The official covering stats released by Australian Studbook this week have made for interesting reading and we’re going through to look at the most popular sires in different price brackets, so apples vs apples and oranges vs oranges.
Most Expensive Sires $66,000 and above -
Zoustar and I Am Invincible shared top honours as the most expensive sires in Australia last spring and both covered outstanding books, Zoustar up by 33 on last year and I Am Invincible pretty much on a par with last year.
Anamoe was the busiest of all the Godolphin sires in both states and had 9 mares less than last year’s 149.
|
Sire |
Mares Covered |
2024 Fee |
Stud |
State |
|
Home Affairs (AUS) 2018 |
225 |
82,500 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
|
Pierata (AUS) 2014 |
199 |
66,000 |
Yulong Investments Yulong Stud |
Vic |
|
Zoustar (AUS) 2010 |
188 |
275,000 |
Widden Stud Australia Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Toronado (IRE) 2010 |
170 |
88,000 |
Swettenham Stud |
Vic |
|
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 |
|
Anamoe (AUS) 2018 |
140 |
121,000 |
Godolphin Australia |
NSW |
|
Dundeel (NZ ) 2009 |
139 |
88,000 |
Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Wootton Bassett (GB ) 2008 |
136 |
192,500 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
|
Snitzel (AUS) 2002 |
114 |
247,500 |
Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
So You Think (NZ ) 2006 |
105 |
77,000 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
|
Russian Revolution (AUS) 2013 |
105 |
66,000 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Extreme Choice (AUS) 2013 |
97 |
275,000 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Street Boss (USA) 2004 |
75 |
66,000 |
Godolphin Australia |
Vic |
|
Written Tycoon (AUS) 2002 |
63 |
165,000 |
Yulong Investments Yulong Stud |
Vic |
Stallions $44,000 to $55,000
Kia Ora Stud’s Farnan and Vinery Stud’s Ole Kirk remained popular in their often tricky fourth season with the optimism of last spring played out with race track results as both stallions are now riding high on the first season sires list.
|
Sire |
Mares Covered |
2024 Fee |
Stud |
State |
|
Alabama Express (AUS) 2016 |
223 |
55,000 |
Yulong Investments Yulong Stud |
Vic |
|
Shinzo (AUS) 2020 |
218 |
55,000 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
|
Ozzmosis (AUS) 2020 |
192 |
44,000 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Farnan (AUS) 2017 |
181 |
55,000 |
Kia Ora Stallions Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Stay Inside (AUS) 2018 |
178 |
55,000 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Ole Kirk (AUS) 2017 |
172 |
55,000 |
Vinery Stud (Australia) Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Maurice (JPN) 2011 |
138 |
55,000 |
Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Playing God (AUS) 2007 |
136 |
49,500 |
Darling View Thoroughbreds |
WA |
|
Cylinder (AUS) 2020 |
124 |
44,000 |
Godolphin Australia |
Vic |
|
Trapeze Artist (AUS) 2014 |
95 |
55,000 |
Widden Stud Australia Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Pinatubo (IRE) 2017 |
90 |
55,000 |
Godolphin Australia |
NSW |
|
Pierro (AUS) 2009 |
87 |
55,000 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
|
Starspangledbanner (AUS) 2006 |
74 |
44,000 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
|
Bivouac (AUS) 2016 |
73 |
55,000 |
Godolphin Australia |
NSW |
|
Blue Point (IRE) 2014 |
69 |
44,000 |
Godolphin Australia |
Vic |
Stallions $33,000 to $38,500
Newgate Farm’s Tassort had a huge fee increase from $11,000 to $38,500 which did nothing to dampen enthusiasm from mare owners and he kept the momentum going after covering 232 mares last year.
Vinery Stud’s Exceedance was a big mover with his 181 mares up sharply on last year’s 103 with broodmare owners obviously deciding he’s doing a good job and if Swiftfalcon keeps going the right way he might have a G1 winner before end of the season.
|
Sire |
Mares Covered |
2024 Fee |
Stud |
State |
|
Tassort (AUS) 2016 |
218 |
38,500 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Exceedance (AUS) 2016 |
181 |
33,000 |
Vinery Stud (Australia) Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Hellbent (AUS) 2012 |
142 |
38,500 |
Yarraman Park Stud Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Spirit Of Boom (AUS) 2007 |
132 |
38,500 |
Eureka Cambooya Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd |
Qld |
|
Harry Angel (IRE) 2014 |
131 |
38,500 |
Godolphin Australia |
NSW |
|
All Too Hard (AUS) 2009 |
117 |
38,500 |
Vinery Stud (Australia) Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Shamus Award (AUS) 2010 |
109 |
38,500 |
Rosemont Stud |
Vic |
|
St Mark's Basilica (FR ) 2018 |
107 |
38,500 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
|
Brave Smash (JPN) 2013 |
79 |
33,000 |
Yarraman Park Stud Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Brazen Beau (AUS) 2011 |
66 |
33,000 |
Godolphin Australia |
Vic |
Stallions at $27,500
With his sire Zoustar now priced in the stratosphere, Widden Stud’s Zousain is marketed as the next best thing which must have resonated as he covered his biggest book with 218 up from 189 last year.
