Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland

Highflyer, who was champion sire 13 times

The title of champion, or leading, sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland is awarded to the stallion whose offspring have won the most prize money in Britain and Ireland during the flat racing season. The current (2022) champion is Dubawi, who earned his first title after finishing runner-up multiple times.

Unlike the similar title for leading sire in North America, the stallion in question does not need to have resided in Great Britain or Ireland during his stud career, although the vast majority have done so. Northern Dancer is the most notable example of a North American-based stallion who won this title. The Northern Dancer sire line has dominated the list for the last several decades, mostly through his son Sadler's Wells (14 titles) and grandson Galileo (12 titles).^[1]

Records

Most championships:^[2]

14 – Sadler's Wells – 1990, 1992–2004
13 – Highflyer – 1785–1796, 1798
12 – Galileo – 2008, 2010–2020
10 – Sir Peter Teazle – 1799–1802, 1804–1809
9 – St. Simon – 1890–1896, 1900–1901
8 – Regulus – 1754–1757, 1761, 1763, 1765–1766; Herod – 1777–1784

Champion sires 1721–1997

1721 – Acaster Turk (1)
1722 – Darley Arabian (1)
1723 – Thoulouse Barb (1)
1724 – Bay Bolton (1)
1725 – Bald Galloway (1)
1726 – Bay Bolton (2)
1727 – Bay Bolton (3)
1728 – Alcock's Arabian (1)
1729 – Bay Bolton (4)
1730 – Flying Childers (1)
1731 – Fox (1)
1732 – Bay Bolton (5)
1733 – Bay Bolton (6)
1734 – Bay Bolton (7)
1735 – Fox (2)
1736 – Flying Childers (2)
1737 – Partner (1)
1738 – Godolphin Arabian (1)
1739 – Bloody Buttocks (1)
1740 – Partner (2)
1741 – Partner (3)
1742 – Bartlett's Childers (1)
1743 – Partner (4)
1744 – Bolton Starling (1)
1745 – Godolphin Arabian (2)
1746 – Blacklegs (1)
1747 – Godolphin Arabian (3)
1748 – Crab (1)
1749 – Crab (2)
1750 – Crab (3)
1751 – Blaze (1)
1752 – Cade (1)
1753 – Cade (2)
1754 – Regulus (1)
1755 – Regulus (2)
1756 – Regulus (3)
1757 – Regulus (4)
1758 – Cade (3)
1759 – Cade (4)
1760 – Cade (5)
1761 – Regulus (5)
1762 – Blank (1)
1763 – Regulus (6)
1764 – Blank (2)
1765 – Regulus (7)
1766 – Regulus (8)
1767 – Snap (1)
1768 – Snap (2)
1769 – Snap (3)
1770 – Blank (3)
1771 – Snap (4)
1772 – Matchem (1)
1773 – Matchem (2)
1774 – Matchem (3)
1775 – Marske (1)
1776 – Marske (2)
1777 – Herod (1)
1778 – Herod (2)
1779 – Herod (3)
1780 – Herod (4)
1781 – Herod (5)
1782 – Herod (6)
1783 – Herod (7)
1784 – Herod (8)
1785 – Highflyer (1)
1786 – Highflyer (2)
1787 – Highflyer (3)
1788 – Highflyer (4)
1789 – Highflyer (5)
1790 – Highflyer (6)
1791 – Highflyer (7)
1792 – Highflyer (8)
1793 – Highflyer (9)
1794 – Highflyer (10)
1795 – Highflyer (11)
1796 – Highflyer (12)
1797 – King Fergus (1)
1798 – Highflyer (13)
1799 – Sir Peter Teazle (1)
1800 – Sir Peter Teazle (2)
1801 – Sir Peter Teazle (3)
1802 – Sir Peter Teazle (4)
1803 – Trumpator (1)
1804 – Sir Peter Teazle (5)
1805 – Sir Peter Teazle (6)
1806 – Sir Peter Teazle (7)
1807 – Sir Peter Teazle (8)
1808 – Sir Peter Teazle (9)
1809 – Sir Peter Teazle (10)
1810 – Waxy (1)
1811 – Sorcerer (1)
1812 – Sorcerer (2)
1813 – Sorcerer (3)
1814 – Selim (1)
1815 – Rubens (1)
1816 – Walton (1)
1817 – Orville (1)
1818 – Walton (2)
1819 – Soothsayer (1)
1820 – Phantom (1)
1821 – Rubens (2)
1822 – Rubens (3)
1823 – Orville (2)
1824 – Phantom (2)
1825 – Election (1)
1826 – Whalebone (1)
1827 – Whalebone (2)
1828 – Filho da Puta (1)
1829 – Blacklock (1)
1830 – Emilius (1)
