Bloodstock: Quality as well as quantity for Fasliyev and Cape Cross.

NOT surprisingly, sires with foal crops of above 100 are the early leaders among first-season stallions ranked by European progeny earnings (up to and including June 30). Fasliyev, with 111 recorded foals, and Cape Cross, who has 101, are among only four stallions in the accompanying table with three-figure first crops.

The other pair, Orpen (141) and Stravinsky (115), are ranked fifth and eighth respectively. So Coolmore - which owns three of the four - seems to be doing fine by its twist on the old maxim: "breed the best to the most, and hope for the best".

Darley is among several other breeders who seem to subscribe to that maxim and it appears to be working in favour of Cape Cross, who, along with Fasliyev, Daggers Drawn and Orpen, has had ten or more individual winners.

Daggers Drawn, who leads in terms of individual winners (12) and total wins (16), is the odd one out in more ways than one. From a book limited in the range of 100 mares, he has 72 foals, about 30 per cent fewer than the two leaders and just half of Orpen's tally; and he is the only one of the quartet who is not from Northern Dancer's sire line - although his damsire Ajdal was a son of the legendary stallion.

Fourth-placed Dr Fong and sixth-placed Intikhab are both grandsons of Roberto, the 1971 Derby winner who has enjoyed a renaissance this season as grandsire of the Derby, Oaks and Ribblesdale winners. Their strong start, both from foal crops in the 70s, is good news for those hoping the sire line - successful with first-generation descendants Dynaformer, Kris S, Red Ransom and Robellino - will continue into the next generation.

French sires Verglas and Gold Away have done particularly well, in seventh and ninth places respectively, with crops of well under 50 foals apiece. Verglas is the leading sire of two-year-olds in France by prize-money, with Listed-placed Joursanvault among his three winners; his reward for this success is a shuttle trip to Australia for the upcoming southern hemisphere season.

Gold Away is a grandson of Nureyev, sire of both Fasliyev and Stravinsky. His 13 runners include Group 3 winner Clifden, whose three victories bring his sire's tally to five.

Sires on the back burner until later in the season - or even next year - include Daylami in 21st place, Dushyantor in 24th and Croco Rouge in 26th. They have had only a handful of runners each.

Now back to our leaders; large crops they may have, but Fasliyev and Cape Cross have thrown up several really promising runners. In the case of the former, Group 3 Norfolk Stakes winner Russian Valour and French Listed winner Much Faster are obvious standouts. Cape Cross, meanwhile, has had eyecatching winners Back At De Front, Cape Fear, Cape Trafalgar and Gwaihir, as well as Listed-placed Cedarberg among his 21 runners.

CAPTION(S):

Russian Valour (right), from the first crop of Coolmore stallion Fasliyev, powers away with Royal Ascot's Norfolk Stakes