Churchill

THE beautifully-bred Churchill achieved a feat beyond most stallions in their second season at stud – he increased the size of his book from his first season. He was one of the ten busiest stallions in Europe in 2019, covering 214 mares at Coolmore’s Fethard headquarters.

Of the exclusively Flat-marketed stallions only Sioux Nation, Kingman, Australia, Zoffany, Dandy Man and Kodiac covered more mares than the dual Guineas winner in 2019.

That fact alone would indicate the calibre of his first crop of foals, and breeders’ views were backed up at the European foal sales where 15 foals to come under the hammer for an average of 92,011gns.

His covering fee in 2018 was €35,000 and he achieved a top price of 220,000gns for Norman Court Stud’s half-brother to the Group 2 winner Nancy From Nairobi, bought by Peter and Ross Doyle and Baroda Stud at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

Winner of four Group 1 contests at two and three, Churchill has some outstanding prospects on pedigree in his first crop of yearlings.

Amongst the 190 mares he covered in 2018 are Trevor Stewart’s brilliant producer Cassandra Go, dam of triple Group 1 winner Halfway To Heaven and second dam of Group 1 winners Magical, Rhododendron and Photo Call. She has a yearling colt by the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes winner.

Another to have a yearling colt by Churchill is Danetime Out, dam of the Group 1 winner Toormore, and Group 2 winner and first-season sire Estidhkaar. The Group 1 winner Grey Lilas also has a yearling colt by Churchill, and he is a three-parts brother to the three-time Group 1 winner Golden Lilac (Galileo).

Churchill is out of the Storm Cat mare Meow, a Listed-winning daughter of Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Airwave, herself a halfsister to the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes winner Jwala. Meow is also the dam of Clemmie, a full-sister to Churchill and successful in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes.

Churchill is bred on the same cross as Gleneagles, whom Churchill emulated when becoming the European champion two-year-old and European champion three-year-old.

Gleneagles made a fine start to his stallion career siring seven stakes performers in his first crop, headed by the Group 2 winners Royal Dornoch and Royal Lytham.

Going by his first crop, Churchill has every chance of emulating, and even surpassing, the achievements of Gleneagles in his stud career.

Racing Form

13 runs, seven wins, four places | Best Timeform Rating: 126 | Average winning distance: 7.29f

Stakes form

AT 2 Champion 2yr old colt in Europe in 2016. Won Dubai Dewhurst Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, (7f. beating Lancaster Bomber (USA) and Blue Point (IRE)), Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, Curragh, Gr.1, (7f. beating Mehmas (IRE) and Lockheed (GB)), Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes, Curragh, Gr.2, (7f. beating Radio Silence (USA) and Arcada (IRE)), Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.3, (7f. beating Alexios Komnenos (IRE) and Currency Converter (USA)), Chesham Stakes, Ascot, L., (7f. beating Isomer (USA) and Cunco (IRE)).

AT 3 Champion 3yr old miler in Europe & Champion 3yr old in Ireland in 2017. Won Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, (8f. beating Barney Roy (GB) and Al Wukair (IRE)), Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, Curragh, Gr.1, (8f. beating Thunder Snow (IRE) and Irishcorrespondent (IRE)), second in Juddmonte International Stakes, York, Gr.1, (to Ulysses (IRE)), third in Qipco Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, (to Persuasive (IRE)).