Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Heading into the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, TTR takes stock of the current second season sires. How are they going with their inaugural Classic crop? Which stallions have improved as their oldest progeny have completed three-quarters of their 3-year-old season?
There are 36 second season sires who have had 3-year-old runners in Australia in 2025/26. Of these, 10 have sired a stakes winner this season, with either their 3-year-olds or 2-year-olds. Eight of them have yearlings heading to the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, collectively accounting for 44 yearlings on offer.
Ghaiyyath is leading the way
Four-time Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath (Ire) stood for $27,500 inc GST in his first season and was reasonably popular with his first season resulting in 74 live foals who are now 3-year-olds. He leads the Second Season Sire Premiership with progeny earnings of $4.12 million and $2.6 million of that was earned by dual Group 1 winner Observer. The Ciaron Maher-trained colt has won five of his 10 starts, and was most recently third in Saturday’s G1 Rosehill Guineas.
Observer | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
In a racing system obsessed with early speed, Ghaiyyath has been a surprise. His four Group 1 wins ranged in distance from 2000 metres (G1 Eclipse Stakes, G1 York International Stakes) to 2400 metres (G1 Grosser Preis Von Baden, G1 Coronation Cup). But class matters most.
Ghaiyyath hasn’t been a one-hit wonder with Observer, who has won the G1 Victoria Derby and G1 Australian Guineas this season. He’s sired four stakes winners this season who have collectively won seven stakes races.
Henry Dwyer-trained gelding Different Gravy won the Listed TAB Trophy at Flemington over 1800 metres in the spring. Also in the spring, Andrew Gluyas-trained filly Freedom Flame won the Listed Hill Smith Stakes and John McArdle-trained filly Yum won the Listed Jim Moloney Stakes.
In the Northern Hemisphere, Ghaiyyath has sired five stakes winners led by Group 1 winner Opera Ballo (Ire).
Ghaiyyath (Ire) | Standing at Darley
Coming through next for Ghaiyyath in Australia are 58 2-year-olds, 68 yearlings, and 56 foals, and he did not shuttle for 2025. He has no yearlings entered in the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Farnan’s big numbers push him into second
A keen observer might note that Farnan’s progeny are rather ninja like in their ability to keep winning. Only $6845 split Ghaiyyath and Farnan at the top of the Champion Second Season Sire table as we head into the remainder of the season.
Ninja | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Ghaiyyath has four individual stakes winners to Farnan’s one this season, but Farnan has the weight of numbers with 34 winners of 44 races this season compared to 15 winners of 23 races for Ghaiyyath.
Farnan’s stakes winner in the 2025/26 season to date is Ninja, trained by Michael Freedman, who won the G3 Vo Rogue Plate, and was second in the R. Listed Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, before heading to Sydney where he won G2 Hobartville Stakes and was most recently sixth in the G1 Randwick Guineas.
Farnan | Standing at Kia Ora Stud
Farnan had a big season with his first crop of juveniles in 2024/25, siring three stakes winners being G3 VRC Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes winner Recuperato, G3 Kindergarten Stakes victor North England, and G3 Black Opal Stakes winner King Of Pop.
His second crop of juveniles has three winners so far, being R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO-placed Magill, Knightsbridge, and Drumfire. Farnan has seven yearlings catalogued for the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Opening his career at a fee of $55,000, Farnan has 119 3-year-olds, 117 2-year-olds, 99 yearlings and 130 foals. He covered 143 mares in 2025 at the higher fee of $77,000 inc GST.
A trio with three stakes winners
Last season’s Champion First Season Sire Ole Kirk is joined by Bivouac and Wootton Bassett (GB) in siring three individual stakes winners this season.
Ole Kirk, who is represented by 13 yearlings at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, came out flying with his first crop. The ill-fated King Kirk won the G3 Breeders’ Plate on debut before a stable accident, O’ Ole won the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic, Prestige Forever won the Listed Valley Pearl Stakes, and Legacy Bound won the G3 SAJC Breeders’ Stakes.
