Time Test raised to £15,000 as National Stud announces fees for six-strong squad

Exciting first-season sire Time Test has had his fee raised to £15,000 for the upcoming breeding season.

The blue-blooded son of Dubawi and Passage Of Time, who stood at the National Stud this year for £8,500, has created a big impression with his first two-year-olds, with 11 individual winners and more black-type winners than any other European first-season sire in 2021.

Among his leading performers are Group 3 winners Rocchigiani and Romantic Time and Listed scorers Tardis and The King’s Horses, while Sunset Shiraz was third in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Time Test's second crop of yearlings sold for up to 400,000gns and averaged £50,466, while he also has his biggest and best-bred crops still to come having covered 380 mares in the last three seasons.

The National Stud welcomes Round Tower Stakes winner and Classic-placed Lope Y Fernandez to its six-strong roster, with the son of Lope De Vega being introduced at £8,500.

Trained by Aidan O'Brien for Coolmore, Lope Y Fernandez went on to be placed in five top-level contests over trips ranging from six and a half furlongs to a mile, including when third to Siskin in last year's Irish 2,000 Guineas and second to Pinatubo in the Prix Jean Prat. He was also second to Palace Pier in the Queen Anne this summer.

Lope Y Fernandez: new to the National Stud rosterCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The four-year-old is out of the Listed-placed Dansili mare Black Dahlia, and is therefore a sibling to Vintage Stakes winner Dark Vision and the stakes-placed Al Hayyah.

Three-time Group 1-winning sprinter Advertise will stand his third season at an unchanged fee of £25,000.

The son of Showcasing, who won the Phoenix Stakes, Commonwealth Cup and Prix Maurice de Gheest for Martyn Meade, has covered 249 mares in his first two seasons, including top-level performers Festoso, Forever In Dreams and Frenzified, as well as the dams of Group 1 winners Aclaim, Dick Whittington and Maarek.

The aforementioned first-season sire Aclaim has an impressive 26 individual winners in Europe to his credit and will be available at £6,000, down from £9,500.

The son of Acclamation's most notable progeny include Fillies' Mile third and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf fourth Cachet, and Group 2 Premio Dormello runner-up Jacinda. His progeny have sold for up to 150,000gns.

Coventry Stakes winner Rajasinghe, who will be represented by his first crop of juveniles in 2022, remains at £3,000, while Flag Of Honour, a son of Galileo and winner of the Irish St Leger, has been trimmed to £2,500 from £3,000. The brother of promising National Hunt stallion Air Chief Marshal has covered siblings to the likes of Walk In The Park, Brian Boru and Vintage Clouds.

Stud director Tim Lane prepares a mare for action at the National StudCredit: Dominic James

Tim Lane, director of the National Stud, said: “It's with a combination of pride and excitement that we unveil the 2022 covering fees for the National Stud stallions. The early achievements of our first-season sires Time Test and Aclaim have given us plenty to celebrate in 2021, and have also highlighted the abundant promise that exists across our six-strong roster.

“We're in a privileged position to be standing a range of promising young stallions and hope that breeders share our optimism about the future for our sires.

"However, although we're confident there's much to look forward to, we remain acutely aware of the challenges recent times have presented. With that in mind, our fees have been designed to offer breeders what we feel is exceptional value for money.”

National Stud 2022 stallion fees

Read more fee news

Frankel hits new peak of £200,000 after remarkable year from Banstead Manor

Aga Khan Studs release fees as exciting first-season sire Zarak receives hike

Cheveley Park Stud announces fees as Twilight Son and Mayson receive increases