'We’ll be doing everything we possibly can to make a success of him' - Topgear to stand at Capital Stud for a fee of €7,500

Group 2 winner Topgear has been retired and will stand at Capital Stud, where he will command a fee of €7,500 in his first season on the operation’s Flat roster. 

Trained initially by Fabrice Chappet and then Christopher Head, the Hisaaki Saito-raced son of Wootton Bassett’s perfect juvenile season culminated with a victory in the Group 3 Prix Eclipse. 

As a five-year-old, he landed the Group 3 Prix du Pin, before producing a stylish display to win the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket by a dominant five and a half lengths. Topgear’s final career win was to come in this year's Group 3 Prix du Palais-Royal at Longchamp, where he beat subsequent Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Sajir by nearly two lengths. 

A €200,000 buy at the Arqana Select Yearling Sale in 2020, Topgear is out of Miss Lech, a Giant’s Causeway winning half-sister to Grade 2 winner Guilt Trip, by Pulpit. 

Capital Stud’s Ger O’Neill said: “We are incredibly excited to be standing what is one of the highest-rated sons of Wootton Bassett at Capital Stud. 

"Topgear is a horse we have been tracking for quite some time and it is an honour to be partnering with Mr Saito for his stallion career. 

"Just as exciting for us is that we are offering equity shares in him to the public, so we look forward to partnering with multiple breeders and going on this journey together for what will hopefully be a great long-term success for everyone that gets involved."

Topgear wins the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket Credit: Edward Whitaker

O'Neill added: "We are still a relatively new stallion farm on the scene, but being able to offer a horse of this standard to breeders is what it’s all about for us, so we’ll be doing everything we possibly can to make a success of him.”

Sebastian Desmontils, racing manager to Saito, who has retained shares in Topgear as he embarks on his career as a stallion, said: “We were honoured to race Topgear and were very keen to retain an interest in his stallion career. 

"We are delighted to have retained shares in him for the next phase of Topgear’s career at Capital Stud, and intend to offer him as much support as we can both in the breeding shed and in the sales ring.”

Equity shares in Topgear are available on application. 

Castle Star completes the Capital Stud Flat roster for 2026 and will stand for an unchanged fee of €3,000.

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