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Australia’s Busiest Fourth Crop Sires 2023

Tara Madgwick - Tuesday March 12

Our analysis of Australian Studbook covering statistics for 2023 continues with a look at a very interesting group of sires whose oldest progeny are two year-olds, so when fees were announced last year they did not have runners, but as the spring unfolded things were changing rapidly and for some that meant a bonanza in terms of mare bookings.

Manaal put Tassort on the map - image Steve Hart

Four of the top six busiest sires in all of Australia fit the category with Tassort (232) topping the overall list while Alabama Express (206), Pierata (191) and Zousain (189) were not far behind.

Shangri La Express won the $1million Golden Gift for Alabama Express - image Steve Hart

The first three all registered spring stakes-winners with Tassort siring Manaal to win the Group III ATC Gimcrack Stakes, Alabama Express sired Karavas to win the Group III VRC Ottawa Stakes and Shangri La Express to win the Golden Gift, while Pierata had Coleman win the Listed MRC Debutant Stakes.

Coleman has had three starts for two stakes wins - image Grant Courtney

Zousain has taken a little longer to get going, but strong results at the yearling sales and good feedback from trainers ensured he too was heavily punted as a potential star sire on the rise.

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Fourth Crop Sires by Coverings

Sire

Mares 2023

2022

2021

2020

2023 Fee

Farm

Tassort (AUS) 2016

232

132

181

137

$11,000

Newgate Farm , NSW

Alabama Express (AUS) 2016

206

78

99

141

$22,000

Yulong Stud, Vic

Pierata (AUS) 2014

191

139

143

169

$44,000

Yulong Stud, Vic

Zousain (AUS) 2015

189

171

214

188

$22,000

Widden Stud, NSW

Yes Yes Yes (AUS) 2016

149

164

175

205

$33,000

Coolmore Australia, NSW

I Am Immortal (AUS) 2016

121

100

96

116

$13,750

Swettenham Stud, Vic

Too Darn Hot (GB) 2016

120

132

131

130

$44,000

Godolphin Australia, NSW

Cosmic Force (AUS) 2016

110

145

167

146

$11,000

Newgate Farm, NSW

Exceedance (AUS) 2016

103

125

155

142

$33,000

Vinery Stud, NSW

Blue Point (IRE) 2014

101

115

138

128

$44,000

Godolphin Australia, Vic

Dubious (AUS) 2016

88

143

112

162

$15,400

Kitchwin Hills, NSW

Castelvecchio (AUS) 2016

86

89

106

142

$27,500

Arrowfield Stud, NSW

D'Argento (AUS) 2014

78

147

140

151

$16,500

Bowness Stud, NSW

Brutal (NZ) 2015

69

122

154

177

$22,000

Newgate Farm, NSW

Royal Meeting (IRE) 2016

66

105

106

89

$11,000

Leneva Park, Vic

Microphone (AUS) 2016

59

64

91

118

$33,000

Godolphin Australia, NSW

So here we are come the autumn and for those breeders who have invested in these sires their stats are looking like this for Southern Hemisphere bred runners only in all countries and they are sorted by number of winners with sires that have produced a stakes-winner highlighted.

Sire

Runners

Winners

SW

SP

Alabama Express (AUS) 2016

12

6

1

4

Tassort (AUS) 2016

14

5

1

1

Zousain (AUS) 2015

14

5

0

1

Brutal (NZ) 2015

10

4

0

0

Cosmic Force (AUS) 2016

12

4

0

3

Too Darn Hot (GB) 2016

11

4

0

3

Exceedance (AUS) 2016

10

3

1

0

Dubious (AUS) 2016

12

2

0

0

I Am Immortal (AUS) 2016

6

2

0

0

Royal Meeting (IRE) 2016

6

1

1

0

Pierata (AUS) 2014

16

1

1

3

Blue Point (IRE) 2014

20

1

0

3

D'Argento (AUS) 2014

3

1

0

1

Microphone (AUS) 2016

11

1

0

1

Yes Yes Yes (AUS) 2016

12

0

0

2

Castelvecchio (AUS) 2016

7

0

0

0
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