There is an unfortunate and growing trend of retiring horses to stud after just their two-year-old season, so before they have truly proved themselves, and Prince Of Lir, who won a Beverley maiden in May, the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes in June, and then finished unplaced in three starts, is among the latest batch of them.

He stands at Ballyhane Stud, has covered large books of mares in his first two seasons, and has 75 registered foals in his first crop. Timeform rated him 105.

Prince Of Lir is the second foal out of Esuvia (by Whipper), a former Bryan Smart-trainee who won once over five furlongs and twice over six furlongs, achieving a peak handicap mark of 86. Her siblings include the five-times sprint winner Matuza (by Cadeaux Genereux), the multiple middle-distance scorer Well Painted (by Excellent Art), and also Resplendent Glory (by Namid).

The late Terry Mills trained that chestnut to win six of his nine starts, including Group 3 and listed sprints at Sandown, and from limited opportunities at stud the grandson of Indian Ridge (by Ahonoora) has sired several multiple winners, headed by his first-crop son Dreams Of Glory, a five-furlong specialist with 12 wins from 83 starts.

Aoife (by Thatching), who is the grandam of Prince Of Lir, won twice, she is responsible for seven winners from eight foals, and is a half-sister to the Group 2 King's Stand Stakes third Funny Valentine (by Cadeaux Genereux). Her siblings also include Dame Hester (by Diktat), a stakes-placed dual winner whose son Donnerschlag (by Bahamian Bounty) won a Group 2 sprint at Hamburg, in Germany.

The next dam, Aunt Hester (by Caerleon), was a winner at two and as she was out of the triple scorer Lady Hester (by Native Prince) that made her a half-sister to the Group 2-placed Group 3 Prix Daphnis winner L'Irresponsable (by Ile de Bourbon) and to Najaba (by Touching Wood), a Group 2-placed stakes winner in New Zealand who has some notable descendants.

Najaba's great-granddaughter Platinum Witness (by California Dane) won the 2014 Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas and two other pattern events, she was runner-up in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks, and finished third in the Group 1 Windsor Park Horlicks Plate in October. That filly's stakes-winning dam Chartreuse (by St Petersburg) is a half-sister to the dam of the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks runner-up and dual pattern scorer Zennista (by Zenno Rob Roy).

Those top performers are too remotely connected to Prince Of Lir to be in a position to give us any sort of idea of his future potential, and his distaff line is a weak one for a barely tested and unproven horse who is covering such large numbers, but as a son of Kodiac from the immediate family of Resplendent Glory and Donnerschlag, it seems likely that his progeny will be mostly sprinters and milers.

​PRINCE OF LIR (IRE) – b.2014 – Kodiac – Esuvia, 2 wins inc Norfolk Stakes (Gr2). Sire in Ireland. First foals in 2018.

FOALS CATALOGUED:
Chc - Beau Cheval (by Spectrum)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bc - Broken Clock (by Dylan Thomas)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bf - Burren Rose (by Storm Cat)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bc - Chizzler (by Baltic King)     Goffs     November     €4,500
Bc - Eccellente Idea (by Excellent Art)     Goffs     November     €13,000
Bc - Fairmount (by Kingmambo)     Tattersalls     November     4,000gns
Bc - Ishimagic (by Ishiguru)     Goffs     November     €7,500
Bc - Little Italy (by Proud Citizen)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bf - Livadream (by Dalakhani)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bc - Lostintheclouds (by Firebreak)     Goffs     November     withdrawn
Bc - Manalisa (by Manduro)     Goffs     November     €38,000
Bc - Ou Est Ma Tete (by Invincible Spirit)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bc - Paper Dreams (by Green Desert)     Tatts IRE     November     €9,500
Bc - Queen Of The Nile (by Sakhee)     Tattersalls     November     not sold
Bf - Rio Yuma (by Gold Sphinx)     Tatts IRE     November     not sold
Chf - Tepeleni (by Teofilo)     Tatts IRE     November     not sold
Bc - Unusually Hot (by Unusual Heat)     Tatts IRE     November     not sold
Bc - Weekend Lady (by Bahamian Bounty)     Tatts IRE     November     €9,000
Bc - Well Hello (by Manduro)     Goffs     November     
Bc - Winterwell (by First Defence)     Goffs     November          not sold
Bc - Wishyouwerehere (by Footstepsinthesand)     Goffs     November     ​€7,000

Invincible Spirit's three-parts brother Kodiac (by Danehill) has developed a strong profile as a sire in recent seasons and he has several sons in the early staged of their own stud careers. They include Adaay, Coulsty, Prince Of Lir, and Kodi Bear, each of whom had his first foals in 2018. The latter stands at Rathbarry Stud and has 76 registered foals in his first crop.

