Timeform 121-rated middle-distance Grade 1 scorer has a pedigree that has been receiving updates again this year, thanks to the success of his half-brother Crystal Ocean (by Sea The Stars).

That classic-placed Group 2 star has a 132 rating from Timeform and is among the ante-post favourites for the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp, for which he will need to be supplemented.

Their half-sister Crystal Capella (by Cape Cross), a dual winner of the Group 2 Pride Stakes at Newmarket, put up her most impressive performance when running out an eight-length winner of the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes at the July Course, and their siblings also include the 10-furlong listed scorer Crystal Zvezda (by Dubawi).

Their dam, Crystal Star (by Mark Of Esteem), won the seven-furlong Listed Radley Stakes at two and was Group 3-placed over the same trip at three, and that half-sister to pattern-placed 12-furlong stakes winner Waila (by Notnowcato) is out of Crystal Cavern (by Be My Guest), a winning half-sister to Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) heroine Rose Gypsy (by Green Desert).

This is a prolific blacktype family whose branches and generations also feature the top-level winners Sasuru (by Most Welcome) and Tuscan Evening (by Oasis Dream), and all of this makes Hillstar one of the best-bred young National Hunt stallions at stud.

He stands at Garryrichard Stud, which has a long history of producing leading National Hunt stallions, and there were 45 foals in his first crop.

HILLSTAR (IRE) - b.2010 - Danehill Dancer - Crystal Star, 4 wins inc Canadian International Stakes (Gr1), King Edward VII Stakes (Gr2), Dubai Duty Free Legacy (Arc Trial) Stakes (Gr3), 2nd Hardwicke Stakes (Gr2), Princess of Wales’s Stakes (Gr2), Rose of Lancaster Stakes (Gr3), Ormonde Stakes (Gr3), 3rd King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr1), Cumberland Lodge Stakes (Gr3). Sire in Ireland. First foals in 2017.

YEARLINGS CATALOGUED
​Bc - Augusta Lucinda (by Luso)     Goffs     February     €5,500
Chc - Curzon Ridge (by Indian Ridge)     Tatts IRE     February     not sold
Bc - Definite Grey (by Sagamix)     Tatts IRE     February     €7,000
Chc - Fair Astronomer (by Persian Mews)     Tatts IRE     February     €5,000
Bc - Maritana (by Rahy)     Goffs     November     
B/brg - Old Madam (by Old Vic)     Tatts IRE     November     
Bc - Spartan Angel (by Beneficial)     Tatts IRE     February     €23,000

A top-class 10-furlong horse who won once at the highest level, was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) and twice third in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup, Haras de Bouquetot stallion Planteur is a son of leading sire Danehill Dancer (by Danehill), whose stallion sons include the Group 1 sires Choisir, Mastercraftsman, Monsieur Bond, Silent Times, Air Chief Marshal and Fast Company.

He is the best of several winners out of Plante Rare (by Giant's Causeway), an unraced half-sister to the Group 1-placed middle-distance Group 2 scorers Policy Maker (by Sadler's Wells) and Pushkin (by Caerleon) and also to Group 3 Lancashire Oaks scorer Place Rouge (by Desert King).

The third dam of Planteur is the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner Petroleuse (by Habitat) and that means that Palmeraie (by Lear Fan), his grandam, is a half-sister to Peinture Bleue (by Alydar), the Grade 2-winning dam of Peintre Celebre (by Nureyev).

Europe's champion three-year-old of 1997, when he crowned a classic-winning season with a brilliant display in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the top-level winners he sired as a member of the Coolmore team include the multiple Group 1 star Pride.

There are many other stakes and pattern winners who descend from Petroleuse, but with regard to Planteur's stallion potential they tell us nothing more than we already know, that he's a classic-placed Group 1 winner by a sire of successful stallions and from the immediate family of a classic sire.

His three juvenile outings were all over a mile, and resulted in two wins and a second, so it would be reasonable to presume that his better two-year-olds will not be seen until the second half of the season. His racing and pedigree profile suggests that most of his best progeny will be middle-distance horses and stayers, although he could get some milers, with the right mares.

PLANTEUR (IRE) – b.2007 – Danehill Dancer – Plante Rare, 7 wins inc Prix Ganay (Gr1), Prix Noailles (Gr2), Prix d'Harcourt (Gr2), Winter Hill Stakes (Gr3), Winter Derby Trial (L), 2nd Prix du Jockey Club (Gr1), Grand Prix de Paris (Gr1), Prix d'Ispahan (Gr1-twice), Prix Niel (Gr2), 3rd Dubai World Cup (Gr1-twice). Sire in France. First foals in 2015.

