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 (2023) champion is Frankel, who earned his first title in 2021.

Unlike the similar title for leading sire in North America, the stallion in question does not need to have resided in Great Britain or Ireland during his stud career, although the vast majority have done so. Northern Dancer is the most notable example of a North American-based stallion who won this title. The Northern Dancer sire line has dominated the list for the last several decades, mostly through his son Sadler's Wells (14 titles) and grandson Galileo (12 titles).

The 2016 novel Mount! by Jilly Cooper describes the process to gain the fictional title for global leading sire.

Records

Most championships: 14 – Sadler's Wells – 1990, 1992–2004 13 – Highflyer – 1785–1796, 1798 12 – Galileo – 2008, 2010–2020 10 – Sir Peter Teazle – 1799–1802, 1804–1809 9 – St. Simon – 1890–1896, 1900–1901 8 – Regulus – 1754–1757, 1761, 1763, 1765–1766; Herod – 1777–1784

Champion sires 1721–1997

1721 – Acaster Turk (1) 1722 – Darley Arabian (1) 1723 – Thoulouse Barb (1) 1724 – Bay Bolton (1) 1725 – Bald Galloway (1) 1726 – Bay Bolton (2) 1727 – Bay Bolton (3) 1728 – Alcock's Arabian (1) 1729 – Bay Bolton (4) 1730 – Flying Childers (1) 1731 – Fox (1) 1732 – Bay Bolton (5) 1733 – Bay Bolton (6) 1734 – Bay Bolton (7) 1735 – Fox (2) 1736 – Flying Childers (2) 1737 – Partner (1) 1738 – Godolphin Arabian (1) 1739 – Bloody Buttocks (1) 1740 – Partner (2) 1741 – Partner (3) 1742 – Bartlett's Childers (1) 1743 – Partner (4) 1744 – Bolton Starling (1) 1745 – Godolphin Arabian (2) 1746 – Blacklegs (1) 1747 – Godolphin Arabian (3) 1748 – Crab (1) 1749 – Crab (2) 1750 – Crab (3) 1751 – Blaze (1) 1752 – Cade (1) 1753 – Cade (2) 1754 – Regulus (1) 1755 – Regulus (2) 1756 – Regulus (3) 1757 – Regulus (4) 1758 – Cade (3) 1759 – Cade (4) 1760 – Cade (5) 1761 – Regulus (5) 1762 – Blank (1) 1763 – Regulus (6) 1764 – Blank (2) 1765 – Regulus (7) 1766 – Regulus (8) 1767 – Snap (1) 1768 – Snap (2) 1769 – Snap (3) 1770 – Blank (3) 1771 – Snap (4) 1772 – Matchem (1) 1773 – Matchem (2) 1774 – Matchem (3) 1775 – Marske (1) 1776 – Marske (2) 1777 – Herod (1) 1778 – Herod (2) 1779 – Herod (3) 1780 – Herod (4) 1781 – Herod (5) 1782 – Herod (6) 1783 – Herod (7) 1784 – Herod (8) 1785 – Highflyer (1) 1786 – Highflyer (2) 1787 – Highflyer (3) 1788 – Highflyer (4) 1789 – Highflyer (5) 1790 – Highflyer (6) 1791 – Highflyer (7) 1792 – Highflyer (8) 1793 – Highflyer (9) 1794 – Highflyer (10) 1795 – Highflyer (11) 1796 – Highflyer (12) 1797 – King Fergus (1) 1798 – Highflyer (13) 1799 – Sir Peter Teazle (1) 1800 – Sir Peter Teazle (2) 1801 – Sir Peter Teazle (3) 1802 – Sir Peter Teazle (4) 1803 – Trumpator (1) 1804 – Sir Peter Teazle (5) 1805 – Sir Peter Teazle (6) 1806 – Sir Peter Teazle (7) 1807 – Sir Peter Teazle (8) 1808 – Sir Peter Teazle (9) 1809 – Sir Peter Teazle (10) 1810 – Waxy (1) 1811 – Sorcerer (1) 1812 – Sorcerer (2) 1813 – Sorcerer (3) 1814 – Selim (1) 1815 – Rubens (1) 1816 – Walton (1) 1817 – Orville (1) 1818 – Walton (2) 1819 – Soothsayer (1) 1820 – Phantom (1) 1821 – Rubens (2) 1822 – Rubens (3) 1823 – Orville (2) 1824 – Phantom (2) 1825 – Election (1) 1826 – Whalebone (1) 1827 – Whalebone (2) 1828 – Filho da Puta (1) 1829 – Blacklock (1) 1830 – Emilius (1) 1831 – Emilius (2) 1832 – Sultan (1) 1833 – Sultan (2) 1834 – Sultan (3) 1835 – Sultan (4) 1836 – Sultan (5) 1837 – Sultan (6) 1838 – Camel (1) 1839 – Priam (1) 1840 – Priam (2) 1841 – Taurus (1) 1842 – Touchstone (1) 1843 – Touchstone (2) 1844 – Bay Middleton (1) 1845 – Slane (1) 1846 – Venison (1) 1847 – Venison (2) 1848 – Touchstone (3) 1849 – Bay Middleton (2) 1850 – Epirus (1) 1851 – Orlando (1) 1852 – Birdcatcher (1) 1853 – Melbourne (1) 1854 – Orlando (2) 1855 – Touchstone (4) 1856 – Birdcatcher (2) 1857 – Melbourne (2) 1858 – Orlando (3) 1859 – Newminster (1) 1860 – Stockwell (1) 1861 – Stockwell (2) 1862 – Stockwell (3) 1863 – Newminster (2) 1864 – Stockwell (4) 1865 – Stockwell (5) 1866 – Stockwell (6) 1867 – Stockwell (7) 1868 – Buccaneer (1) 1869 – Thormanby (1) 1870 – King Tom (1) 1871 – King Tom (2) 1872 – Blair Athol (1) 1873 – Blair Athol (2) 1874 – Adventurer (1) 1875 – Blair Athol (3) 1876 – Lord Clifden (1) 1877 – Blair Athol (4) 1878 – Speculum (1) 1879 – Flageolet (1) 1880 – Hermit (1) 1881 – Hermit (2) 1882 – Hermit (3) 1883 – Hermit (4) 1884 – Hermit (5) 1885 – Hermit (6) 1886 – Hermit (7) 1887 – Hampton (1) 1888 – Galopin (1) 1889 – Galopin (2) 1890 – St. Simon (1) 1891 – St. Simon (2) 1892 – St. Simon (3) 1893 – St. Simon (4) 1894 – St. Simon (5) 1895 – St. Simon (6) 1896 – St. Simon (7) 1897 – Kendal (1) 1898 – Galopin (3) 1899 – Orme (1) 1900 – St. Simon (8) 1901 – St. Simon (9) 1902 – Persimmon (1) 1903 – St. Frusquin (1) 1904 – Gallinule (1) 1905 – Gallinule (2) 1906 – Persimmon (1) 1907 – St. Frusquin (1) 1908 – Persimmon (2) 1909 – Cyllene (1) 1910 – Cyllene (2) 1911 – Sundridge (1) 1912 – Persimmon (3) 1913 – Desmond (1) 1914 – Polymelus (1) 1915 – Polymelus (2) 1916 – Polymelus (3) 1917 – Bayardo (1) 1918 – Bayardo (2) 1919 – The Tetrarch (1) 1920 – Polymelus (4) 1921 – Polymelus (5) 1922 – Lemberg (1) 1923 – Swynford (1) 1924 – Son-in-Law (1) 1925 – Phalaris (1) 1926 – Hurry On (1) 1927 – Buchan (1) 1928 – Phalaris (2) 1929 – Tetratema (1) 1930 – Son-in-Law (2) 1931 – Pharos (1) 1932 – Gainsborough (1) 1933 – Gainsborough (2) 1934 – Blandford (1) 1935 – Blandford (2) 1936 – Fairway (1) 1937 – Solario (1) 1938 – Blandford (3) 1939 – Fairway (2) 1940 – Hyperion (1) 1941 – Hyperion (2) 1942 – Hyperion (3) 1943 – Fairway (3) 1944 – Fairway (4) 1945 – Hyperion (4) 1946 – Hyperion (5) 1947 – Nearco (1) 1948 – Big Game (1) 1949 – Nearco (2) 1950 – Fair Trial (1) 1951 – Nasrullah (1) 1952 – Tehran (1) 1953 – Chanteur (1) 1954 – Hyperion (6) 1955 – Alycidon (1) 1956 – Court Martial (1) 1957 – Court Martial (2) 1958 – Mossborough (1) 1959 – Petition (1) 1960 – Aureole (1) 1961 – Aureole (2) 1962 – Never Say Die (1) 1963 – Ribot (1) 1964 – Chamossaire (1) 1965 – Court Harwell (1) 1966 – Charlottesville (1) 1967 – Ribot (2) 1968 – Ribot (3) 1969 – Crepello (1) 1970 – Northern Dancer (1) 1971 – Never Bend (1) 1972 – Queen's Hussar (1) 1973 – Vaguely Noble (1) 1974 – Vaguely Noble (2) 1975 – Great Nephew (1) 1976 – Wolver Hollow (1) 1977 – Northern Dancer (2) 1978 – Mill Reef (1) 1979 – Petingo (1) 1980 – Pitcairn (1) 1981 – Great Nephew (1) 1982 – Be My Guest (1) 1983 – Northern Dancer (3) 1984 – Northern Dancer (4) 1985 – Kris (1) 1986 – Nijinsky (1) 1987 – Mill Reef (2) 1988 – Caerleon (1) 1989 – Blushing Groom (1) 1990 – Sadler's Wells (1) 1991 – Caerleon (2) 1992 – Sadler's Wells (2) 1993 – Sadler's Wells (3) 1994 – Sadler's Wells (4) 1995 – Sadler's Wells (5) 1996 – Sadler's Wells (6) 1997 – Sadler's Wells (7)

