by Martin Stevens

The publication lays out all the details on yearlings sold at public auction in Europe and those by European based sires sold at major auctions in North America & Japan. It is a much-needed guide ahead of the breeding stock sales and the covering season, supporting you in evaluating and finding value moving forward.

Breed-shaping former champion sire Dubawi was represented by his smallest draft of yearlings at the sales in 2025 – only 11 offered – and the scarcity value resulted in him achieving the highest average and median prices of any stallion in Europe this year.

According to the newly published Weatherbys Bloodstock Sales Review Part 1 2025, all 11 of the Dalham Hall Stud stalwart’s lots changed hands, for an average of 696,479gns (€884,877) and median of 550,964gns (€700,000), with a high of €2 million (1,574,183gns) given by Godolphin for a filly out of the Group 3-winning Muhaarar mare Paix at Arqana.

The next best figures at this season’s yearling sales were recorded by Frankel, with an average of 644,972gns (€819,436) and median of 428,950gns (€544,981). The dearest offering by the unbeaten dual world champion was a colt out of the Group 2-winning Shamardal mare Aljazzi purchased by Amo Racing for 3,600,000gns (€4,573,800) at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

The third-best statistics this year, an average of 431,716gns (€548,495) and median of 300,000gns (€381,150), belonged to Britain and Ireland’s champion sire-elect Night Of Thunder. The most expensive lot by the Kildangan Stud-based son of Dubawi was the half-brother to top-flight winners Chicquita, Diamond Necklace and Magic Wand who was purchased by Amo Racing for €3m (2,361,275gns) in Deauville in August.

Gilltown Stud-based world champion Sea The Stars posted the fourth-highest average of 289,975gns (€368,413), while the late Coolmore game-changer Wootton Bassett notched the fourth-best median of 204,644gns (€260,000).

Baaeed has been the most popular first-crop yearling sire in 2025, with 51 of his lots selling for an average of 167,214gns (€212,446) and median of 140,000gns (€177,870).

The next highest average and median stats among the newcomers were recorded by Blackbeard with 77,874gns (€98,939) and 55,000gns (€69,877); Minzaal with 72,263gns (€91,811) and 51,000gns (€64,795); Perfect Power with 56,763gns (€72,117) and 40,000gns (€50,820); and Stradivarius with 50,272gns (€63,870) and 40,000gns (€50,820).

The freshman sire whose second crop of yearlings has been given the most enthusiastic reception by buyers this year is St Mark’s Basilica, who achieved an average price of 108,671gns (€138,067) and a median of 82,645gns (€105,000).

The next best figures in this cohort belong to Starman with 95,642gns (€121,513) and 63,983gns (€81,291); Palace Pier with 90,703gns (€115,238) and 65,833gns (€83,641); A’Ali with 27,163gns (€34,511) and 15,119gns (€19,208); and Supremacy with 23,899gns (€30,363) and 10,000gns (€12,705).

For more insights into stallion performance at this year’s yearling sales, purchase the Bloodstock Sales Review Park 1 2025 at the Weatherbys Shop.

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