Australia’s Busiest First Season Sires 2023

Tara Madgwick - Thursday March 7

Anamoe might have retired to stud as Australian Horse of the Year with nine Group I wins on his glittering CV, but in the breeding barn in terms of popularity in numbers he has not finished first.

Anamoe was a big drawcard at the Darley stallion parades last year.

The most successful G1 winner Godolphin have ever produced anywhere worldwide, Anamoe covered 148 mares at a fee of $121,000 which in Darley terms is a full book.

Quality was at a premium with 10 Group I mares in his debut book, a number that was equal to that covered by Justify and Alabama Express and less than only I Am Invincible, Snitzel and Zoustar. Of those 10 G1 winning mares covered by Anamoe only Guelph and Kiamichi were owned by Godolphin so he attracted plenty of outside support.

In terms of the quality of mare covered, Yulong based Diatonic (Jpn) will have no excuse for failure.

He had a little practice run early in 2023 covering 32 mares at the start of the year with those foals born this year to Northern Hemisphere time and then covered 131 to Southern Hemisphere time including seven Group I winners all owned by Yulong – Melody Belle, In Her Time, Samantha Miss, Coventina Bay, Snapdragon, Winning Ways and Viddora.

So for those of us not up to speed on the key stats of Diatonic, he is a Japanese bred sprinter that won 10 races and placed six times from 26 starts competing and winning from age two up until age seven, so tough and consistent, albeit without a G1 win on the resume.

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In The Congo sold himself at the parades.

The most popular first season sire by the numbers was Newgate Farm’s flashy chestnut Snitzel son In The Congo, who sold himself at the stallion parades with a nice mix of swagger and the fact he is a G1 Golden Rose winning son of champion sire Snitzel.

He covered 169 mares, but interestingly his polar opposite Hitotsu up the road at Arrowfield Stud was nearly as popular covering 162 mares.

Hitotsu was a fast, clean winded stayer that won four of five races at three including the Group I VRC Derby, Australian Derby and Australian Guineas.

Arrowfield have had a lot of success with another Derby winning sire in Dundeel and will be hoping Hitotsu can achieve similar.

First Season Sires that covered 60 or more mares.

Sire

Grand-Sire

Best Win

Mares

Fee 2023

Stud

In The Congo (AUS) 2018

Snitzel

G1

169

$33,000

Newgate Farm, NSW

Hitotsu (AUS) 2018

Maurice  (Jpn)

G1(three)

162

$22,000

Arrowfield Stud, NSW

Jacquinot (AUS) 2019

Rubick

G1

157

$33,000

Widden Stud, NSW

Anamoe (AUS) 2018

Street Boss (USA)

G1(nine)

148

$121,000

Godolphin Australia, NSW

State Of Rest (IRE) 2018

Starspangledbanner

G1(four)

148

$44,000

Newgate Farm , NSW

Artorius (AUS) 2018

Flying Artie

G1(two)

146

$27,500

Newgate Farm, NSW

Stronger (AUS) 2016

Not a Single Doubt

G1

138

$13,750

Aquis Farm, Qld

Diatonic (JPN) 2015

Lord Kanaloa

G2

131

$13,750

Yulong Stud, Vic

Best Of Bordeaux (AUS) 2019

Snitzel

G2

124

$27,500

Coolmore Australia, NSW

Top Ranked (IRE) 2016

Dark Angel

G1

108

$7,700

Raheen Stud, Qld

Lightsaber (AUS) 2018

Zoustar

G2

100

$6,600

Darling View Thoroughbreds, WA

Sejardan (AUS) 2019

Sebring

G2

98

$13,750

Blue Gum Farm, Vic

Bruckner (AUS) 2018

Snitzel

G3

98

$11,000

Widden Stud, Vic

Daumier (AUS) 2019

Epaulette

G1

88

$16,500

Twin Hills Stud, NSW

Aysar (AUS) 2017

Deep Field

L

88

$8,800

Geisel Park, WA

Paulele (AUS) 2018

Dawn Approach (IRE)

G1

86

$16,500

Godolphin Australia, Vic

Dalasan (AUS) 2016

Dalakhani (IRE)

G2

76

$5,500

Riverbank Farm, Vic

Marine One (AUS) 2018

Capitalist

G2

61

$8,800

Mogumber Park, WA

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