Mossman Missed by Many

A sixth Group I winner for Mossman on Sunday with Ivictory capturing the Chairmans Sprint at Sha Tin only serves to highlight the loss of his sire, a perennial favourite at Vinery Stud that has now been retired from stud duties at age 22.

It's hard to find a value, proven outcross sire in the Hunter Valley and for many years Mossman filled that roll for breeders looking to get a young mare up and going with a proven partner free of Danehill blood.

A Group I winning son of Success Express (USA), Mossman started his career in Queensland with small numbers before relocating to Vinery where a severe bout of colic again interrupted his stud career.

Despite those early hiccups, Mossman is the sire of winners of over $64 million in prizemoney and has 39 stakes-winners headed by his $7million earner Buffering and Golden Slipper winner Mossfun.

Mossman covered just three mares last spring for his shareholders with little success so has been retired, but his 2013 foal crop (now four year-olds) just goes to show that proven stallions should never be underestimated.

That crop has already produced six stakes-winners headed by Group winners Ivictory, Crack Me Up, Cellarman, White Moss and Pedrena, add to that his current season three year-old stakes-winner Moss Trip and you can see Mosman is going out with a bang rather than a whimper!

Mossman has had 16 yearlings sell at the sales this year at an average $58,187 and if you are lucky enough to have bought one then good luck to you.

With 71.6% runners to winners and 6.2% stakes-winners to runners, Mossman has achieved the sort of long running success most stallions only dream of and having never stood at a fee greater than $27,500, he's been the best friend of the budget conscious breeder.