Australia’s Busiest Second and Third Crop Sires 2023

Tara Madgwick - Friday March 8

Our analysis of Australian Studbook covering statistics for 2023 continues with a look at the second and third crop sires last year and these are the guys whose first foals were being born last spring and whose first yearlings are selling right now.

They are a super interesting cohort of sires as breeders still have no idea if their progeny can run when they are booking mares to them, so they can only go on what they are seeing in foals and weanlings and sometimes that proves a good guide and other times not so much.

It is normal for a marginal drop off in numbers as that shiny newness of ‘first season sire’ fades and reality sets in, but if breeders are liking what they are seeing an increase in numbers or steady support can be a good clue for future success.

When I Am Invincible kicked off at a fee of $11,000 in 2010 he covered 133 mares. The next three seasons he covered 140, 154, 175 and finally 211 when he first stood for $27,500 after the cat was out of the bag.

Home Affairs is by I Am Invincible, click for more info.

Coolmore based Home Affairs was the busiest first season sire in 2022 and maintained that ranking last year with his first foals an impressive bunch that had breeders booking back and his stock are poised to make a big impact at the 2025 yearling sales.

Second Season Sires – covered 60 or more mares

Sire

2023 mares

2022

Fee

Stud

Home Affairs (AUS) 2018

189

203

$99,000

Coolmore Australia, NSW

Acrobat (AUS) 2018

178

188

$13,750

Coolmore Australia, NSW

Stay Inside (AUS) 2018

151

189

$77,000

Newgate Farm, NSW

Wild Ruler (AUS) 2017

142

175

$38,500

Newgate Farm, NSW

Tiger Of Malay (AUS) 2018

131

164

$16,500

Newgate Farm, NSW

Pinatubo (IRE) 2017

130

131

$55,000

Godolphin Australia, NSW

St Mark's Basilica (FR) 2018

116

159

$44,000

Coolmore Australia, NSW

Splintex (AUS) 2016

110

118

$11,000

Darling View Thoroughbreds, WA

Profiteer (AUS) 2018

100

136

$16,500

Newgate Farm, NSW

Wooded (IRE) 2017

93

84

$22,000

Swettenham Stud, Vic

Portland Sky (AUS) 2017

92

105

$22,000

Widden Stud, NSW

Barbaric (AUS) 2017

91

86

$8,800

Lyndhurst Stud Farm, Qld

Victor Ludorum (GB) 2017

85

78

$16,500

Godolphin Australia, NSW

Captivant (AUS) 2018

78

127

$27,500

Kia Ora Stallions, NSW

Extreme Warrior (AUS) 2018

73

113

$19,800

Rosemont Stud, Vic

Third Season Sires – covered 60 or more mares

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Sire

2023 Mares

2022

2021

Fee

Stud

Farnan (AUS) 2017

152

189

192

$55,000

Kia Ora Stallions, NSW

Ole Kirk (AUS) 2017

146

160

170

$55,000

Vinery Stud, NSW

Hanseatic (AUS) 2017

144

175

195

$17,600

Rosemont Stud, Vic

Tagaloa (AUS) 2017

138

214

148

$27,500

Yulong Stud, Vic

Wootton Bassett (GB) 2008

131

169

190

$93,500

Coolmore Australia, NSW

Russian Camelot (IRE) 2017

115

122

136

$19,800

Widden Stud, Vic

Fierce Impact (JPN) 2014

110

150

144

$16,500

Leneva Park, Vic

Dirty Work (AUS) 2016

107

111

155

$13,200

Widden Stud, Vic

Bivouac (AUS) 2016

106

135

157

$66,000

Godolphin Australia, NSW

Cool Aza Beel (NZ) 2017

99

121

114

$16,500

Newhaven Park Stud, NSW

North Pacific (AUS) 2017

98

138

202

$22,000

Newgate Farm, NSW

Ghaiyyath (IRE) 2015

96

98

103

$27,500

Godolphin Australia, Vic

Anders (AUS) 2017

91

169

184

$16,500

Widden Stud, NSW

Lucky Vega (IRE) 2018

91

149

119

$16,500

Yulong Sud, Vic

Earthlight (IRE) 2017

82

90

109

$16,500

Godolphin Australia, Vic

Admire Mars (JPN) 2016

72

90

103

$22,000

Arrowfield Stud, NSW

King's Legacy (AUS) 2017

68

147

213

$27,500

Coolmore Australia, NSW

Prague (AUS) 2017

68

103

95

$16,500

Kia Ora Stallions, NSW

Doubtland (AUS) 2017

64

108

142

$13,200

Widden Stud, Vic

Kia Ora Stallions foundation sire Farnan is a Golden Slipper winning Champion 2YO colt and Vinery Stud’s Ole Kirk is a Caulfield Guineas and Golden Rose winning Champion 3YO colt, so no surprise to see them at the top of the list after three years at stud.

Below are snapshots of their yearling sale data for this year along with Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett (GB), who has been the dominant first season sire at the sales, albeit he is a well proven G1 sire in the Northern Hemisphere.

Wootton Bassett Sale Data

Wootton Bassett sale data 2024 - click to see more.

Farnan Sale Data

Farnan Sales data - click to see more.

Ole Kirk Sale Data

Ole Kirk sales data - click for more info.

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