Spirit of Boom vs Epaulette

Tara Madgwick - Monday April 22
On Monday we looked at the statistics of rising star second season sires Zoustar and Dundeel, but they aren't the only stallions in this division doing a great job with Eureka Stud's Spirit of Boom also doing some amazing things, while Darley's Epaulette has also shown his hand as a serious sire in the making.

The current Australian Second Crop Sires table looks like this.



A son of former Queensland favourite Sequalo, Spirit of Boom was a revelation last season with his amazing 18 first crop Australian winners, five of which were stakes-winners! For a stallion coming off an $11,000 fee it was heady stuff and sparked a sharp service fee increase last year with Eureka Stud bumping him up to $55,000. The fee increase was obviously considered well justified by the market as he covered 217 mares last spring, his biggest ever book.

Below are Spirit of Boom's overall statistics – courtesy Arion




He runs at 43.8% winners to runners and 7.1% stakes-winners to runners with his best horses the Group III winners Boomsara and the Kiwi based Spirit of Aubeer. His total of eight stakes-winners is one more than both Zoustar and Dundeel. When you consider the quality of mares he has covered in his first two books that have produced these results you can see why many astute judges see this stallion as a potential I Am Invincible of the future.


Below are Epaulette's overall statistics – courtesy Arion



By Danehill's sometimes under-rated sire Commands, Epaulette's figures here take in his Northern Hemisphere runners, however for his winner to runner and stakes-winner to runner strike rates, we will look only at his Southern Hemisphere foaled progeny as his six stakes-winners are all Southern Hemisphere bred. Epaulette has 45.6% winners to runners and 6.5% stakes-winners to runners with his best horse the South African trained triple Group I winning colt Soqrat.

Priced at $27,500 this year, Epaulette might be the value pick out of the leading second crop sires when you compare his statistics and service fee with his peers at the top end of this group.


Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Saturday August 2
Here is the full list of 101 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
The Novelist Returns to Form
The very first stakes-winner for his sire Written By when winning the Group III BRC BJ McLachlan Stakes in December 2022, The Novelist made light of the heavy 10 track at Rosehill on Saturday to claim another victory.
Crossbow Takes Aim At Flemington To Score
With quality efforts behind handy horses in his first three starts, trainer Chris Waller crossed the border to Victoria with instant success for the Star Thoroughbreds raced Crossbow, with the well-marked son of Better Than Ready breaking through for an impressive win.
King of Roseau Wins G3 Aurie’s Star
Placed in the Listed VRC Poseidon Stakes at Flemington last spring as a three year-old behind Growing Empire, Capitalist gelding King of Roseau returned to the same venue on Saturday to capture the Group III VRC Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m).
Kiwi Bred Keeps Winners Coming for Payne Stable
The Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained Bold Soul has been a consistent performer right through the winter months and notched another win at Flemington when prevailing in the VRC Membership Renewals Open (2530m) on Saturday.
Sliding Doors Moment Delivers Feel Good Winner at Rosehill
Two fillies were born at Yulong in 2021 sired by Alabama Express from imported North American daughters of Street Cry, one of them is triple Group I winner Treasurethe Moment and the other is the feel good winner of the day at Rosehill on Saturday.
Unique Filly a History Maker for Godolphin and Waller
The re-distribution of the Godolphin owned Australian racehorses has been a hot topic in recent weeks as they departed the care of James Cummings to join a wide spread of different trainers and one of those was Chris Waller, whose first runner for the blue army was a winner at Rosehill on Saturday.
Kosciuszko calling Rosehill winner Elson Boy
Dubbo-trained Elson Boy was back in the winner’s circle after a 412-day absence when leading throughout to land the Jockeys Celebration Day Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill in the hands of apprentice William Stanley.
Dual Group Winner Too Darn Good At Flemington
A dual group winner during the Spring of her 3yo season, talented mare Too Darn Discreet showed an electric turn of foot, charging home over the top of them to win the Melbourne Cup Carnival On Sale (1620m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Winning Hat-Trick for Progressive Pierro
Richard and Will Freedman probably have more talented horses in the stable than Pierro gelding Cold Brew, but few have the consistency of this four year-old who landed a winning hat-trick at Rosehill on Saturday.