Arrowfield Stud has announced the fees for the seven stallions on its 2024 roster.
Arrowfield Chairman John Messara says, “Four unchanged fees, two reductions and one modest increase reflects the more conservative economic environment in which we’re now operating.
“However, Arrowfield’s 2024 roster offers breeders diverse, high-quality opportunities to achieve racing dreams and sale-ring profits.
“This season alone, our four sires with two or more crops of racing age have generated more than $100 million in returns to breeders and owners, and compiled more than 330 winners including 21 stakeswinners.
“We are certainly happy to commit the majority of Arrowfield’s broodmares to these seven horses this coming Spring.”
The exceptional four-time Champion Sire Snitzel heads the 2024 Arrowfield roster at a fee of $247,500 inc. GST, after exceeding $40 million in yearling sales for the fifth time in the past 8 years and reaching a career total of 142 stakeswinners – an imposing 9.3% of all his runners.
He remains a potent sire of 2YOs – his 2021 crop has a 22% Stakes Performers/Runners strike rate – but his versatility is equally notable. His 2023/24 stakeswinners come from four crops and have won black type races from 1000 to 1700 metres.
Snitzel’s influence continues to grow as a sire of 15 stakes-siring sons and valuable stallion prospects including Shinzo, Switzerland & Prost. He is also a valuable sire of broodmares with 31 stakeswinners now on his damsire record, among them this season’s Group 1 stars Celestial Legend and Velocious.
Australia’s current leading sire of 3YOs Dundeel stands at $88,000 inc. GST, and on every metric he confirms his claim to elite stallion status. For example, among Australia’s current top 10 sires, only Snitzel & Written Tycoon exceeded his G1 winners/Foals strike rate, and only I Am Invincible had more G1 winners (9 vs 8) with the same number of runners.
Dundeel’s triple Group 1-winning son Militarize heads the current Australian Timeform 3YO rankings with a figure of 124+ and the sensational Randwick Guineas & Doncaster Mile winner Celestial Legend is already his leading earner with $3.3 million prizemoney.
This season’s Listed winner Epimeles and Group 2-placed Duvana have underscored Dundeel’s ability, unique among High Chaparral-line stallions, to sire talented juveniles.
The Autumn Sun, sire this month of Group 1 Classic winners Autumn Angel and Vibrant Sun, as well as the historic Australasian Oaks G1 trifecta, will be offered at an unchanged fee of $66,000 inc. GST, subject to his recovery from a pelvic injury.
The Autumn Sun’s record of 6 first-crop Group 1 performers from his first 85 runners places him in the company of champion sires at the same stage, and outstanding breeder support gives him the quality and the numbers to maintain his upward trajectory.
Maurice, whose 2024 fee is $55,000 inc. GST, was re-introduced to the Australian yearling market this year and achieved very pleasing results, including 33 lots sold at Magic Millions & Inglis Easter for an average of $197,000 and a top price of $600,000.
Clearly, buyers have not missed the excellent 10% Stakeswinners/Runners ratio of his 2020 crop, headed by Group 3 winner and Queensland Oaks G1 prospect Genzano and Group 1-placed Listed winner Ganbare.
Maurice is the first shuttle stallion to sire first-crop Group 1 winners in both hemispheres at 1200m (Mazu & Pixie Knight) and 2200m+ (Hitotsu & Geraldina). With a proven affinity for Danehill genetics and around 370 yearlings, foals & pregnancies bred at $44,000 and $82,500, Maurice is a very attractive option for breeders in 2024.
The first Australian yearlings by Admire Mars, whose fee remains at $22,000 inc. GST, have been very well-received with 27 of 28 lots sold across all sales for an average price close to 5 times his fee. Eleven Admire Mars yearlings made $100,000 or more, with a top price of $300,000 paid by Dalziel Bloodstock & Moody Racing for the filly out of Adamina.
Other buyers include Busuttin Racing, McEvoy Mitchell Racing, Boomer Bloodstock, Hong Kong Bloodstock, Danny O’Brien, Ken Keys, Domeland Racing and Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.
As a three-time Group 1 winner over 1600m at two & three, in Japan and Hong Kong, Admire Mars is one of the best-performed Australian-based stallions in his price range.
Castelvecchio, winner of the Champagne S. G1 & Rosehill Guineas G1, will stand at $22,000 inc. GST. His first 10 runners include Sydney stakes-placed colt El Castello, three other placegetters and the smart Phillip Stokes-trained filly Comanche Miss, 4th on debut in the Redoute’s Choice S. LR.
Promising first-crop Castelvecchio 2YOs seen at trials & jumpouts include Shangri La Spring (trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott), Sculptor (Gary Portelli), The Adige (Busuttin & Young), Where’s Brittany (Leon & Troy Corstens), Vexxy & Zozo Narni (Richard & Will Freedman), Canya Berich (Jack Bruce), Elizabass (Gavin Bedggood), Malbork Castle (Richard Litt) & Our Allie Be (Stephen Marsh).
Castelvecchio’s second-crop yearlings sold up to $220,000 and their buyers included Ciaron Maher, Matt Laurie, John O’Shea, Greg Eurell, Patrick Payne, Matthew Dunn & Neil Jenkinson, Kelly Schweida, Pride Racing and Paul Willetts.
History-making triple Classic hero Hitotsu will stand his second season at $22,000 inc. GST and his first foals from a full book of 162 mares are keenly awaited this coming Spring.
A new location for Showtime will be announced soon.
