The rise of stallion syndicates where multiple like minded investors join forces to secure colts they believe can become the sire prospects of the future has been a powerful phenomenon that is ever gaining in force at our elite Australasian sales and for many vendors the pursuit of delivering the product they seek is becoming a primary factor in the planning of matings.
At the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale the China Horse Club / Newgate and partners group were the second biggest buyer (albeit biggest if we take out Woppitt Bloodstock!) purchasing 11 colts for $9.1million following on from Magic Millions where they bought 12 colts for $6.5million.
Tom Magnier buying for Coolmore and their associates purchased five colts at Magic Millions for $5.8million and a further five at Inglis Easter for $3.6million.
The James Harron Colts Partnership bought two colts at Inglis Easter for $1.2million following on from securing seven at Magic Millions for $6.1million.
Rosemont Stud and their Victorian partners with input from Suman Hedge have been an emerging group in recent years and were active again this year purchasing colts destined for multiple trainers. They purchased nine from Magic Millions for $6.2million and four more at Inglis Easter for $3.6million.
All of the big syndicates have tasted success in varying levels in recent years with Golden Slipper winner Capitalist (Written Tycoon) getting the ball rolling for James Harron Bloodstock before being followed by dual Group I winning juvenile King’s Legacy (Redoute’s Choice) with current season juvenile colts Espionage (Zoustar), Bodyguard (I Am Invincible) and Highness (Snitzel) holding promise for the future.
China Horse Club / Newgate had Russian Revolution (Snitzel) as their trailblazer and he’s been followed by G1 winners Wild Ruler (Snitzel), Captivant (Capitalist), In The Congo (Snitzel) and triple G1 winner Militarize (Dundeel), who heads to stud this spring. Also new season stakes-winners High Octane (Deep Field) and Holmes a Court (Capitalist).
Tom Magnier and Coolmore hit the home run with dual Group I winning Champion 3YO Sprinter Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) and have high hopes for Switzerland (Snitzel).
Rosemont and partners have had a good sniff of success with stakes-winning colts Millane (Zoustar), Brereton (Zoustar)and Doull (Snitzel), but will have high expectations on Saturday for Schwarz (Zoustar) , who runs in the Group II ATC Arrowfield Sprint.
The most popular sire with the stallion syndicates this year was Zoustar with 11 of his colts split fairly evenly between all four stallion syndicates with China Horse Club/ Newgate purchasing four, James Harron three and two each for Rosemont and Tom Magnier.
I Am Invincible was the next most popular with nine colts, five of them bought by China Horse Club/ Newgate and four by Rosemont.
Ever popular Snitzel had six colts with three going to Tom Magnier, two to Rosemont and one to China Horse Club/Newgate.
Written Tycoon also had four colts that found favour with two going to China Horse Club/ Newgate and one each to Rosemont and Tom Magnier.
Of the younger sires, Extreme Choice was the big mover this year with six of his colts going to stallion syndicates, three to China Horse Club/ Newgate, two to Rosemont and one to James Harron.
Capitalist had four on the list and three were purchased by his biggest fan James Harron with the other going to China Horse Club/ Newgate,
Justify had three colts on the list with one each going to Tom Magnier, Rosemont and China Horse Club/ Newgate.
The only first season sire to attract serious interest was Wootton Bassett (GB) with five colts on the list, three to China Horse Club/Newgate and two to Tom Magnier.
We’ve had a look back through the buyers lists going back to 2017 to establish which sires have been popular with the stallion syndicates each year and without detailing exact numbers have given them a ranking for popularity.
What is obvious is that if you want to find a sire prospect of the future, you’re going to focus on established champion sires and very few first season sires are put on the radar with the exception of Capitalist, who has been remarkably popular all the way through as a potential source of sires, although his appeal in this department has waned this year.
Capitalist has sired one G1 winner among 19 SW’s and while he is undoubtedly a very good sire, he is not yet and may never be at the level of the other champion sires listed below.
Zoustar is on the ascent, while Snitzel and I Am Invincible have probably peaked and Extreme Choice is the sire whose colts have the potential to become more valuable as time goes on with three sons already at stud including his Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside.
What is clear from the picture painted in the stats below is that if you want to breed a colt that’s going to appeal to this all powerful buying group of stallion syndicates you are going to have to spend a lot of money on service fees.
2024
1/ Zoustar
2/ I Am Invincible
3/ Snitzel , Extreme Choice
4/ Wootton Bassett (GB)
2023
1/ I Am Invincible
2/ Snitzel
3/ Written Tycoon, Capitalist
4/ Zoustar
2022
1/ Zoustar
2/ I Am Invincible
3/ Capitalist
4/ Written Tycoon , Snitzel
2021
1/ I Am Invincible
2/ Snitzel
3/ Zoustar
4/ Written Tycoon / Capitalist
2020
1/ I Am Invincible
2/ Snitzel
3/ Capitalist
4/ Written Tycoon, Zoustar
2019
1/ Snitzel, I Am Invincible
2/ Written Tycoon
3/ Not a Single Doubt
4/ Exceed and Excel
2018
1/ I Am Invincible
2/ Redoute’s Choice
3/ Not a Single Doubt
4/ Spirit of Boom
2017
1/ Snitzel
2/ Written Tycoon
3/ Not a Single Doubt
4/ I Am Invincible
