Shirocco

Joint fourth Leading Living NH Sire in GB & Ire by Black Type Winners in 2022/23 with 7 Individual Black Type Winners

Fourth Leading Living NH sire in GB & Ire by Prize Money in 2022/23 with progeny earnings of over €2,000,000

Sire of Sales Toppers with progeny realising up to £280,000

Four-time Gr.1 winning Champion and €1,660,000
Won Deutsches Derby (Gr.1), Gran Premio del Jockey Club (Gr.1), Breeders’ Cup Turf (Gr.1), Coronation Cup (Gr.1), etc.

Four-time Gr.1 winning Champion and €1,660,000, including

Won Deutsches Derby (Gr.1)

Won Gran Premio del Jockey Club (Gr.1)

Won Breeders’ Cup Turf (Gr.1)

Won Coronation Cup (Gr.1)

Won Prix Foy (Gr.2)

Won Jockey Club Stakes (Gr.2)

Multiple Gr.1 Sire under both codes

ANNIE POWER 5 Gr.1 wins incl. Gr.1 Aintree Hurdle, Gr.1 Champion Hurdle and Gr.1 World Hurdle

LAC FONTANA 5 wins incl. Gr.1 Mersey Novices’ Hdle and Gr.3 Vincent O’Brien County H’cap Hdle

PRINCIPE DEL MARE Won Gr.1 Gran Criterium, d’Autunno Forst Hurdle, Merano

THIRD WIND 6 wins incl. Gr.2 William Hill Rendlesham Hurdle, Gr.3 Pertemps Final Hurdle, Cheltenham, Gr.3 EBF Matchbook VIP ‘NH’ Novices Handicap Hurdle Final

MINELLA ROCCO 5 wins incl. Gr.2 Sodexo Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase, LR NH Chase Challenge Cup, 2nd Gr.1 Cheltenham Gold Cup

RED SHERLOCK 6 wins incl. Gr.2 Neptune Investment Novices’ Hurdle, LR Cheltenham N.H flat race

LILY DU BERLAIS 2 wins incl. Gr.2 Irish EBF mares I.N.H flat race

SILVER HALLMARK 3 wins incl. Gr.2 The Altcar Novices’ Chase, Haydock

HIGHWAY ONE O TWO 5 wins incl. Gr.2 Sky Bet Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle, Kempton

ROCKPOINT Won Gr.2 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

SHEWEARSITWELL 6 wins incl. Gr.3 beathebank.ie Irish EBF Mares Hurdle, Leopardstown, Gr.3 Joe Mac Novice Hurdle, Tipperary

QUEENS BROOK 5 wins incl. Gr.3 Racing TV Quevega Mares Hurdle, Punchestown, & Gr.1 placed

GOOD TIME JONNY 5 wins incl. Gr.3 Pertemps Final Hurdle, Cheltenham

LE MILOS 7 wins incl. Gr.3 Coral Gold Cup, Newbury

A CAREER BEST

Shirocco enjoyed another terrific season in 2022/23, resulting in a career-best number of 14 black-type performers. That figure was the third highest achieved by an active sire during that period, with the same title earned for Shirocco’s seven black-type winners. Those accolades, along with a career-best 131 wins, saw Shirocco end the season as the fourth leading active sire by prize money.

Queens Brook set the tone early in the season with a comfortable Listed hurdle win before landing a Gr.3 at Punchestown. She ended the season with a fine third in the Gr.1 Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham- her third placing at the highest level.

Willie Mullins is no stranger to success with Shirocco’s progeny, having trained the great Annie Power. The master of Closutton worked his magic on Shewearsitwell to return to her best after a serious injury, as she recorded her second Gr.3 success at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival and rounded off a fantastic season with a gallant third in the Gr.1 Mares’ Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.

Olly Murphy meanwhile, appears to have a smart prospect on his hands in Thunder Rock, a previous bumper and four-time hurdle winner was seen to best effect last season when winning two chases and placed at the highest level to three-time Gr.1 winner Gerri Colombe.

There are a number of exciting point-to-point graduates by Shirocco to look forward to in the upcoming season, including John Costello’s impressive Quakerstown winner What’s Up Darling. The 5-Y-O subsequently sold to Gordon Elliott for a sales-topping £280,000 and went on to win a bumper in good style for Gigginstown House Stud. Tom Keating’s promising 4-Y-O Peso provided Shirocco with another six-figure sale when knocked down to Jonjo O’Neill and Stroud Coleman for £100,000.

Click here for a complete list of winners by Shirocco.