Entries Tagged 'Choosing A Stallion' ↓
October 14th, 2024 — Breeding Theory, Choosing A Stallion
The word on the street is there are very few full books out there so if there’s a stallion that you like, do make an offer. The stud can only say no.
In my view, we should have much more confidence in our industry. The Entain money is making racing a much more attractive proposition than it used to be. Provided that you’ve got a correct young horse, you don’t have to sell it as a yearling; you do have the option of leasing it, perhaps keeping a share in the racing partnership.
So what am I doing this season?
Well, I’ve bought three cheap mares off Gavelhouse. Miss Thorn I’ve already written about; she’s been covered by Armory.
I’ve also purchased two Darci Brahma mares. Marshal has a 17-day positive to The Chosen One – surely the best-priced stallion in the country. She’s a sister to Dee and Gee about whom I wrote a story or two elsewhere on this site. Welcome hasn’t had a heap of luck so far in her breeding career, but this is one heck of a family (Sunline, Phar Lap). She’s booked to Pure Champion.
Chambon has left the promising Riviera Rebel to Pure Champion and has a stunning yearling filly by the same sire. It never pays to ignore the obvious, so back she goes.
I already have a yearling by The Alfonso and am much impressed by his strength and temperament. The two mares at the bottom of my list, Desiree and Make You Move are both booked to him. They have both left winners so they’re worth a crack.
Best wishes for your breeding ventures.
July 21st, 2022 — Choosing A Stallion, News
Aaron Tapper’s decision to stand the well-performed Echoes of Heaven at his Timaru property Clearview Park is easy to understand.
The brother to Manhattan Rain and half-brother to the remarkable Redoute’s Choice is steadily working his way upwards in both our stallion performance statistics and the esteem of breeders.
The deeds of his gelded son Countofmontecristo are well documented but if you’ve never heard of Siam Blue Vanda, just google his Stewards Cup victory – a truly amazing performance.
Here in New Zealand, the 2021-2022 season saw the emergence of two very promising progeny of the son of Encosta de Lago. The very quick Amberecho won three times from just eight starts to graduate to open class and the slower-maturing Our Echo scored three impressive victories culminating in a tough win in the first race of the Wellington Cup carnival. Both gallopers are scheduled to resume their careers in the late Spring.
There’s no doubt that Echoes of Heaven can throw both speed and class but his overall statistics are also impressive. To date he’s had 49 winners who have amassed a total of 149 wins over a variety of distances. Any stallion whose winners average three victories – a figure which is steadily rising – is a horse whose progeny are notable for soundness and racing temperament.
Some other impressive statistics can also be found on www.arion.co.nz
August 30th, 2020 — Breeding Theory, Choosing A Stallion, News
“He strikes us as a real classic stallion. He gets a very good type and is a total outcross with his pedigree free of the major European forces like Sadler’s Wells, Galileo, Montjeu, Danehill, Green Desert, Invincible Spirit, Danehill Dancer, and Dubawi.
“We are thrilled that he is coming to Coolmore and are very excited about what he might achieve when paired with our Galileo mares,” stated Coolmore spokesman David O’Loughlin.
The above quote explains succinctly why Coolmore have outlaid a no doubt eye-watering sum to purchase upwardly mobile French stallion, Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj).
The breeding powerhouse have no shortage of Sadler’s Wells and Danehill bloodlines at their disposal and their brains trust must have been mulling over for quite some time the age-old question, “Where do we go next?”
Clearly they’ve seen Wootton Bassett as the answer to that question and their conclusion is not exactly surprising given that the son of Iffraaj has shown a remarkable ability in the last year or so to throw class and to throw that desirable quality consistently. To date he’s produced 106 winners, including 15 SWs and another 12 stakes-placed performers.
So what does this all mean for the kiwi breeder? Well, Almanzor now looks a much safer bet than he did when he arrived and full marks to Cambridge Stud for what was then a courageous decision to stand him.
Turn Me Loose has his first juveniles out and about this season. As his dam is bred on the Danehill – Sadler’s Wells cross, it will be very interesting to see how his youngsters perform.
Ribchester, the winner of four Group 1s in Europe, begins his third SH season at Haunui next week. At $15,000 he will no doubt attract many of our most commercial mares. Inbred to Nureyev, and featuring the highly successful Nureyev – Last Tycoon cross he must be a very strong chance to make a significant impact down here.
Jon Snow’s first foals are arriving about now and Wyndspelle is about to begin his first season at stud. Both Group 1 winning sons of Iffraaj are at bargain fees. Wyndspelle stands at $5000; ATC Derby winner Jon Snow is at $3750.
Wyndspelle features the Iffraaj – Sadler’s Wells cross which Coolmore are hoping to build on; Jon Snow has a similar pedigree to Ribchester. Inbred to Nureyev, he has the Nureyev – Last Tycoon nick as well.
