Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland
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 champion is Galileo, who achieved his eleventh title in 2019.
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 and grandson Galileo.
Records
Most championships:- 14 – Sadler's Wells – 1990, 1992-2004
- 13 – Highflyer – 1785-1796, 1798
- 11 – Galileo – 2008, 2010-2019
- 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
- 1722 - Darley Arabian
- 1723 - Thoulouse Barb
- 1724 - Bay Bolton
- 1725 - Bald Galloway
- 1726 - Bay Bolton
- 1727 - Bay Bolton
- 1728 - Alcock's Arabian
- 1729 - Bay Bolton
- 1730 - Flying Childers
- 1731 - Fox
- 1732 - Bay Bolton
- 1733 - Bay Bolton
- 1734 - Bay Bolton
- 1735 - Fox
- 1736 - Flying Childers
- 1737 - Partner
- 1738 - Godolphin Arabian
- 1739 - Bloody Buttocks
- 1740 - Partner
- 1741 - Partner
- 1742 - Bartlett's Childers
- 1743 - Partner
- 1744 - Bolton Starling
- 1745 - Godolphin Arabian
- 1746 - Blacklegs
- 1747 - Godolphin Arabian
- 1748 - Crab
- 1749 - Crab
- 1750 - Crab
- 1751 - Blaze
- 1752 - Cade
- 1753 - Cade
- 1754 - Regulus
- 1755 - Regulus
- 1756 - Regulus
- 1757 - Regulus
- 1758 - Cade
- 1759 - Cade
- 1760 - Cade
- 1761 - Regulus
- 1762 - Blank
- 1763 - Regulus
- 1764 - Blank
- 1765 - Regulus
- 1766 - Regulus
- 1767 - Snap
- 1768 - Snap
- 1769 - Snap
- 1770 - Blank
- 1771 - Snap
- 1772 - Matchem
- 1773 - Matchem
- 1774 - Matchem
- 1775 - Marske
- 1776 - Marske
- 1777 - Herod
- 1778 - Herod
- 1779 - Herod
- 1780 - Herod
- 1781 - Herod
- 1782 - Herod
- 1783 - Herod
- 1784 - Herod
- 1785 - Highflyer
- 1786 - Highflyer
- 1787 - Highflyer
- 1788 - Highflyer
- 1789 - Highflyer
- 1790 - Highflyer
- 1791 - Highflyer
- 1792 - Highflyer
- 1793 - Highflyer
- 1794 - Highflyer
- 1795 - Highflyer
- 1796 - Highflyer
- 1797 - King Fergus
- 1798 - Highflyer
- 1799 - Sir Peter Teazle
- 1800 - Sir Peter Teazle
- 1801 - Sir Peter Teazle
- 1802 - Sir Peter Teazle
- 1803 - Trumpator
- 1804 - Sir Peter Teazle
- 1805 - Sir Peter Teazle
- 1806 - Sir Peter Teazle
- 1807 - Sir Peter Teazle
- 1808 - Sir Peter Teazle
- 1809 - Sir Peter Teazle
- 1810 - Waxy
- 1811 - Sorcerer
- 1812 - Sorcerer
- 1813 - Sorcerer
- 1814 - Selim
- 1815 - Rubens
- 1816 - Walton
- 1817 - Orville
- 1818 - Walton
- 1819 - Soothsayer
- 1820 - Phantom
- 1821 - Rubens
- 1822 - Rubens
- 1823 - Orville
- 1824 - Phantom
- 1825 - Election
- 1826 - Whalebone
- 1827 - Whalebone
- 1828 - Filho da Puta
- 1829 - Blacklock
- 1830 - Emilius
- 1831 - Emilius
- 1832 - Sultan
- 1833 - Sultan
- 1834 - Sultan
- 1835 - Sultan
- 1836 - Sultan
- 1837 - Sultan
- 1838 - Camel
- 1839 - Priam
- 1840 - Priam
- 1841 - Taurus
- 1842 - Touchstone
- 1843 - Touchstone
- 1844 - Bay Middleton
- 1845 - Slane
- 1846 - Venison
- 1847 - Venison
- 1848 - Touchstone
- 1849 - Bay Middleton
- 1850 - Epirus
- 1851 - Orlando
- 1852 - Birdcatcher
- 1853 - Melbourne
- 1854 - Orlando
- 1855 - Touchstone
- 1856 - Birdcatcher