|
Sire |
Mares Covered |
2024 Fee |
Stud |
State |
|
Zousain (AUS) 2015 |
218 |
27,500 |
Widden Stud Australia Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
In The Congo (AUS) 2018 |
161 |
27,500 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Jacquinot (AUS) 2019 |
144 |
27,500 |
Widden Stud Australia Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Better Than Ready (AUS) 2009 |
140 |
27,500 |
Lyndhurst Stud Farm |
Qld |
|
Native Trail (GB ) 2019 |
132 |
27,500 |
Godolphin Australia |
NSW |
|
State Of Rest (IRE) 2018 |
111 |
27,500 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Wild Ruler (AUS) 2017 |
91 |
27,500 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Mo'Unga (NZ ) 2017 |
88 |
27,500 |
Newhaven Park Stud |
NSW |
|
Star Turn (AUS) 2013 |
82 |
27,500 |
Vinery Stud (Australia) Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Ghaiyyath (IRE) 2015 |
79 |
27,500 |
Godolphin Australia |
Vic |
Stallions at $22,000
I Am Invincible stallions King’s Gambit (Newgate) and Hawaii Five Oh (Vinery) have a very similar profile, but were priced slightly differently with one at $22,000 and the other at $16,500, but the market saw them virtually the same with one covering 175 mares and the other 173. It’s going to be super interesting to see how their careers play out, so watch this space!
Coolmore based Pride of Dubai is currently leading the Australian General Sires List by earnings and found himself back in vogue this year after a few years in comparative commercial wilderness. For the quality of horses that he can get, Pride of Dubai has no peer in the bang for buck stakes.
Arrowfield Stud were dealt a blow as Castelvecchio had his season cut short through illness, so missed a potential late surge after his 3YO’s started kicking goals, but there’s always next year!
|
Sire |
Mares Covered |
2024 Fee |
Stud |
State |
|
King's Gambit (AUS) 2020 |
175 |
22,000 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Pride Of Dubai (AUS) 2012 |
162 |
22,000 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
|
Artorius (AUS) 2018 |
139 |
22,000 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Admire Mars (JPN) 2016 |
129 |
22,000 |
Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Royal Meeting (IRE) 2016 |
128 |
22,000 |
Lovatsville Pty Ltd |
Vic |
|
Lofty Strike (AUS) 2019 |
115 |
22,000 |
Swettenham Stud |
Vic |
|
Hitotsu (AUS) 2018 |
112 |
22,000 |
Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
King's Legacy (AUS) 2017 |
112 |
22,000 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
|
Tagaloa (AUS) 2017 |
97 |
22,000 |
Yulong Investments Yulong Stud |
Vic |
|
Grunt (NZ ) 2014 |
81 |
22,000 |
Yulong Investments Yulong Stud |
Vic |
|
Written By (AUS) 2015 |
72 |
22,000 |
Widden Stud Australia Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Benbatl (GB ) 2014 |
69 |
22,000 |
Woodside Park Stud |
Vic |
|
Castelvecchio (AUS) 2016 |
64 |
22,000 |
Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd |
NSW |
Stallions $15,000 to $19,800
We touched on Hawaii Five Oh in the previous comment, so let’s focus here on Newgate Farm’s Doncaster winner Brutal, who had just enough smoke last spring to suggest potential fire and a fee drop from $22,000 to $16,500…. Those factors saw him cover 154 mares up from 69 the previous year.
Aquis based Kobayashi is another sire that has come out of the wilderness to cover more than respectable books in his past two years of 135 (2024) and 104 (2023) with his three previous books being 12, 36 and 52. He had eight 2YO winners last season headed by SW Mishani Lily and six the year before while his older horses include stakes-placed Our Kobison and Midnight in Tokyo with all of those runners conceived from either $3,300 or $4,400.
|
Sire |
Mares Covered |
2024 Fee |
Stud |
State |
|
Hawaii Five Oh (AUS) 2019 |
173 |
16,500 |
Vinery Stud (Australia) Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Brutal (NZ ) 2015 |
154 |
16,500 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Lucky Vega (IRE) 2018 |
141 |
16,500 |
Yulong Investments Yulong Stud |
Vic |
|
Kobayashi (AUS) 2014 |
135 |
15,000 |
Aquis Farm |
Qld |
|
Hanseatic (AUS) 2017 |
115 |
16,500 |
Rosemont Stud |
Vic |
|
Panthalassa (JPN) 2017 |
112 |
16,500 |
Yulong Investments Yulong Stud |
Vic |
|
Anders (AUS) 2017 |
98 |
16,500 |
Widden Stud Australia Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
King Colorado (AUS) 2020 |
97 |
16,500 |
Widden Stud Victoria |
Vic |
|
Russian Camelot (IRE) 2017 |
96 |
19,800 |
Widden Stud Victoria |
Vic |
|
D'Argento (AUS) 2014 |
93 |
16,500 |
Watershed Partnership |
NSW |
|
North Pacific (AUS) 2017 |
91 |
16,500 |
Newgate Operations Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Best Of Bordeaux (AUS) 2019 |
78 |
19,250 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
|
Nicconi (AUS) 2005 |
77 |
16,500 |
Widden Stud Victoria |
Vic |
|
Cool Aza Beel (NZ ) 2017 |
76 |
16,500 |
Newhaven Park Stud |
NSW |
|
Shalaa (IRE) 2013 |
73 |
19,800 |
Woodside Park Stud |
Vic |
|
Daumier (AUS) 2019 |
73 |
16,500 |
Twin Hills Stud Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Portland Sky (AUS) 2017 |
70 |
19,800 |
Widden Stud Australia Pty Ltd |
NSW |
|
Kermadec (NZ ) 2011 |
64 |
16,500 |
Godolphin Australia |
Vic |
|
Yes Yes Yes (AUS) 2016 |
63 |
19,250 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
