The Peter Muscutt-trained Spacebound waltzed in by four lengths on debut over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth to become Declarationofpeace’s second winner. His 400m to finish time was the fastest of the day. (Picture: Wayne Marks)
The early pace in the Freshman Sires championship is being set by Declarationofpeace and Erik The Red with two winners apiece.
Declarationofpeace is out to become the second son of War Front in the space of three seasons to land the Freshman championship, with Lancaster Bomber having done it in the 2022/2023 season, while Erik The Red is out to necome the second succesive son of Captain Al to do it, following One World’s record breaking 2023/2024 season.
There is a long way to go but Declarationofpeace’s two winners have come from just three runners, while Erik The Red’s have come from nine runners.
However, Erik The Red is likely to have more runners, being based at Varsfontein Stud whilst Declaratinofpeace is a KZN sire so would likely have had less numbers in his first season.
Hawwaam (Silvano) will likely enter the fray too as he will surely produce some classy progeny and he would have received plenty of support in his first season.
Hawwaam has had one winner from two runners to date.
War Front started out being considered a dirt sire but this all changed.
His stud career has been fascinating, as this summary below depicts.
War Front was retired to stud at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Expectations were initially moderate, and his stud fee dipped to a low of $10,000 in 2011. That same year though, his first crop turned age three and several of them became stakes winners, both in America on dirt and then in Europe on turf. “He started out with more of a reputation as a dirt sire”, said Walker Hancock, president of Claiborne. “It wasn’t until he had two winners at Royal Ascot (Declaration of War and War Command) on the same day that he got dubbed a turf sire.”
Thanks in part to the support of Coolmore Stud, he started attracting better quality mares and his stud fee steadily increased. His stud fee for 2018 and 2019 was $250,000 (increased from $200,000 for 2016 and $150,000 for 2015 and 2014). This was tied for the highest fees in North America for 2019 and is among the highest in the world.
However, by 2025 his standing fee had been lowered from $100,000 to $75,000.
Lancaster Bomber’s son Eight On Eighteen is the hotpot favourite for Saturday’s Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby. He became Lancaster Bomber’s fourth individual Gr 1 winner when landing the prestigious WSB Met last month.
Lancaster Bomber only had 157 foals so that is a fine return and there could still be more.
