First season sires making their mark in 2025

Every breeder hopes their stallion will make an impact when that crucial first crop steps onto the track. As the 2025 season draws toward its close, 13 stallions have already sired winners from their debut crops — and several are making a serious statement.

Heading the list is Empire Stallions’ Tall Dark Stranger, who has produced 13 individual winners from 20 starters. He leads a competitive group closely followed by Captain Midnight with 11 winners from 21 starters.

Alabar’s hometown hero Ride High has also impressed with 10 winners from 22 starters, including Group 1 star Ride The Highs. Notably, each of these three stallions currently have crops of 60 foals.

Ride High is one of the few stallions with a Full Book sign on his stable door.

One standout performer with a much smaller debut book is Bettors Wish — the exciting son of champion sire Bettors Delight. From a modest crop of just 28, he has already produced 9 winners, and he leads the first-season sires premiership by earnings with $442,856 — bolstered by the brilliant Group 1-winning filly Wishing Belle in Western Australia.

Inter Dominion champion Ultimate Sniper has also made a terrific start, delivering 8 winners from only 12 starters from a crop of 36.

It’s no shock to see Bettors Delight’s influence running strong — Bettors Wish, Tall Dark Stranger and Ultimate Sniper are all sons of the great sire. Meanwhile, Ride High is a son of Art Major and Captain Midnight a son of Captaintreacherous, adding diversity to the top ranks.

Trotters Stepping Up Too

On the trotting side, Alabar’s Elite Stride has made his presence felt with 7 winners from 10 starters (crop 27), while Yabby Dam’s French-bred Classic Connection has delivered 4 winners from just 6 starters.

With Breeders Crown heats and Finals plus multiple juvenile events still to come during the final weeks of the season, these numbers are set to climb — and more debut stallions may yet join the winners list.

Looking ahead to 2026, all eyes turn to the next wave. Square-gaiting star King Of The North has a strong book on the ground, while US freshman sire Pebble Beach proved extremely popular with breeders.

The race to next year’s freshmen honours is already shaping up to be just as exciting.

by Gary Newton for Harnesslink