Interesting times.
May 16th, 2020 — Breeding Theory, Choosing A Stallion
We’re all in these difficult times together and If Little Avondale and Cambridge Stud can offer breeders significant advantages by using their stallions, I can follow their example by offering free mating advice for the coming season.
Little Avondale have trimmed Time Test’s fee from $10,000 to $6000 and I’ve been unable to resist this inducement. I can well remember when Rich Hill reduced Pentire’s fee to the same amount – and the angst when the mare concerned failed to get in foal, especially when the son of Be My Guest left SWs all over the place in subsequent years.
I really rate Time Test and he should cross well with many of our leading bloodlines. Inbreeding to Sadler’s Wells clearly works well and if you’re going to inbreed to Danehill, something most of us approach with caution, Time Test’s Dansili line is one that should be relatively risk-free. The mare I’m sending is bred on a Rip Van Winkle – Dansili cross, so I’m going for broke.
If you’re thinking of using Time Test, then have a look at the photos of last year’s foals on the LA website. It’s something of a challenge to tell them apart.
Cambridge Stud’s 2020 strategy is to offer a
payment on live foal deal – an arrangement which will appeal to breeders
whose cash flow isn’t what it used to be. They offer two stunning
physical types in Almanzor and Embellish and deserve to be rewarded for
their initiative.
To date, other studs’ announcements of their 2020 fees have been notable for their adherence to 2019 figures. Let’s hope they think again. Wouldn’t six weeks’ free agistment be a powerful inducement?
In recent years I’ve often published a review of fees
based on what I’ve considered to be the extent to which they’ve
represented value for money. I plan on doing this again in a coupe of
weeks, but one stallion I’d like to mention at this stage is Derryn.
His offspring on Gavelhouse have been nice types and my experience with breeding a mare to him has been more than satisfactory. Tuscany Rose is a mare that has yet to leave two foals alike, even when bred twice to the same stallion but her Derryn filly we’re currently weaning is an absolute cracker. She appears to have a fair amount of Lonhro in her, which is certainly encouraging.
May 9th, 2020 — Choosing A Stallion, Horse Racing, Value For Money
Readers of this page will be well aware that I’m a fan of Pure Champion. In an era where young stallion prospects are hustled off to stud after a few starts, the son of Footstepsinthesand and the Danehill mare Castara Beach is in another league.
Starting 50 times over seven seasons and winning eight times in four different countries and amassing well over NZ$1 million is a combined achievement that few horses can match. Throw in a range of black type wins and placings, culminating in a Group 1 victory in the Windsor Park Plate (1600) as a 7YO and you’ve got a very special thoroughbred.
Unfortunately, our breeders haven’t seen Pure Champion in anything like the same light. He has 15 3YOs 26 2YOs and just 11 yearlings so it’s going to be a challenge for him to make his mark as a stallion. There’s also no doubt that his progeny are imposing types who are taking their time to mature.
However, today was break-through day with the stallion recording his first winner. The interestingly-named Manhattan Spector (ex Red Opal by Red Clubs) sat outside the leader in a well-contested $31,500 maiden at Ballarat, hit the front at the 300 and fought gamely to gradually ease away from the opposition.
Having run second at his previous start, today’s victory was no surprise. Whilst not seeming entirely at home on the Heavy 8 surface, this tough performance was strongly reminiscent of his sire’s will to win. You’d also have to think that Manhattan Spector would be well suited by distances beyond 1500.
The other surprising thing about the comparative lack of patronage Pure Champion has received is that he has an excellent pedigree which complements several of our most significant bloodlines.
Last Spring I supported him with a couple of my own mares: Chambon (Jimmy Choux – Glam Girl by Galileo) and Zayzay (Fast ‘n’ Famous – Cielo by Stravinsky).
If you’re thinking of using this stallion, do feel free to get in touch. This season’s mating advice is entirely free of charge.
October 5th, 2018 — Choosing A Stallion, News
Every so often a race sticks in your memory for all the right reasons. The 2016 edition of the Group 2 Hawkes Bay Guineas was such a race, with Fastnet Rock colt Mongolian Falcon demolishing the opposition with a dominating performance. Like many good colts, he showed an affinity for making his own rules in front and then accelerating away to make a good field look second rate.
It’s certainly true that he found firmer tracks not as much to his liking in his subsequent starts but there’s no doubt that he was a top-class colt. As a stallion prospect, he appeals strongly, partly because of his pedigree and partly because at $3000 he gives all breeders a chance to upgrade their mares.
What really appeals to me about his pedigree is that you can make a case for a wide section of the New Zealand broodmare population being well suited by Mongolian Falcon’s genetic make-up.
