Mehmas was crowned a leader yet again this week when it was revealed that he was the most profitable stallion of 2022.
Using yearling averages compiled by the Weatherbys Bloodstock Sales Review, Mehmas' figure of 70,481gns/€88,066 yielded a profitability index of 11.74 against his 2020 fee.
"Mehmas has quickly established himself as the go-to sire for fast, early horses with a touch of class, since obliterating the record for number of first-crop two-year-old winners in 2020, when he clocked 56 in total, including unbeaten Middle Park Stakes hero Supremacy and Gimcrack winner Minzaal.
"After Minzaal won the Haydock Sprint Cup last year and the likes of Going Global, Lusail, Malavath and Persian Force also flew the flag for him throughout 2022, his yearlings – the last bred at a low fee before his freshman heroics – sold like hot cakes. He had 72 lots make an average of 70,481gns/€88,066, led by a half-sister to Norfolk Stakes runner-up Walbank knocked down to Richard Knight for 450,000gns.
"This is the second year that Mehmas has topped this chart, and it will be fascinating to see if he can maintain his position in 2023 with his fifth crop of yearlings conceived at a justifiably much higher price of €25,000."
That 11.74 placed him ahead of the Tally-Ho-bred Ardad on 9.69.
However, not far away in third was Cotai Glory, whose average of 36,653gns/€45,797 presented a figure of 9.16.
"Cotai Glory made a bold show with his first two-year-old runners in 2021, delivering 35 winners at a strike-rate of 40 per cent, led by Prix Robert Papin scorer Atomic Force. The son of Exceed And Excel impressed again in his sophomore season last year, with The Platinum Queen becoming the first two-year-old to win the Prix de l’Abbaye since Sigy in 1978.
"Many of his third crop of yearlings, bred off a fee of just €5,000, returned big profits for breeders, as they made an average price of 36,653gns/€45,797 with a high of 350,000gns given by Blandford Bloodstock for a half-sister to 1,000 Guineas heroine Cachet."
Kessaar also made the top ten sires thanks to an index of 5.67.
"Kessaar made a promising start with his first-crop of two-year-olds in 2022, supplying 25 winners at a strike-rate of 45 per cent, including black type-placed Bolt Action and Ipanema Princess.
"Buyers evidently liked what they saw, as they spent an average of 27,214gns/€34,004 on the son of Kodiac’s 25 yearlings who sold at auction last year, in spite of them having been conceived at a fee of just €6,000. Pick of the bunch was the three-parts sister to Listed winner Geocentric bought by Durcan Bloodstock for 155,000gns."