Australia’s Busiest Sires in 2022

The Australian Studbook have today released official covering statistics for the 2022 breeding season with 32 stallions covering books of 150 mares or more and just three sires covering 200 plus mares.

The top two stallions both stand at Coolmore with perennial favourite So You Think the busiest sire covering 211 at the increased fee of $93,500, which was up on the previous year when he covered 204 mares at $77,000.

It was the fifth year in a row that dual Cox Plate winner So You Think has covered 200 plus mares reflecting his popularity with breeders. The champion son of Epsom Derby winner High Chaparral is Danehill free and incredibly reliable in producing consistent type and performance in his progeny, while adding much needed size and scope into Australian speed bred mares.

I Am Invincible’s champion son Home Affairs was next on the list making him the busiest first season sire covering 202 mares at a fee of $110,000.

A powerhouse sprinter from a daughter of champion sire Flying Spur, Home Affairs was priced as the best first season sire and broodmare owners obviously agreed with that assessment.

Newgate had the other 200 plus horse with Russian Revolution covering 200 mares at a fee of $71,500, up from 2021 when he covered 168 mares at $44,000.

Interestingly, Russian Revolution and Home Affairs are both from the same female line tracing to legendary matriarch Fanfreluche via the L’Extravagante branch of the family. Russian Revolution is from Ballet D’Amour (USA), while Home Affairs is from one of her daughters in Miss Interiors.

This exact same family has given us two champion Australian sires before in Flying Spur and Encosta de Lago, who were from the Grand Luxe branch of the family via Rolls (USA) and one of her daughters in Shoal Creek.

Breeders who like duplications of influential mares in their matings will be getting very excited about what the future might hold as the careers of these young sires unfold.

Yulong had the busiest sire in Victoria with Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa proving super popular at $30,250 in his second season covering 192 mares up from 148.

Eureka Stud’s Spirit of Boom was the busiest Queensland sire covering 182 mares, which was marginally up on his 178 in 2021 at the same fee.

The least expensive sire in the busiest sires list was Widden Stud’s Supido, the bargain priced son of Sebring covered 170 mares at a fee of $8,800 off the back of a couple of very smart three year-olds in Buenos Noches and What You Need, who runs in the $500,000 Sunlight Classic at Flemington on Saturday.