YEARLINGS CATALOGUED (updated)
bc - Adjira (by Montjeu)     Arqana     Oct     not sold
chc – Agent Mimi (by Medecis)     Osarus     Sept     €3,000
bc - Anny (by Kahyasi)     Arqana     Nov     €11,000
bf - Back To My Roots (by Fusaichi Pegasus)     Arqana     Nov     €5,000
bc – Beautiful Note (by Red Ransom)     Osarus     Sept     €6,000
bc – Becbec (by Slickly)     Osarus     Sept     not sold
bc – Bella Monica (by Big Shuffle)     Baden-Baden     Sept     €11,000
bc - Black Jack Lady (by King's Best)     Arqana     Oct     withdrawn
bc - Chignon (by Dalakhani)     Arqana     Nov     €3,000
bf – Clarte Du Soir (by Kaldoun)     Osarus     Sept     not sold
bc - Crazy Mask (by Iron Mask)     Arqana     Oct     €7,000
bc – Daloisi (by Marchand De Sable)     Goffs     Feb     withdrawn
bc – Daloisi (by Marchand De Sable)     Tattersalls IRE     Sept     €9,000
bc - Darwana (by Bering)     Arqana     Oct     (p/s) €3,000
bc - Debby (by Woodman)     Arqana     Oct     €16,000
bc – Desca (by Cadeaux Genereux)     Arqana     Aug     €38,000
bf - Dix Huit (by Gone West)     Arqana     Oct     €13,000
bc - Double Mix (by Sagamix)     Arqana     Oct     €37,000
bf – Fedora (by Cape Cross)     Osarus     Sept     not sold
bc - Forward Feline (by One Cool Cat)     Arqana     Oct     €26,000
bc - High Princess (by High Chaparral)     Arqana     Oct     €19,000
chc - Hygrove Welshlady (by Langfuhr)     Arqana     Oct     not sold
bc - In Love We Trust (by Revoque)     Arqana     Nov     €5,500
bf – Ivory Style (by Desert Style)     Arqana     Aug     not sold
chc - Litanibreak Junior (by Sunday Break)     Arqana     Nov     €12,000
bf - Madhya (by Gone West)     Arqana     Oct     €12,000
bc – Marie Dar (by Sinndar)     Arqana     Aug     €28,000
bf - Marie Galante (by Beat Hollow)     Arqana     Oct     withdrawn
bf - Marie Galante (by Beat Hollow)     Arqana     Nov     (p/s) €5,000
bc - Nobodywantsme (by Martaline)     Arqana     Nov     (p/s) €6,000
bf – Pacific Queen (by Sunday Break)     Arqana     Aug     €26,000
bc – Parisian Princess (by Teofilo)     Arqana     Aug     not sold
bf - Pearl Sky (by Kahyasi)     Arqana     Oct     not sold
bf - Queen Menatie (by Kingsalsa)     Arqana     Nov     €6,000
bf - Rebecca's Filly (by Elusive City)     Arqana     Oct     (p/s) €7,000
bc - Roma Mia (by Bluegrass Cat)     Arqana     Oct     not sold
bf – Rotti (by Dalakhani)     Arqana     Aug     €3,500
bf - Rotti (by Dalakhani)     Arqana     Nov     €4,500
bf – Saga Boreale (by Arch)     Arqana     Aug     €35,000
bf – Sina (by Trans Island)     Goffs UK     Aug     £3,000
bf – Thingathong (by Trempolino)     Osarus     Sept     not sold
bc - Trexana (by Kaldoun)     Arqana     Nov     €10,000
bf - Tropical Glamour (by Rock Of Gibraltar)     Arqana     Oct     (p/s) €13,000
chc - Turtledove (by Epervier Bleu)     Arqana     Nov     €22,000
bf - Vastanya (by Royal Academy)     Arqana     Oct     withdrawn
bf - Vastanya (by Royal Academy)     Arqana     Nov     €3,500
bf - Waajida (by Dubawi)     Baden-Baden     Oct    not sold
bc - Wedding Night (by Valanour)     Arqana     Nov     €11,000
bf – Whoopsie (by Unfuwain)     Osarus     Sept     ​€5,000
bc - Xaara (by Xaar)     Arqana     Nov     €27,000