1831 – Emilius (2)
1832 – Sultan (1)
1833 – Sultan (2)
1834 – Sultan (3)
1835 – Sultan (4)
1836 – Sultan (5)
1837 – Sultan (6)
1838 – Camel (1)
1839 – Priam (1)
1840 – Priam (2)
1841 – Taurus (1)
1842 – Touchstone (1)
1843 – Touchstone (2)
1844 – Bay Middleton (1)
1845 – Slane (1)
1846 – Venison (1)
1847 – Venison (2)
1848 – Touchstone (3)
1849 – Bay Middleton (2)
1850 – Epirus (1)
1851 – Orlando (1)
1852 – Birdcatcher (1)
1853 – Melbourne (1)
1854 – Orlando (2)
1855 – Touchstone (4)
1856 – Birdcatcher (2)
1857 – Melbourne (2)
1858 – Orlando (3)
1859 – Newminster (1)
1860 – Stockwell (1)
1861 – Stockwell (2)
1862 – Stockwell (3)
1863 – Newminster (2)
1864 – Stockwell (4)
1865 – Stockwell (5)
1866 – Stockwell (6)
1867 – Stockwell (7)
1868 – Buccaneer (1)
1869 – Thormanby (1)
1870 – King Tom (1)
1871 – King Tom (2)
1872 – Blair Athol (1)
1873 – Blair Athol (2)
1874 – Adventurer (1)
1875 – Blair Athol (3)
1876 – Lord Clifden (1)
1877 – Blair Athol (4)
1878 – Speculum (1)
1879 – Flageolet (1)
1880 – Hermit (1)
1881 – Hermit (2)
1882 – Hermit (3)
1883 – Hermit (4)
1884 – Hermit (5)
1885 – Hermit (6)
1886 – Hermit (7)
1887 – Hampton (1)
1888 – Galopin (1)
1889 – Galopin (2)
1890 – St. Simon (1)
1891 – St. Simon (2)
1892 – St. Simon (3)
1893 – St. Simon (4)
1894 – St. Simon (5)
1895 – St. Simon (6)
1896 – St. Simon (7)
1897 – Kendal (1)
1898 – Galopin (3)
1899 – Orme (1)
1900 – St. Simon (8)
1901 – St. Simon (9)
1902 – Persimmon (1)
1903 – St. Frusquin (1)
1904 – Gallinule (1)
1905 – Gallinule (2)
1906 – Persimmon (1)
1907 – St. Frusquin (1)
1908 – Persimmon (2)
1909 – Cyllene (1)
1910 – Cyllene (2)
1911 – Sundridge (1)
1912 – Persimmon (3)
1913 – Desmond (1)
1914 – Polymelus (1)
1915 – Polymelus (2)
1916 – Polymelus (3)
1917 – Bayardo (1)
1918 – Bayardo (2)
1919 – The Tetrarch (1)
1920 – Polymelus (4)
1921 – Polymelus (5)
1922 – Lemberg (1)
1923 – Swynford (1)
1924 – Son-in-Law (1)
1925 – Phalaris (1)
1926 – Hurry On (1)
1927 – Buchan (1)
1928 – Phalaris (2)
1929 – Tetratema (1)
1930 – Son-in-Law (2)
1931 – Pharos (1)
1932 – Gainsborough (1)
1933 – Gainsborough (2)
1934 – Blandford (1)
1935 – Blandford (2)
1936 – Fairway (1)
1937 – Solario (1)
1938 – Blandford (3)
1939 – Fairway (2)
1940 – Hyperion (1)
1941 – Hyperion (2)
1942 – Hyperion (3)
1943 – Fairway (3)
1944 – Fairway (4)
1945 – Hyperion (4)
1946 – Hyperion (5)
1947 – Nearco (1)
1948 – Big Game (1)
1949 – Nearco (2)
1950 – Fair Trial (1)
1951 – Nasrullah (1)
1952 – Tehran (1)
1953 – Chanteur (1)
1954 – Hyperion (6)
1955 – Alycidon (1)
1956 – Court Martial (1)
1957 – Court Martial (2)
1958 – Mossborough (1)
1959 – Petition (1)
1960 – Aureole (1)
1961 – Aureole (2)
1962 – Never Say Die (1)
1963 – Ribot (1)
1964 – Chamossaire (1)
1965 – Court Harwell (1)
1966 – Charlottesville (1)
1967 – Ribot (2)
1968 – Ribot (3)
1969 – Crepello (1)
1970 – Northern Dancer (1)
1971 – Never Bend (1)
1972 – Queen's Hussar (1)
1973 – Vaguely Noble (1)
1974 – Vaguely Noble (2)
1975 – Great Nephew (1)
1976 – Wolver Hollow (1)
1977 – Northern Dancer (2)
1978 – Mill Reef (1)
1979 – Petingo (1)
1980 – Pitcairn (1)
1981 – Great Nephew (1)
1982 – Be My Guest (1)
1983 – Northern Dancer (3)
1984 – Northern Dancer (4)
1985 – Kris (1)
1986 – Nijinsky (1)
1987 – Mill Reef (2)
1988 – Caerleon (1)
1989 – Blushing Groom (1)
1990 – Sadler's Wells (1)
1991 – Caerleon (2)
1992 – Sadler's Wells (2)
1993 – Sadler's Wells (3)
1994 – Sadler's Wells (4)
1995 – Sadler's Wells (5)
1996 – Sadler's Wells (6)
1997 – Sadler's Wells (7)