One bloodline that appeals is Storm Cat. His affinity with Fastnet Rock is already well-documented (Foxwedge, Awesome Rock and Irish Lights) and Galileo has also produced Group 1 winners out of Storm Cat mares (Churchill, Gleneagles, Misty For Me, and Decorated Knight). When a stallion is bred on a sensationally successful cross such as the Danehill x Galileo nick which produced Mongolian Falcon, breeders are faced with a “now what do I do” scenario. However, Storm Cat looks like being a very good place to start. In particular, mares by Tale of the Cat, Falkirk and Giant’s Causeway appear to have a lot to offer.
Another influence which has been the cornerstone of Southern Hemisphere racing success is Sir Tristram, (not to mention his champion son Zabeel). Although Fastnet Rock already has a Sir Tristram line in his pedigree via Marauding, inbreeding to the Cambridge Stud flagbearer has produced Group 1 winners Atlantic Jewel, Mosheen, Avantage and Planet Rock, to name but four. Interestingly, Galileo is also developing a degree of affinity with Sir Tristram. For example, Rip Van Winkle has three SWs out of mares with a Sir Tristram presence: Capella, Pendleton and Seraphim.
Having said that, it’s equally important not to forget that duplicating Northern Dancer and/or Mr Prospector is the bedrock of many Group 1 pedigrees. Multiple lines of Northern Dancer are nothing new (2007 Golden Slipper winner Forensics had five strains), but recent years have seen Mr Prospector triples become increasingly frequent.
Finally, let’s not forget Star Kingdom. One of my favourite crosses is Tudor Minstrel x Star Kingdom and, although Tudor Minstrel occurs back in the sixth generation of Mongolian Falcon’s pedigree, it’s an influence which keeps on giving, especially when Star Kingdom is also involved. Fastnet Rock has a Biscay line and it’s never a bad idea to have other Star Kingdom influences to complement him. Accordingly, mares by stallions such as Pins, Savabeel and Thorn Park are well worth sending to Willow Glen’s new stallion.
October 1st, 2018 — Choosing A Stallion, News
Evaluating the chances of a first-season stallion ultimately being successful is a task fraught with imponderables but Derryn certainly has the pedigree to do well here, provided that he’s dominant for the strongest influences in his pedigree. He was a tough, sound competitor with well above average ability; in my view, he has every chance of passing on these attributes.
Clearly, he’s a speed horse so it will be important for his future that he attracts a good proportion of speedy mares in his first book. He’s already got three Grey Sovereign lines but they’re a fair way back so duplicating them would be a minimal risk. Interestingly, Grey Sovereign crosses well with Nijinsky, already present via Royal Academy. A further line of this great stallion wouldn’t go amiss.
Derryn is inbred to Biscay – generally not a great asset, but one that crosses especially well with other Star Kingdom influences such as Kaoru Star and Noholme. Fortunately, we are not short of these in New Zealand. Pins is one stallion whose daughters appeal strongly for Derryn. This cross would provide a 4×3 influence of Snippets, a prolific sire of good-class winners, as well as Kaoru Star.
Another bloodline which crosses exceptionally well with Star Kingdom is Tudor Minstrel. His most effective lines nowadays occur via Blushing Groom and Sharpen Up. Stravinsky mares often seem to carry many of the attributes of Blushing Groom. Given that he also features Mr Prospector and Nureyev, his mares appear to have much to offer.
The Easy Date duplication is an obvious attraction. She seems to cross nicely with Vain in particular.
Unbridled’s Song is an outstanding influence in modern pedigrees. The trick with any Fappiano blood is to find more Mr Prospector; Derryn already carries this line via Straight Strike, but there are many Group 1 winners on the planet which boast a Mr Prospector triple close up.
An influence which I really rate for Derryn is Storm Cat. He crosses well with both Fastnet Rock and Sir Tristram. Tale of the Cat mares would be excellent prospects as they would bring Mr Prospector and Nijinsky as well as Storm Cat. Giant’s Causeway mares also appeal strongly
To finish off by stating the obvious, inbreeding to Northern Dancer via a variety of sons is always a smart course of action.
September 10th, 2017 — Breeding Theory, Choosing A Stallion
Readers of articles on this site will have been aware of my admiration for this son of Fastnet Rock for quite some time and, although it’s early days, I’m increasingly getting the feeling that I just may have been right.
As I’ve mentioned before, advocating for a stallion before he’s even got as far as getting his first mare in foal is just a little ridiculous because we have no idea what sort of foals he’s going to leave. We can make suppositions about which bloodlines will suit him best but this is a long way from analysing the pedigrees if his best runners after he’s had several crops to the races.
However, it’s worth saying that what really is boosting my confidence about Highly Recommended is that there are very good genetic reasons as to why all of his winners so far are decent horses.