- 1857 - Melbourne
- 1858 - Orlando
- 1859 - Newminster
- 1860 - Stockwell
- 1861 - Stockwell
- 1862 - Stockwell
- 1863 - Newminster
- 1864 - Stockwell
- 1865 - Stockwell
- 1866 - Stockwell
- 1867 - Stockwell
- 1868 - Buccaneer
- 1869 - Thormanby
- 1870 - King Tom
- 1871 - King Tom
- 1872 - Blair Athol
- 1873 - Blair Athol
- 1874 - Adventurer
- 1875 - Blair Athol
- 1876 - Lord Clifden
- 1877 - Blair Athol
- 1878 - Speculum
- 1879 - Flageolet
- 1880 - Hermit
- 1881 - Hermit
- 1882 - Hermit
- 1883 - Hermit
- 1884 - Hermit
- 1885 - Hermit
- 1886 - Hermit
- 1887 - Hampton
- 1888 - Galopin
- 1889 - Galopin
- 1890 - St. Simon
- 1891 - St. Simon
- 1892 - St. Simon
- 1893 - St. Simon
- 1894 - St. Simon
- 1895 - St. Simon
- 1896 - St. Simon
- 1897 - Kendal
- 1898 - Galopin
- 1899 - Orme
- 1900 - St. Simon
- 1901 - St. Simon
- 1902 - Persimmon
- 1903 - St. Frusquin
- 1904 - Gallinule
- 1905 - Gallinule
- 1906 - Persimmon
- 1907 - St. Frusquin
- 1908 - Persimmon
- 1909 - Cyllene
- 1910 - Cyllene
- 1911 - Sundridge
- 1912 - Persimmon
- 1913 - Desmond
- 1914 - Polymelus
- 1915 - Polymelus
- 1916 - Polymelus
- 1917 - Bayardo
- 1918 - Bayardo
- 1919 - The Tetrarch
- 1920 - Polymelus
- 1921 - Polymelus
- 1922 - Lemberg
- 1923 - Swynford
- 1924 - Son-in-Law
- 1925 - Phalaris
- 1926 - Hurry On
- 1927 - Buchan
- 1928 - Phalaris
- 1929 - Tetratema
- 1930 - Son-in-Law
- 1931 - Pharos
- 1932 - Gainsborough
- 1933 - Gainsborough
- 1934 - Blandford
- 1935 - Blandford
- 1936 - Fairway
- 1937 - Solario
- 1938 - Blandford
- 1939 - Fairway
- 1940 - Hyperion
- 1941 - Hyperion
- 1942 - Hyperion
- 1943 - Fairway
- 1944 - Fairway
- 1945 - Hyperion
- 1946 - Hyperion
- 1947 - Nearco
- 1948 - Big Game
- 1949 - Nearco
- 1950 - Fair Trial
- 1951 - Nasrullah
- 1952 - Tehran
- 1953 - Chanteur
- 1954 - Hyperion
- 1955 - Alycidon
- 1956 - Court Martial
- 1957 - Court Martial
- 1958 - Mossborough
- 1959 - Petition
- 1960 - Aureole
- 1961 - Aureole
- 1962 - Never Say Die
- 1963 - Ribot
- 1964 - Chamossaire
- 1965 - Court Harwell
- 1966 - Charlottesville
- 1967 - Ribot
- 1968 - Ribot
- 1969 - Crepello
- 1970 - Northern Dancer
- 1971 - Never Bend
- 1972 - Queen's Hussar
- 1973 - Vaguely Noble
- 1974 - Vaguely Noble
- 1975 - Great Nephew
- 1976 - Wolver Hollow
- 1977 - Northern Dancer
- 1978 - Mill Reef
- 1979 - Petingo
- 1980 - Pitcairn
- 1981 - Great Nephew
- 1982 - Be My Guest
- 1983 - Northern Dancer
- 1984 - Northern Dancer
- 1985 - Kris
- 1986 - Nijinsky
- 1987 - Mill Reef
- 1988 - Caerleon
- 1989 - Blushing Groom
- 1990 - Sadler's Wells
- 1991 - Caerleon
- 1992 - Sadler's Wells
- 1993 - Sadler's Wells
- 1994 - Sadler's Wells
- 1995 - Sadler's Wells
- 1996 - Sadler's Wells
- 1997 - Sadler's Wells
Champion sires since 1998
Top sire lines
Excluding any championships by the foundation stallions themselves, the following sire-lines have produced champion sires :- Darley Arabian – 87 stallions, 187 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