Breed to Race – Do You Own a Mare By This Sire?

Tara Madgwick - Monday August 23

A stakes-winner from last Saturday has given me inspiration to look into the merits of this broodmare sire, who is interesting for a number of reasons and whose daughters are plentiful and often affordable.

The Joe Pride trained mare Ballistic Lover won her second stakes race at Moonee Valley on the weekend and has now won six of 13 starts banking over $380,000 in prizemoney.



By Twin Hills Stud’s ever reliable sire Smart Missile, Ballistic Lover was bred from a daughter of Show a Heart, one of the very last commercial direct male line descendants of the Star Kingdom (IRE) sireline.

Show a Heart has become a very good broodmare sire.


Retired from stud duties last year, Show a Heart has sired 25 stakes-winners headed by Group I winners Toorak Toff, Heart of Dreams and Woorim with a stakes-winner to runner strike rate of 2.9%.

As a broodmare sire, Show a Heart has sired the dams of 17 stakes-winners headed by Group I winner Miss Cover Girl and Group II winners Winning Rupert and Every Rose at a rate of 3.6% stakes-winners to runners.

Show a Heart mares have enjoyed success with a wide variety of sires producing plentiful winners to Queensland stalwarts like Rothesay, Jet Spur and Real Saga, but some of his best and most interesting nicks are as follows:

Shamus Award (Snitzel) – 10 winners from 11 runners – best G2 Sovereign Award, SW Enchanted Heart.

Not a Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) – eight winners from nine runners, best SW Granny Red Shoes

Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) – five winners from seven runners, best SW Royalzel

Written Tycoon (Iglesia) – four winners from four runners, best G2 Winning Rupert

Choisir and his son Starspangledbanner - combined have a perfect record of five winners from five runners, best G2 Every Rose and SW Thrillster

Of the 17 stakes-winners from Show a Heart mares, 13 of them are by Danehill line sires, so if you own a Show a Heart mare and are looking to enhance your chances of breeding a winner then look hard at Danehill line sires.

There are loads of affordable options from the sirelines above that are easily searched through our Breednet Stallion Directory that features Premium Stallions.

Written Tycoon is of course fully booked and super expensive, but he’s not short of less expensive sons at stud this spring and they too offer plenty of potential.




 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Tuesday July 8
Here is the full list of 32 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sebring Sun Delivers for Owner Breeders
The legacy of Sebring was highlighted last month when his classy daughter Tashi won the Group I Tatts Tiara and for fans of the much missed Golden Slipper winning sire he does have several sons at stud and they include Glenthorne Park Stud’s Sebring Sun, whose winner to runner strike rate is brushing 70%.
Quantity and quality in Rich Hill Stud’s Online Breeding Stock Sale draft
Rich Hill Stud is a prominent player in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus, offering more than 10 percent of the 87-lot catalogue.
NZB Counts Down to 100th National Yearling Sale
Karaka 2026, set to take place at NZB’s Karaka Sales Centre from 25 – 29 January, will mark the 100th National Yearling Sale in New Zealand.   
Sires With Winners - Sunday July 6
Here is the full list of 68 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Debut Winner for St Mark’s Basilica
Set to shuttle to Coolmore Australia this spring, St Mark’s Basilica (FR) had an impressive debut winner overnight in the UK with Cape Ashizuri opening his account in style.
One to Watch – Muswellbrook
Richard and Will Freedman don’t mind travelling horses for the right race and they unleashed a talented two year-old Zousain colt at Muswellbrook on Tuesday.
FBT Exempt Vehicles and The Private Use Trap
Dealing with the complex Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) is one of the many financial challenges that regional breeding and racing operations must face. Any relief from this tax is very welcome!
Thoroughbred Breeders Australia Urges Racing Australia to Reconsider Foal Ban
Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (TBA) has today denounced the hardline position taken by Racing Australia that has the potential to see a significant number of foals born this year banned from racing.
Daylight Debut 2YO Winner for Too Darn Hot
Too Darn Hot (GB) is coming back to Darley Australia this spring at a fee of $275,000 and he added a 12th Aussie 2YO winner for this season to his tally at Ballarat on Tuesday with an impressive debut winner in the Myracehorse colours.