Australia’s Most Expensive Sires – Who Were the Most Popular?

Tara Madgwick - Thursday March 23

We’ve looked at the most popular sires for 2022, so now we’re taking a look at the most expensive and that list starts with Extreme Choice and I Am Invincible and includes an outstanding sire that has been sadly prematurely retired from service.

Extreme Choice is Newgate Farm’s young super sire, who recently added a new Group I winner to his tally in Espiona.

Extreme Choice

He has a SW to runner strike rate of close to 14% which is outstanding given his limited fertility given he only has 100 foals from his first three crops to race and two of those crops were bred at a fee of $22,000.

Extreme Choice had a belated start to the season due to colic, but did his best after that and his total of 88 mares includes 28 covered early this year to Northern Hemisphere time.

I Am Invincible

It was business as usual for I Am Invincible, who has dominated on the racetrack and in the sale ring this year and still looks value at $247,500 in context of his achievements and the same can be said of Snitzel.

These sires might be expensive, but worth every penny.

Zoustar is a good deal younger than the previous two mentioned and is the big gun on the rise and both racetrack and sale ring vindicate his increase to $198,000 up from $154,000.

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Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) and Stay Inside (Extreme Choice) were the two highest priced first season horses and also the two most popular.

Deep Field has been retired from service.

The sire of last week’s Hong Kong Derby winner Voyage Bubble, Deep Field was interesting for the wrong reasons. He has always been a big book king with strong fertility, but hit a big hurdle last spring and has been retired from service in his prime at age 13.

Of the 69 mares he covered last year only six got in foal and that was early in the season and it later became apparent he was unable to get any mares in foal at all.

Henry Field confirmed that it is rare for a stallion to completely lose fertility, but it can sadly happen and as a result Deep Field will be consigned to retirement at Newgate Farm.

Deep Field has two sons at stud with Cosmic Force (oldest are yearlings) covering 145 mares at Newgate at a fee of $11,000, while Portland Sky (first season) covered 105 at Widden Stud at a fee of $27,500.

Darley veteran Lonhro has also been retired from active service with Darley announcing the news today. REad more about the legacy he leaves at Darley. 

Most Expensive Sires - Fees $55,000 and Above

Sire

Mares

Fee

Stud or Owner

Extreme Choice (AUS) 2013

88

$275,000

Newgate Operations Pty Ltd

I Am Invincible (AUS) 2004

178

$247,500

Yarraman Park Stud Pty Ltd

Snitzel (AUS) 2002

168

$220,000

Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd

Zoustar (AUS) 2010

185

$198,000

Widden Stud Australia Pty Ltd

Written Tycoon (AUS) 2002

148

$165,000

Yulong Investments Yulong Stud

Fastnet Rock (AUS) 2001

49

$165,000

Coolmore Australia

Exceed And Excel (AUS) 2000

63

$132,000

Godolphin Australia

Home Affairs (AUS) 2018

202

$110,000

Coolmore Australia

Capitalist (AUS) 2013

174

$99,000

Newgate Operations Pty Ltd

Pierro (AUS) 2009

118

$99,000

Coolmore Australia

So You Think (NZ) 2006

211

$93,500

Coolmore Australia

Toronado (IRE) 2010

150

$88,000

Swettenham Stud

Shamus Award (AUS) 2010

137

$88,000

Rosemont Stud

Deep Field (AUS) 2010

69

$88,000

Newgate Operations Pty Ltd

Maurice (JPN) 2011

165

$82,500

Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd

Stay Inside (AUS) 2018

188

$77,000

Newgate Operations Pty Ltd

Street Boss (USA) 2004

99

$77,000

Godolphin Australia

Russian Revolution (AUS) 2013

200

$71,500

Newgate Operations Pty Ltd

Wootton Bassett (GB) 2008

169

$71,500

Coolmore Australia

The Autumn Sun (AUS) 2015

159

$66,000

Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd

Bivouac (AUS) 2016

134

$66,000

Godolphin Australia

Dundeel (NZ) 2009

124

$66,000

Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd

Farnan (AUS) 2017

184

$55,000

Kia Ora Stallions Operations Pty Ltd

Trapeze Artist (AUS) 2014

183

$55,000

Widden Stud Australia Pty Ltd

Ole Kirk (AUS) 2017

160

$55,000

Vinery Stud (Australia) Pty Ltd

Pinatubo (IRE) 2017

131

$55,000

Godolphin Australia

Palace Pier (GB) 2017

96

$55,000

Godolphin Australia

Lonhro (AUS) 1998

33

$55,000

Godolphin Australia

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