Weatherbys Stallion Scene

City Light: a Listed-winning sire and a model of consistency

CITY LIGHT, the Haras d’Etreham-based son of Siyouni, concluded 2023 as the leading European first-season sire by winners-to-runners percentage, his 15 winners from 30 runners producing an impressive strike-rate of 50 per cent.

As we enter the busiest point of the 2024 Flat season, the secondseason sire looks to be repeating his consistent feat in year two –his 30 winners from 69 runners so far producing a healthy 43 per cent strike-rate.

He once again heads up that statistical marker for his generation of stallions, who have had double digit runners (page 36), while he is third-leading second-season sire by prize-money and winners.

Perhaps, even more notably, he is also in second place by winners-to-runners on the top 50 leading European sires’ table behind Night Of Thunder.

And, as we went to press in July, the 10-year-old got his first Listed winner on the board – the two-year-old filly La Guapisima successful in the Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et Jouvencelles.

She was a €50,000 Arqana V2 yearling, is part-owned by Tony Parker’s Infinity 9 Horses and is trained by Christopher Head.

City Light: has impressed with his continuing high winners-to-runners rate

The filly is fairly typical of her sire’s stock – she has now run five times, won her last three races and finished second on her first two starts.

Etreham is obviously delighted with the sustained progress the stallion is making with his early crops.

“Being the European leading first-season sire on ratio of winners-to-runners last year was a very promising result,” reports Alice Lemal from Etreham’s nominations division.

“The challenge then lies in his ability to sire good three-yearolds as well and he is doing very well so far.

“His second generation on track this year is already showing good quality. We couldn’t hope for a better start at stud for him; we believe that the future looks bright, and we are not the only ones to think so!”

The consistency City Light is achieving has been duly recognised by breeders – the dual Group 3-winning sprinter saw a book of 140 mares this spring building on the 112 in 2023 and returning to his first book of 137.

“He was full this year and we had to refuse a lot of requestsfor him as all our stallions are limited,” says Lemal, adding: “He has also covered good mares this spring and saw 77 sisters to 121 stakes performers, including a granddaughter of the four-time Group 1 winner Ventura.”

This spring City Light stood at €7,000 and consistency has been key again – the fee has been Etreham’s go-to price for the stallion since he retired to stud.

Of City Light as an individual, Lemal enthuses: “He is a nice horse who is naturally athletic. He has good size and is elegant. Mentally, his trainer’s description was correct: he is a warrior, and his progeny seem to be as well.”

City Light has eight yearlings entered in the V2 section of the Arqana August Sale, including a full-brother to his debut stakes winner (Lot 493).