He was a listed winner over seven furlongs at Ascot in July of his two-year-old season and chased home champion Belardo in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes on his next start. Timeform rated him 112 that year but 123 as a three-year-old after a campaign that saw him add three more blacktype wins to his name.​

He kicked off that season with listed success over eight and a half furlongs at Windsor, finished only fourth behind Territories in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly, but then bounced back a month later to take the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes in impressive style over a mile at Salisbury, winning by four and a half lengths.

Two weeks after that, he beat Gabrial by three and a quarter lengths in the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood, and although he was unplaced behind Solow in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on his final start, he was beaten by just under four lengths.​

Kodi Bear stayed in training as a four-year-old, taking on some of the best around in four starts over a mile, but he did not manage to reach the frame in any of them.

The best of eight winners out of an unraced mare called Hawattef (by Mujtahid), he is a half-brother to the dam of two Italian listed scorers and his grandam, dual winner Madary (by Green Desert) is a half-sister to two broodmares of note.

Shining Creek (by Bering) produced the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes winner Cool Creek (by Desert Style) and her half-sister Dievotchka (by Dancing Brave) is the dam of six stakes winners, most notably the classic-placed triple Group 1 mile star Esoterique (by Danehill Dancer).

That filly's half-brothers Russian Hope (by Rock Hopper), Russian Cross (by Cape Cross) and Archange D'Or (by Danehill) got their Group 2 wins over middle-distances. Half-brother Russian Desert (by Desert Prince) was a Group 2-placed stakes winner in France, and their half-sister Russian Hill (by Indian Ridge), who won a listed contest and was runner-up in both the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu and Group 2 Prix Corrida, is the dam of the dual pattern-winning sprinter Russian Soul (by Invincible Spirit).

There are various other blacktype horses to be found within these first three generations of the family and their branches, and if you go back farther then you will find a host of notable individuals.

The fourth dam of Kodi Bear is the classic-placed Princess Margaret Stakes winner Photo Flash (by Match), her descendants also include Group 1 scorer Hello (by Lycius) and Group 2 winners Dano-Mast (by Unfuwain), Atlantis Prince (by Tagula) and Prolific (by Compton Place), among others of note, and her siblings included champion racehorse and notable stallion Welsh Pageant (by Tudor Melody), sire of eight Group 1 winners.

Those horses are remotely connected to Kodi Bear and even further removed are the likes of Royal Palace (by Ballymoss), Selhurst (by Charlottesville), Desert Prince (by Green Desert) and Make Believe (by Makfi), who appear in various other offshoots of the family.

Kodi Bear is a Timeform 123-rated miler who is by a leading young sire, inbred 3x4 to Danzig (by Northern Dancer), and from a branch of a famous family. He is somewhat closely related to a multiple Group 1 mile star, and his sire is closely related to a leading sire whose early stallion sons are doing well. He looks likely to get his best in the six to 12-furlong range.

KODI BEAR (IRE) – br.2012 – Kodiac – Hawattef, 4 wins inc Celebration Mile (Gr2), Sovereign Stakes (Gr3), Midsummer Stakes (L), Winkfield Stakes (L), 2nd Dewhurst Stakes (Gr1). Sire in Ireland. First foals in 2018.

