With less than two months of the racing season to play out the list of sires to make the century club for posting 100 winners in a season has stretched out to 17 sires, with 16 of them active this season and the two newest additions to the list highlight proven value in Victoria and NSW.
Widden Stud’s Nicconi might be best known as the sire of world champion sprinter Nature Strip, but he has a lot more than one horse running for him with a constant stream of winners to keep him relevant for broodmare owners.
Nicconi has had 100 plus winners for the past three seasons and has sufficient numbers coming through to suggest he can keep the momentum going and is priced this year at Widden Victoria at a fee of $16,500, which is his least expensive fee since 2017.
For a stallion that runs at 73% winner to runner and has sired 29 stakes-winners including the best sprinter in the world, Nicconi appeals as exceptional value.
Twin Hills Stud is the second home of Smart Missile, who started life at Arrowfield Stud and while he might not be trendy, the son of Fastnet Rock has also has joined the century club with stats that highlight a stallion who consistently does a good job.
Smaller books of mares since his departure from the Hunter Valley will make it hard for Smart Missile to continue getting a high volume of winners, but let’s not forget this sire runs at 68.5% winner to runner and has 24 stakes-winners headed by Group I winner Maid of Heaven.
Smart Missile stand at a fee of $13,200.
