The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in France for each year since 1887. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season. Due to the huge prize money of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the sire of the winner of that race typically wins the title of the Leading Sire in France.
The Byerley Turk, also spelled Byerly Turk, was the earliest of three stallions that were the founders of the modern Thoroughbred horse racing bloodstock.
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is headquarters of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions. The operation, which is currently owned and run by the Magnier family, has been associated with a long sequence of top-class stallions since the 1850s, originally in County Cork, where stallions still stand as part of Coolmore today.
The Prix Ganay is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 2,100 metres at Longchamp in late April or early May.
St. Simon was an undefeated British Thoroughbred racehorse and one of the most successful sires in the history of the Thoroughbred. In May 1886 The Sporting Times' carried out a poll of one hundred experts to create a ranking of the best British racehorses of the 19th century. St. Simon was ranked fourth, having been placed in the top ten by 53 of the contributors.
Sadler's Wells was an American-bred, Irish-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse and outstanding sire. He was the 1984 European Champion miler after winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas, Eclipse Stakes and Phoenix Champion Stakes in that year. He also finished second in the French Derby and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Djebel (1937–1958) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse, who won 15 of 22 races during 1939–1942 including the Prix d'Essai, 2000 Guineas and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was later a leading sire in France and is responsible for the survival of the Byerley Turk sire line into the 21st century.
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.
Ksar (1918–1937) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who had back-to-back wins in France's most prestigious horse race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
The list below shows the leading sire of broodmares in Great Britain and Ireland for each year since 1899. This is determined by the amount of prize money won during the year in Great Britain and Ireland by racehorses that were foaled by a daughter of the sire in question.
The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of broodmares in North America for each year since 1924. This is determined by the amount of prize money won during the year by racehorses which were foaled by a daughter of the sire. The most frequent sires on the list are Sir Gallahad III (12), Mr. Prospector (9), Princequillo (8), and Star Shoot (5).
Tourbillon (1928–1954) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion sire.
Kind was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. She won six of her thirteen races, including the Listed Flower of Scotland Stakes and Kilvington Stakes, as well as being placed in the Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes. After retiring from racing she became one of Juddmonte Farms' top broodmares, foaling the undefeated, 10-time Group 1 winner Frankel. All of her first five foals won races, including the Group winners Bullet Train and Noble Mission. Kind was trained by Roger Charlton and owned by Khalid Abdulla. She died on 8 March 2021 following complications from foaling.
Dansili was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He won five races, including the Prix du Muguet. After retiring from racing he became a successful stallion, with his progeny including Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Rail Link and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Harbinger. He also became Champion sire in France in 2006.
Arbar was a French racehorse and sire. A horse with a strong, stamina-rich pedigree he was unraced as a two-year-old but proved himself one of the best European three-year-olds of 1947, despite a narrow defeat in the St Leger Stakes. In the following season he established himself as the best stayer in Europe with wins in the Prix du Cadran in France and the Ascot Gold Cup in Britain. He was injured at Goodwood in July and was retired to stud, where he had some success as a sire of winners.
Coronation was a French racehorse. In a racing career which lasted from the spring of 1948 until October 1950, she ran thirteen times and won six races. As a two-year-old she was one of the best fillies of her generation in Europe, winning the Queen Mary Stakes in England and the Prix Robert Papin in France. In the following year she dead-heated for the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, but was beaten in both the Oaks Stakes and the Irish Oaks. In October 1949 she established her reputation as one of the best fillies to race in Europe in the 20th century when she emphatically defeated a strong international field in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Her subsequent racing career was disappointing and she was a complete failure as a broodmare.
High Top (1969–1988) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for winning the classic 2000 Guineas in 1972. High Top was one of the leading British two-year-olds of 1971 when his successes included a defeat of a strong field in the Observer Gold Cup. After winning a trial race on his first appearance of 1972, he led from the start to beat the future Epsom Derby winner Roberto in the 2000 Guineas. His classic win was the first of seventeen British classic winners ridden by Willie Carson. High Top never won again but finished a close second in both the Sussex Stakes and the Prix Jacques Le Marois. At the end of the year he was retired to stud and became an extremely successful breeding stallion.
Sendawar was an Irish-bred, French-trained racehorse, who is an active National Hunt Stallion. He was ridden by Gérald Mossé in all his starts.
Detroit was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1980. Unraced as a two-year-old, Detroit won her first four races in 1980 including the Prix Fille de l'Air, Prix Chloé and Prix de la Nonette. She was beaten when favourite for the Prix Vermeille before winning the Arc in record time. She remained in training as a four-year-old and won three more races including the Prix Foy. She was retired to stud where she produced the Arc de Triomphe winner Carnegie.
Reine de Saba was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Bred and owned by Jacques Wertheimer and trained by Alec Head she raced for three seasons and won five of her twelve races. After showing promise as a juvenile, she emerged as one of the leading three-year-old fillies in Europe in the spring and early summer of 1978, winning all three of her races including the Prix Saint-Alary and the Prix de Diane. Her season was ended by injury in June and when she returned as a four-year-old she was less effective, winning only one of her six races. As a broodmare she produced two foals that raced and were both good winners.
Distant Relative was an Irish-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. After running fifth on his debut he never finished unplaced again ending his racing career with a record of eight wins and nine places from eighteen starts. He emerged as top-class miler in 1989, recording wins in the Phoenix International Stakes, Hungerford Stakes, Celebration Mile and Challenge Stakes. He was even better as a four-year-old in 1990, winning the Sussex Stakes and the Prix du Moulin. He was also placed in many important races including the Irish 2000 Guineas, Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Prix Jacques Le Marois. On his retirement from racing he stood as a breeding stallion and had some success as a sire of winners. He died in Turkey in 2005 at the age of nineteen.