FOALS CATALOGUED:
Bc - Arbeel (by Royal Applause)     Goffs     November     €66,000
Bc - Atlas Silk (by Dansili)     Goffs     November     €22,000
Bc - Bitter Orange (by Dutch Art)     Tattersalls     November     not sold
Bc - By The Edge (by Shinko Forest)     Tattersalls     November     7,000gns (p/s)
Bc - Cintsa Sun (by Medicean)     Goffs     November     €3,700
Brf - Cynthia Calhoun (by Exceed And Excel)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bc - Dat Il Do (by Bahamian Bounty)     Tattersalls     December     not sold
Bf - Divert (by Averti)     Goffs     November     €10,000
Bc - Double Precedent (by Polish Precedent)     Goffs     November     withdrawn
Bc - Elizabeth Swann (by Bahamian Bounty)     Goffs     November     €13,000
Bc - Fancy Vivid (by Galileo)     Goffs     November     €40,000
Grc - Heart Of An Angel (by Dark Angel)     Tattersalls     November     8,000gns
Brc - House Of Roses (by New Approach)     Tattersalls     November     25,000gns
Bc - Labisa (by High Chaparral)     Tattersalls     November     not sold
Bc - Lady Canford (by Canford Cliffs)     Tatts IRE     November     not sold
Bf - Littlemissara (by Bushranger)     Goffs     November     withdrawn
Bf - Maqdira (by Singspiel)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bf - Margaux Dancer (by Danehill Dancer)     Goffs     November     withdrawn
Bc - Mercifilly (by Whipper)     Tattersalls     December     6,000gns
Bc - Muscadelle (by Azamour)     Tatts IRE     November     not sold
Bf - Naddwah (by Pivotal)     Goffs     November     not sold
B/brc - Own Gift (by Rahy)     Goffs     November     €8,500
Bf - Penny Rouge (by Pennekamp)     Goffs     November     €12,000
Brf - Shortmile Lady (by Arcano)     Tattersalls     November     withdrawn
Bf - Sir Cecil’s Girl (by Thunder Gulch)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bf - Sleeping Princess (by Dalakhani)     Tatts IRE     November     withdrawn
Bc - Solace (by Langfuhr)     Tattersalls     November     40,000gns
Bf - Stained Glass (by Dansili)     Tatts IRE     November     €1,800
Bf - Stained Glass (by Dansili)     Goffs     November     withdrawn
Bc - Star Fire (by Dark Angel)     Tattersalls     November     6,000gns
Bc - Yellow Trumpet (by Petong)     Goffs     November     ​€12,000

Kodiac (by Danehill) was only blacktype placed but, like his Group 1-winning half-brother Invincible Spirit (by Green Desert), he has become a leading sire who has a growing number of sons going to stud. His early recruits include Coulsty, who has been standing at Rathasker Stud in Ireland and has 38 registered foals in his first crop. He will be at Norman Court Stud in Salisbury, England, from 2019.

A five-length debut winner over five furlongs in late May of his juvenile season, he was stakes-placed in France that year, won the Group 3 Prix de Meautry over six furlongs at Deauville the following summer, and was a Group 2-placed stakes winner at the age of four. That notable placing was a half-length second to Adaay (by Kodiac) – another with his first foals in 2018 – in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes.​

Timeform rated Coulsty 110 at two, 113 as a three-year-old, 116 at four, and he was also a stakes-placed winner at the age of five.

He is the best of several winners out of triple scorer Hazium (by In The Wings), a mare whose unraced dam, Safe Care (by Caerleon), was a full-sister to the stakes-placed Alaflak and half-sister to Lugana Beach (by Tumble Wind).​

That high-class sprinter won the Group 3 Duke of York Stakes and Group 3 Prix du Petit Couvert, he was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, third in the Group 2 King's Stand Stakes, and Timeform rated him 116. Lugana Beach sired winners from limited opportunities.

Aunty Eileen (by Ahonoora), a half-sister to Safe Care and Lugana Beach, has done her part for the family by being the dam of three stakes winners, one of whom reached a Timeform rating of 123, and ancestor of three more.

That highly-rated son is The Tatling (by Perugino), the Group 2 King's Stand Stakes winner whose placings included two editions of the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp and three runner-up spots in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes.

Safe Haven (by Blakeney), the unraced third dam of Coulsty, was out of one-time scorer Amazer (by Mincio) and that made her a half-sister to five blacktype horses, most notably the dual champion Mtoto (by Busted), winner of the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and two editions of the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes, runner-up in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and Timeform-rated 134.

Mtoto was a successful stallion whose progeny featured Derby hero Shaamit, star stayer Celeric, and dual Group/Grade 1 star Serious Attitude, and he has made an impact on the National Hunt sector as his late Group 2-winning son Presenting has been a multiple champion sire.

