwealth CupCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

O'Callaghan added: “He breeds lovely horses who want to run and win, with 47 per cent winners to runners, including five stakes winners and seven stakes performers, most notably Royal Ascot stars Time For Sandals, who won the Commonwealth Cup, and Nunthorpe runner-up Ain’t Nobody and Aviation Time, who were first and third in the Windsor Castle.

“His stock are proving popular in the sales ring too, with his yearlings making up to 220,000gns this year and averaging more than €65,000. The fact that Sands Of Mali is a total outcross is very appealing to us, like Dark Angel was when we got him, and we feel he will work with any mare and will especially complement many of our own broodmare band.”

Sands Of Mali will stand alongside Dark Angel, who has had his fee lowered to €45,000 (from €60,000), while Mill Stream and Supremacy have been trimmed to €10,000 (€12,500) and €5,000 (€8,000) respectively. 

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