The Australian Studbook have today officially released covering statistics for the 2024 breeding season detailing all coverings as at March 1, so we’re taking a look at what stallions found favour with the only audience that really counts – broodmare owners!
Coolmore Stud’s Home Affairs topped the list with 225 mares which is interesting and very rare for a third season stallion to hold this position given we don’t know if his stock will run yet with his first yearlings being sold this year, so this confidence is coming from what breeders were seeing in his weanlings last year.
He’s been popular in each of his seasons to date covering 203 mares the first year to be the busiest first season sire and then 189 last year with this champion son of I Am Invincible obviously ticking a lot of boxes for a lot of people and we won’t have long to wait now until we find out if he’s actually any good.
An interesting comparison in the progress of Home Affairs lies with Coolmore’s now retired champion sire Fastnet Rock, who went to stud with a similar profile in having been a fast dual Group I winning sprinter at three by the champion sire of the time in Danehill (USA).
Fastnet Rock covered 208 mares first year, then 194 second year and then 257 in his third year with the collective thinking of breeders arriving at the correct conclusion given he has gone on to sire 195 SW’s worldwide!
Below is the list of all stallions to cover 150 or more mares in 2024.
Stallion |
Mares Covered |
2024 Fee |
Stud |
State |
Home Affairs (AUS) 2018 |
225 |
82,500 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
Alabama Express (AUS) 2016 |
223 |
55,000 |
Yulong Investments |
Vic |
Shinzo (AUS) 2020 |
218 |
55,000 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
Tassort (AUS) 2016 |
218 |
38,500 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Zousain (AUS) 2015 |
218 |
27,500 |
Widden Stud Australia Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Pierata (AUS) 2014 |
199 |
66,000 |
Yulong Investments |
Vic |
Ozzmosis (AUS) 2020 |
192 |
44,000 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Zoustar (AUS) 2010 |
188 |
275,000 |
Widden Stud Australia Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Farnan (AUS) 2017 |
181 |
55,000 |
Kia Ora Stallions Operations |
NSW |
Exceedance (AUS) 2016 |
181 |
33,000 |
Vinery Stud (Australia) Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Stay Inside (AUS) 2018 |
178 |
55,000 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
King's Gambit (AUS) 2020 |
175 |
22,000 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Hawaii Five Oh (AUS) 2019 |
173 |
16,500 |
Vinery Stud (Australia) Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Ole Kirk (AUS) 2017 |
172 |
55,000 |
Vinery Stud (Australia) Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Toronado (IRE) 2010 |
170 |
88,000 |
Swettenham Stud |
Vic |
Acrobat (AUS) 2018 |
164 |
13,750 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
Pride Of Dubai (AUS) 2012 |
162 |
22,000 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
In The Congo (AUS) 2018 |
161 |
27,500 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
I Am Invincible (AUS) 2004 |
158 |
275,000 |
Yarraman Park Stud Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Capitalist (AUS) 2013 |
155 |
66,000 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Brutal (NZ ) 2015 |
154 |
16,500 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Yulong based Alabama Express is one stallion whose runners have really done the talking for him and he was next on the list with 223 mares which was one more than last year, but as a comparison, when he was still in unproven land his first three crops numbered 141, 99 and 78.
The jury was well and truly out and now it’s back and the verdict is positive!
Coolmore’s Gold Slipper winner Shinzo was the busiest first season sire as you would expect for a blueblood son fo Snitzel that wins the world’s richest 2YO race and it would have been a surprise to all if he was not .
Below are all the most popular first season sires in 2024.
Sire |
Mares Covered |
2024 Fee |
Stud |
State |
Shinzo (AUS) 2020 |
218 |
55,000 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
Ozzmosis (AUS) 2020 |
192 |
44,000 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
King's Gambit (AUS) 2020 |
175 |
22,000 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Hawaii Five Oh (AUS) 2019 |
173 |
16,500 |
Vinery Stud (Australia) Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Don Corleone (AUS) 2020 |
133 |
13,200 |
Eureka Cambooya Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd |
Qld |
Native Trail (GB ) 2019 |
132 |
27,500 |
Godolphin Australia |
NSW |
Cylinder (AUS) 2020 |
124 |
44,000 |
Godolphin Australia |
Vic |
Lofty Strike (AUS) 2019 |
115 |
22,000 |
Swettenham Stud |
Vic |
Panthalassa (JPN) 2017 |
112 |
16,500 |
Yulong Investments |
Vic |
Officiating (USA) 2018 |
111 |
12,500 |
Aquis Farm |
Qld |
Ingratiating (AUS) 2018 |
109 |
9,000 |
Oakland Park Stud |
WA |
Red Resistance (AUS) 2020 |
103 |
11,000 |
Telemon Thoroughbreds |
Qld |
King Colorado (AUS) 2020 |
97 |
16,500 |
Widden Stud Victoria |
Vic |
Mo'Unga (NZ ) 2017 |
88 |
27,500 |
Newhaven Park Stud |
NSW |
Doull (AUS) 2019 |
70 |
11,000 |
Rosemont Stud |
Vic |
Benbatl (GB ) 2014 |
69 |
22,000 |
Woodside Park Stud |
Vic |
General Beau (AUS) 2018 |
66 |
8,800 |
Maluka Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd |
Vic |
Gold Trip (FR ) 2017 |
65 |
8,800 |
Lovatsville Pty Ltd |
Vic |
Generation (AUS) 2018 |
64 |
11,000 |
Lovatsville Pty Ltd |
Vic |
Oxley Road (AUS) 2017 |
61 |
8,800 |
Blue Gum Farm Holdings Pty Ltd |
Vic |
Empire Of Japan (AUS) 2020 |
59 |
9,900 |
Hopetoun Farm/ Mr M Webster |
Qld |