There are many other stakes winners under the various branches of the fourth generation of the family, including the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Blue Canari (by Acatenango) and Grade 1 Canadian International Stakes scorer Mutamam (by Darshaan), although their relationship to Coulsty is remote.

Coulsty represents the Danehill (by Danzig) sire line, he was precocious, durable and talented, and he is related to the notable sprinters Lugana Beach and The Tatling. He looks a likely candidate to do well with two-year-olds, with sprinters and also with milers.

​COULSTY (IRE) – b.2011 – Kodiac – Hazium, 5 wins inc Prix de Meautry (Gr3), King Charles II Stakes (L), King Richard III Stakes (L), 2nd Hungerford Stakes (Gr2), Queensferry Stakes (L), King Richard III Stakes (L), 3rd Prix Francois Boutin (L). Sire in Ireland. First foals in 2018.

FOALS CATALOGUED:
Bc - Cannot Give (by Proud Citizen)     Tatts IRE     November     €8,000
Bc - City Maiden (by Carson City)     Goffs     November     €10,000
Bc - Daanaat (by Kheleyf)     Tatts IRE     November     €8,000
Bc - Daleside (by Vale Of York)     Tatts IRE     November     €3,000
Bf - Definite Opinion (by Kheleyf)     Tatts IRE     November     not sold
Brf - Gin And Slim (by Dark Angel)     Tatts IRE     November     €2,000
Bc - Marinebird (by Bad As I Wanna Be)     Tatts IRE     November     not sold
Bf - Miss Prim (by Case Law)     Tatts IRE     November     not sold
Bc - Ohsosecret (by Sakhee’s Secret)     Goffs     November     €3,500
Bc - One Time (by Olden Times)     Tatts IRE     November     withdrawn
Bc - Russian Spirit (by Falbrav)     Goffs     November     €12,000 (p/s)
Bc - Shagwa (by Clodovil)     Goffs     November     €15,000
Bc - South Ring (by Titus Livius)     Tatts IRE     November     withdrawn
Bf - Tereed Elhawa (by Cadeaux Genereux)     Tatts IRE     November     €1,500
Bc - Vivacious Way (by Holy Roman Emperor)     Tatts IRE     November     ​€2,000

Some of the early Invincible Spirit (by Green Desert) stallions are doing well and that augurs well for the prospects of those by his three-parts brother Kodiac (by Danehill). The latter has an increasing number of sons going to stud and dual Group 2 scorer Adaay, who stands at Whitsbury Manor Stud, is among them,

A €54,000 Goffs foal who made 240,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, the William Haggas-trained colt made a winning debut over six furlongs at Newbury in mid-May of his juvenile season, beating subsequent Group 2 star Kodi Bear, another who had his first foals this year.

He followed that with victory over the same trip at Yarmouth, was unplaced in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Ascot and then finished third to Limato in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes.​ He was off the track until the following April, when he was again placed behind Limato, and he followed that effort with wins in the Listed Carnarvon Stakes and Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes, in the latter beating his old rival and subsequent Group 1 star by a length.

Although unplaced behind Muhaarar in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, he bounced back two months later to beat Coulsty – another with first foals in 2018 – by half a length in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes, his first start over seven furlongs.

Adaay is the best of six winners from the first six foals out of Lady Lucia (by Royal Applause), a mare who was herself only placed as a juvenile. The sextet include nine-times scorer Pour La Victoire (by Antonius Pius), five-times winner Bushcraft (by Bushranger), and the multiple stakes-placed sprinter Mullionmileanhour (by Mull of Kintyre) who has been siring winners from few opportunities.

Lady Lucia is a half-sister to the pattern-placed winner Creative Mind (by Danehill Dancer), she is out of the dual juvenile scorer Inventive (by Sheikh Albadou) and her grandam, two-time winner Ingenuity (by Clever Trick), was a half-sister to the prolific stakes winner Empire Pool (by Sharrood). This is a weak pedigree for a stallion prospect, so it will be interesting to see how he turns out.