Many expected that Ole Kirk’s progeny would be better at three, given he developed from a Listed-winning juvenile into a dual Group 1-winning 3-year-old himself. And he quickly proved that correct with the G1 1000 Guineas victory of Ole Dancer.
Ole Kirk | Standing at Vinery Stud
Legacy Bound added a Listed race as an early 3-year-old, and recently Aerodrome won the Listed Canberra Guineas to give Ole Kirk six stakes winners in total with three this season.
Ole Kirk’s second crop of juveniles have been quieter so far this season, led by G3 Ottawa Stakes-placed Jadzia and three other winners.
Losing Wootton Bassett in 2025 was a huge blow for the industry as the stallion was a proven Group 1 sire in Europe before he came here. He covered only 39 mares in 2025 before his death in September. In 2025/26 with his oldest Australian foals now 3-year-olds, he’s had three stakes winners this season, being G2 Bill Stutt Stakes victor West Of Swindon, G3 Red Anchor Stakes winner Napoleonic, and G3 Zeditave Stakes winner Pallaton.
The late Wootton Bassett | Image courtesy of Coolmore
Wootton Bassett has 17 yearlings entered for the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Bivouac, a Group 3 winner at two and a Group 1 winner at three and four, has had mixed results in the sale ring but on the track, his progeny are beginning to improve like himself. Last season, he had a sole stakes winner in New Zealand with Intention who won the G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes.
But this season, he’s one of only three second season sires to have a Group 1 winner. His is the track record breaking G1 Golden Rose victor Beiwacht who has most recently been seen taking on the older horses this autumn. In three starts this time in, Beiwacht has been eighth in the G1 Lightning Stakes, second in the G1 Coolmore Classic, and sixth in Saturday’s G1 George Ryder Stakes.
Bivouac | Standing at Darley Stud
Luana Miss is a dual Listed winner in Western Australia, and his 2-year-old colt Big Sky won the G3 Chairman’s Stakes. Bivouac has two yearlings in the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Sires with stakes winners this season
Only 10 second season sires have celebrated a stakes winner this season, so far, in Australia. As well as those already mentioned, Tagaloa and Anders both have a pair, while Earthlight (Ire), Graff, and Prague have one each.
Tagaloa, who has one yearling in the Easter sale, has seen Salty Pearl salute the judge in the G2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic and Spicy Lu win the G3 Ethereal Stakes.
Tagaloa | Standing at Yulong Investments
Anders, who stood for $16,500 inc GST in his first season, has sired G2 Caulfield Autumn Classic winner Single Choice and Listed Stutt Stakes winner Daytona Diva.
Cool Aza Beel (NZ), Admire Mars (Jpn), and Lucky Vega (Ire) are the other three second season sires with yearlings catalogued for the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
| 1 | Ghaiyyath (Ire) | 43 | 15 | 23 | 4(7) | $4,124,333 | Observer - $2,626,250 |
| 2 | Farnan | 93 | 34 | 44 | 1(2) | $4,117,488 | Ninja - $1,109,675 |
| 3 | Bivouac | 79 | 32 | 44 | 3(3) | $3,457,380 | Beiwacht - $955,700 |
| 4 | Wootton Bassett (GB) | 85 | 30 | 38 | 3(3) | $3,304,960 | Napoleonic - $367,300 |
| 5 | Ole Kirk | 77 | 30 | 36 | 3(3) | $3,181,970 | Ole Dancer - $1,064,375 |
| 6 | Tagaloa | 66 | 24 | 31 | 2(2) | $2,905,260 | Salty Pearl - $714,750 |
| 7 | Graff | 41 | 11 | 16 | 1(1) | $2,001,572 | Grafterburners - $1,506,300 |
| 8 | King's Legacy | 84 | 24 | 29 | 0(0) | $1,647,810 | Kujenga - $224,125 |
| 9 | Admire Mars (Jpn) | 28 | 14 | 16 | 0(0) | $1,419,200 | Planet Red - $846,375 |
| 10 | Anders | 76 | 21 | 32 | 2(2) | $1,406,788 | Single Choice - $299,900 |
Table: Australian Second Season Sires Premiership (as at March 23, 2026)
