Dylan Thomas tops the price list for sires off to stud

Dylan Thomas, the pride of Ballydoyle, will start his second career at Coolmore Stud next year at a fee of ¿50,000 (£35,000). And therein lies the difference between a colt as an earner on the racecourse and in the breeding shed. In three seasons on the track Dylan Thomas earned £3.3m for his 10 victories, including six at Group One level, from 19 outings. If he covers only 100 mares (a small enough harem these days), he will generate almost exactly that sum in his first spring as a stallion in Co Tipperary.

The Arc and King George hero is the dearest of the 2008 newcomers, and will be the fifth most expensive horse on the 24-strong Coolmore roster. Only Galileo (whose fee is coyly described as "private", which translates as ¿200,000 and counting), Montjeu (¿125,000), Danehill Dancer (¿150,000) and Sadler's Wells (private) command a greater dowry.

Dylan's conquerors this year before his unsuccessful tilt at the Breeders' Cup Turf are also off to start fatherhood. Manduro, who brushed him aside in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Ascot, will start his stud life at ¿40,000, at Kildangan in Co Kildare; Authorized, who beat him in the York International, will cost £25,000 at Dalham Hall in Newmarket; and Notnowcato, a head in front in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, £8,000 at Stanley House in Newmarket.

Dylan Thomas's first sons and daughters will be racing in 2111. But there are, of course, no guarantees, Dylan Thomas's poor ill-fated stablemate George Washington being a prime example. He retired to stud at a fee of ¿60,000 after a brilliant track career but, so sadly, proved sub-fertile.

In France yesterday, Thewayyouare confirmed himself a live challenger for middle-distance Classic honours next year by completing his four-timer in the penultimate Group One contest on the juvenile calendar, the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud.

At Lingfield, Seb Sanders closed the gap on Jamie Spencer in the jockeys' championship race to just four after a fine double.