There are 92 registered foals in Adaay's first crop, so he won't be short on representation, and he looks a likely candidate to get sprinters and milers, some who stay 10 furlongs, and potentially some smart juveniles in the second half of the season.
​
ADAAY (IRE) – b.2012 – Kodiac – Lady Lucia, 5 wins inc Hungerford Stakes (Gr2), Sandy Lane Stakes (Gr2), Carnarvon Stakes (L), 2nd Criterion Stakes (Gr3), 3rd Park Stakes (Gr2), Pavilion Stakes (Gr3), Rose Bowl Stakes (L). Sire in England. First foals in 2018.

FOALS CATALOGUED
Bc - Ahwahnee (by Compton Place)     Tattersalls     November     24,000gns
Bf - Amaze Me (by Aqlaam)     Tattersalls     December     not sold
Bc - Anna Barkova (by Invincible Spirit)     Goffs     November     €31,000
Bf - Blue Lightning (by Machiavellian)     Goffs     November     €21,000
Bc - Blue Oyster (by Medicean)     Tattersalls     December     40,000gns
Bc - Camelopardalis (by Tobougg)     Tattersalls     December     not sold
Bc - Cards (by Tobougg)     Goffs UK     December     not sold
Bf - Copy-Cat (by Lion Cavern)     Tattersalls     November     40,000gns
Bc - Dolly Colman (by Diamond Green)     Tattersalls     November     67,000gns
Bc - Dubai Legend (by Cadeaux Genereux)     Tattersalls     November     22,000gns
Bf - Eolith (by Pastoral Pursuits)     Tattersalls     November     12,000gns
Bf - Fair Maiden (by Carnegie)     Tattersalls     December     11,000gns
Bc - Flemish School (by Dutch Art)     Tattersalls     November     38,000gns
Bc - Gilt Linked (by Compton Place)     Tattersalls     November     16,000gns
Bf - Hairicin (by Hurricane Run)     Goffs     November     €5,500
Bf - Huwayit (by Dalakhani)     Tatts IRE Ascot     November     not sold
Bf - Huwayit (by Dalakhani)     Goffs UK     December     ​withdrawn
Bc - Kandykaine (by Montjeu)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bf - Khaki (by Key Of Luck)     Tattersalls     November     11,000gns
Bc - Kuriosa (by Rip Van Winkle)     Tattersalls     December     35,000gns
Bf - Lady Macduff (by Iffraaj)     Tattersalls     November     not sold
Bc - Lamentation (by Singspiel)     Tattersalls     November     55,000gns
Bc - Leonica (by Lion Cavern)     Tattersalls     December     48,000gns
Bf - Letterfromamerica (by Ghostzapper)     Tattersalls     November     not sold
Bf - Lotus Roots (by Whipper)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bc - Malelane (by Prince Sabo)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bc - Mary’s Prayer (by Champs Elysees)     Tattersalls     November     withdrawn
Bf - Miss Wells (by Sadler’s Wells)     Tattersalls     November     not sold
Bf - Miss Wicklow (by New Approach)     Tatts IRE     November     not sold
Bf - Mount Lavinia (by Montjeu)     Goffs     November     withdrawn
Bf - Mutoon (by Erhaab)     Tattersalls     November     not sold
Bc - Mystic Jade (by Raven’s Pass)     Tattersalls     November     16,000gns
Bf - Never Change (by New Approach)     Tattersalls     December     not sold
Bc - Ocean Bluff (by Dalakhani)     Goffs     November     €16,000
Bf - Oilinda (by Nayef)     Tattersalls     November     22,000gns
Bc - Olympic Medal (by Nayef)     Tattersalls     December     15,000gns
Bc - Onlyyouknowme (by Martino Alonso)     Tattersalls     December     5,715gns (p/s)
Bf - Pelican Key (by Mujadil)     Tattersalls     November     35,000gns
Bc - Place In My Heart     Tattersalls     November     180,000gns
Bf - Pointed Arch (by Rock Of Gibraltar)     Tattersalls     November     not sold
Chf - Rockme Cockney (by Cockney Rebel)     Tattersalls     November     not sold
Bc - Sunny York (by Vale Of York)     Tattersalls     November     20,000gns
Bf - Tinshu (by Fantastic Light)     Tattersalls     November     withdrawn
Bc - Touching (by Kheleyf)     Tattersalls     November     10,000gns
Bc - Winifred Jo (by Bahamian Bounty)     Tattersalls     December     ​19,000gns