Champion sires since 1998

Year Champion stallion Winning horses Total wins Total prize money Leading earner Runner-up stallion Ref. 1998 Sadler's Wells (8) 41 54 £1,594,536 Dream Well Alzao 1999 Sadler's Wells (9) 44 57 £1,921,619 Montjeu Fairy King 2000 Sadler's Wells (10) 56 78 £2,483,888 Montjeu Storm Cat 2001 Sadler's Wells (11) 60 81 £4,068,991 Galileo Danehill 2002 Sadler's Wells (12) 67 87 £3,625,423 High Chaparral Danehill 2003 Sadler's Wells (13) 80 104 £3,455,160 High Chaparral Danehill 2004 Sadler's Wells (14) 83 104 £4,044,565 Doyen Danehill 2005 Danehill (1) 68 97 £3,487,488 Oratorio Montjeu 2006 Danehill (2) 65 92 £3,579,413 Dylan Thomas Danehill Dancer 2007 Danehill (3) 57 81 £3,751,607 Dylan Thomas Galileo 2008 Galileo (1) 61 86 £3,974,492 New Approach Danehill Dancer 2009 Danehill Dancer (1) 91 119 £3,827,297 Mastercraftsman Cape Cross 2010 Galileo (2) 66 89 £4,943,102 Cape Blanco Dansili 2011 Galileo (3) 90 121 £5,283,068 Frankel Montjeu 2012 Galileo (4) 108 154 £5,774,558 Frankel Montjeu 2013 Galileo (5) 115 162 £4,733,222 Ruler of the World Dubawi 2014 Galileo (6) 119 146 £7,193,916 Australia Invincible Spirit 2015 Galileo (7) 91 120 £5,735,195 Found Dubawi 2016 Galileo (8) 104 143 £10,489,764 Highland Reel Dubawi 2017 Galileo (9) 113 £11,698,680 Ulysses Dubawi 2018 Galileo (10) 89 125 £6,680,143 Dubawi 2019 Galileo (11) 82 124 £11,945,529 Waldgeist Sea the Stars 2020 Galileo (12) 85 116 £5,274,968 Magical Dubawi 2021 Frankel (1) 87144 £5,232,910 Adayar Galileo 2022 Dubawi (1) 99152 £6,419,420 Naval Crown Frankel 2023 Frankel (2) 87 124 £7,066,134 Westover Dark Angel 2024Dark Angel (1)100161£4,970,854Charyn Dubawi2025Night of Thunder (1)95175£6,780,629OmbudsmanWootton Bassett

Top sire lines Excluding any championships by the foundation stallions themselves, the following sire-lines have produced champion sires (1721–2016): Darley Arabian – 88 stallions, 188 championships. all titles since 1964 Byerley Turk – 17 stallions, 59 championships, most recently Tetratema in 1929 Godolphin Arabian – 12 stallions, 32 championships, most recently Chamossaire in 1964 D'Arcy White Turk – 3 stallions, 10 championships, most recently Bolton Starling in 1744 Curwen's Bay Barb – 2 stallions, 4 championships, most recently Crab in 1750 Acaster Turk, Bloody Buttocks, St. Victor's Barb, Thoulouse Barb – 1 championship each

See also Leading sire in Australia Leading sire in France Leading sire in Germany Leading sire in Japan Leading sire in North America Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland Leading broodmare sire in North America Leading jump racing sire in Great Britain & Ireland

References

tbheritage.com