His 2YO SW Waldorf is out of a mare bred on a Pins x Centaine cross. Highly Recommended’s female family has done very well with Pins’ sire Snippets and this mare also features two significant Star Kingdom lines – Kaoru Star and Todman – which complement Marscay in Highly Recommended. Group 1 placed Joyfilly has Storm Cat close up and the affinity between him and the Royal Academy influence in Fastnet Rock is well established. Yesterday’s impressive Riccarton winner Greenpark Gem has Kaoru Star in her pedigree, although of probably greater significance are the Nureyev and Blushing Groom lines in Stravinsky. Even the minor winner Vishnu has Kaoru Star close up.
It’s going to be very interesting indeed to analyse the pedigrees of High Recommended’s winners over the next few months. Both Waldorf and Greenpark Gem look well above average and Stylish Applause (Volksraad/Star Way) won very nicely at Te Aroha last weekend.
I’ll keep you posted
July 22nd, 2017 — Breeding Theory, Choosing A Stallion
As I’ve mentioned in a previous article, it’s extraordinarily difficult to make an intelligent assessment of a stallion’s likelihood of success until his first crop hits the yearling sales – and it’s challenging enough to do so then.
Sure, there are some of us who are really good judges of foals but the old adage of “fools and foals go together” has more than an element of truth about it. Nonetheless, breeders always look forward to the first crop of a stallion’s foals just in case the progeny of their favourite horse really do catch the eye. Leading the charge are, of course, the studmasters who have sweated blood to obtain the best possible book of mares for their new stallion the previous Spring.
In spite of the above comments, there is one prophecy I can make with the absolute certainty of being correct. No studmaster is going to be quoted as saying, “Well, I have to say that if this is the best that Bob’s Revenge can do in terms of siring foals, I might as well sell up now and move to Fiji.” What we do hear are comments like, “Bob’s Revenge has left a striking line of foals with excellent bone and amazing natural muscle.” Because breeders just have to be positive people in order to survive in the industry, we do tend to lap up this sort of report. We forget that judging bone in a foal is virtually impossible and that there’s no alternative to ”natural “ muscle. We also forget that published photographs of foals won’t be random. No-one is going to display an undersized foal with crooked legs. Besides, most foals are pretty cute anyway.
Now I’m not suggesting that studmasters are chronic liars. Anything but. When you’re running a business you’ve got to be positive about what you produce. However, what I am suggesting that if you are thinking of using a second-season sire, it’s really worthwhile to see as many of the horse’s early foals as you possibly can. If you have an empty mare or an early-foaling one, that’s going to be more than a tricky proposition. On the other hand, if you are thinking of breeding a later-foaling mare, then it does pay to get in the car and do your homework. You’ll need to remember that your research will be anything but conclusive but you will be able to make some sort of assessment about such variables as size, correctness and attitude.
In my opinion, it’s attitude that’s the crucial variable. A foal that has the confidence to cruise up to a stranger and say gidday is always preferable to one that uses its mother as a shield against a frightening world.
July 12th, 2017 — Breeding Theory, Choosing A Stallion
It’s difficult enough to choose the right stallion for your mare but it’s even more challenging when you are shooting entirely blindfolded. I’ve always has a strong preference for third or fourth season stallions as by that stage breeders have some idea what a stallion’s progeny look like. In particular, if the horse throws conformational or temperament problems, it’s always nice to know about these before one invests the hard-earned.
Nevertheless, it is one of the mysteries of the universe that yearling buyers seem to have a mystical affinity with the untried and unproven. And, as we all know, it’s nice to be able to get good money for a yearling so the temptation to humour buyers and give them what they want is very hard to resist. We may end up by devaluing our mares but fashion and short-term gain seems to win every time. Beats me.
Anyway, having got that off my chest and admitting that, up to a point, I have no idea what I am commencing to write about, this year’s new stallions don’t seem to be a bad lot at all.
I’ll admit that I have a soft spot for Turn Me Loose. Strength, speed and class are attributes we broodmare owners are always strongly attracted by and the son of Iffraaj had all three qualities in abundance. Sure, you wouldn’t want to risk sending a Danehill- line mare to him but there are no other leading bloodlines that we would have reservations about. His fee also appears very reasonable.
A second horse which really appeals is Wrote. If you win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and are by High Chaparral from a mare descending from Special, you must have a decent chance of making it as a stallion. If you stand at the bargain fee of $5000 you start to look very attractive indeed.
And then there’s Vadamos. Any stallion with an annual Timeform of 126 is a pretty handy animal and you’ve got to be a very high-class racehorse indeed to win the Chantilly Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, often referred to as the mile championship of Europe. As a bonus, he’s bred on the same cross as Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist. $15,000 seems very fair value.
Please do not draw the conclusion that the other seven newcomers have little to recommend them. All in all, they are a highly promising group of stallions and let’s hope they all leave stunning progeny