Champion sires since 1998

^ £15,145,613 in Europe
^ £16,145,540 in Europe

Top sire lines

Excluding any championships by the foundation stallions themselves, the following sire-lines have produced champion sires (1721–2016):^[2]^[3]

Darley Arabian – 88 stallions, 188 championships. all titles since 1964
Byerley Turk – 17 stallions, 59 championships, most recently Tetratema in 1929
Godolphin Arabian – 12 stallions, 32 championships, most recently Chamossaire in 1964
D'Arcy White Turk – 3 stallions, 10 championships, most recently Bolton Starling in 1744
Curwen's Bay Barb – 2 stallions, 4 championships, most recently Crab in 1750
Acaster Turk, Bloody Buttocks, St. Victor's Barb, Thoulouse Barb – 1 championship each

References

^ "Northern Dancer (horse)". American Classic Pedigrees. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
^ a b "Champion Sires in Great Britain and Ireland". www.highflyer.supanet.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Bloodstock | Racing Post". Racing Post. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
^ a b c d e f g "Sadler's Wells". Racing Post. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
^ a b c "Danehill". Racing Post. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
^ a b c d e f g h "Galileo". Racing Post. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
^ "Danehill Dancer". Racing Post. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
^ "Galileo Claims Ninth Sires' Championship". Thoroughbred Daily News. 2017-12-29. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
^ a b c d e "Sires list archive". The Owner Breeder. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
^ "Galileo, By A Country Mile". Thoroughbred Daily News. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
^ Thomas, James (3 December 2020). "Why it's Galileo's world in 2021 and we're all just living in it". Racing Post. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
^ "Frankel: The Best Just Got Better". TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News. 26 December 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
^ Berry, John. "Dependable Dubawi a deserving champion" (PDF). TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
^ "Leading Sires". Thoroughbred Stallion Guide. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
^ "Leading Sires". Thoroughbred Statllion Guide. Archived from the original on 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.