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International breeders are looking forward to the arrival of the first foals by champion 2YO and dual Guineas winner Churchill, a young stallion projected to become a leading light among the sons of Galileo at stud.

Top breeders sent the cream of their broodmare bands to Churchill at Coolmore Stud in Ireland in 2018 when his first book of 211 mares included 80 black type performers, among them 42 stakes winners, as well as 65 black type producers.

Amongst the mares in foal to Churchill are Prix du Moulin winner Grey Lilas, dam of multiple G1 winner Golden Lilac, and Kings Stand Stakes winner Cassandro Go, dam of Halfway To Heaven.

The above matings follow a tried and tested path as Golden Lilac is a daughter of Churchill’s sire Galileo, while Halfway To Heaven has produced two G1 winners by the champion stallion.

Other mares who went to Churchill in 2018 were the dams of Japanese Derby winner Deep Brillante and Al Maktoum Challenge victor North America and Sunday Times, producer of Newspaperofrecord, unbeaten winner of the 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Breeders that supported Churchill included the Aga Khan Studs, Ballygallon Stud, Barronstown Stud, Camas Park Stud, Croom House Stud, Dayton Investments, Kildaragh Stud, Mountarmstrong Stud, Newsells Park Stud, the Niarchos family, Norelands Stud and Ballylinch Stud.

Churchill won four successive G1 races at two and three and was crowned European Champion 2YO Colt after his victories in the G1 National Stakes and G1 Dewhurst Stakes.

He won the Dewhurst in faster time than Galileo’s other winners of the G1 feature Frankel, New Approach and Teofilo before his wins in the English and Irish 2000 Guineas as a 3YO.