There are many ways to judge the commercial success of sires, but profitability is the one that counts for broodmare owners and tables highlighting the most profitable sires by multiple of fee and by straight profit on fee always highlight some names you might have overlooked.
Top 20 Sires by Multiple of Fee (three or more sold)
The leading sires by multiple of fee always highlights those stallions that stood for modest fees and this year has been topped by Extreme Choice, whose current yearlings are his last bred from a $22,000 fee.
Extreme Choice
Despite his fertility issues, Newgate Farm’s Extreme Choice was priced at $275,000 last year making him the most expensive sire in the country and at this sale he posted his first seven figure yearling with Kingstar Farm’s colt from Sweet Bouquet selling for a cool $1million.
Westbury Stud’s Tarzino was an interesting entry high on the list with his three yearlings offered averaging nearly 19 times fee with Ciaron Maher Bloodstock/ Group I Bloodstock buying the most expensive, a $300,000 colt from Marsh Harbour.
A Derby winning son of Tavistock, Tarzino has already sired two Group I Classic winners in Australia and if you’re in the market for that sort of horse, there just aren’t that many sires to consider.
Aquis Farm’s Dubious was the highest placed first season sire with all six of his yearlings averaging 18 times fee with his top seller a colt from Thisius (NZ) that made $500,000 for Noralla Stud.
Top 20 Sires by Profit (three or more sold)
Yarraman Park’s I Am Invincible topped this list as you would expect with this year’s crop of yearlings conceived from a fee of $209,000 which was 3.5 times fee and delivered over $500,000 by average in profit.
I Am Invincible
He soared to new heights at this sale with buyers very strong on his colts this year with $2.7million for the colt from Anaheed and $2.5million for the colt from Booker. He had seven individual million dollar yearlings – five colts and two fillies.
I am Invincible stood for $247,500 last spring and in light of what he’s doing on the racetrack and in the sale ring, you would have to say he’s great value.
Widden Stud’s Zoustar was next on the list and is the sire on the rise with his fee climbing from $121,000 when this crop was conceived to $154,000 the next year and $198,000 last year.
He had five individual million dollar yearlings at this sale, four fillies and a colt.
Darley heavy hitter Exceed and Excel will turn 23 this year and is holding up remarkably well in the sale ring and had a $1.8 million colt from Ichihara and a $1.1million filly from Sweet Sherry. He covered just 63 mares last spring at a fee of $132,000 so is very much in the twilight years now, but what an amazing sire he’s been leaving over 200 stakes-winners!
The future for Darley lies with stallions such as exciting young shuttlers Blue Point (IRE) and Too Darn Hot (GB), who acquitted themselves particularly well at the Gold Coast. A champion sprinter by Shamardal, Blue Point was the leading first season sire by average, while Dubawi’s champion son Too Darn Hot had the single best result for a first season sire when his filly from Enbihaar sold for $1million.
