ALL breeders - whether to attain for commercial reasons or breeding to race horses for themselves – aspire to breeding a talented racehorse, which potentially may develop into a Group 1 horse.
The great Danehill continues to inject a major influence with 17 of the 55 horses or almost one third, of these Group 1 winners sired via his sireline.
While every breeder has the chance of breeding a winner at the highest level, the majority of the Group 1 winners sired during the 2017-18 racing season were by commercial sires. There were 73 Group 1 races run on the Australian racing calendar last season, and of which were won by 55 different horses.
Danehill influence
THE great Danehill continues to inject a major influence with 17 of the 55 horses or almost one third, of these Group 1 winners sired via his sireline. Danehill’s pivotal Fastnet Rock sired four Group 1 winners (Shoals, Merchant Navy, Unforgotten and Comin’ Through), while his sire sons Hinchinbrook sired Seabrook to win the ATC Champagne Stakes in April, and Wanted sired Leicester winner of the SAJC Derby last May.
The latter stallion would now be considered as non-commercial or unfashionable, however to an owner/breeder it makes little to no difference.
This year’s deceased champion Danehill sire Flying Spur sired last year’s Caulfield Cup winner Boom Time, while his successful Victorian based son Magnus, sired Great Shot (won WATC Railway Stakes).
While he may have sired Group winners in Europe, Champs Elysee (a Coolmore sire now standing at Castlehyde Stud County Cork, Ireland) became a new Danehill son to sire an Australian Group 1 winner, the Great Britain-bred gelding Harlem who won this year’s Australian Cup.
Redoute’s Choice is king
BUT Danehill’s king sire son is Redoute’s Choice, and while he sired his own Group 1 winner - The Autumn Sun (won the BRC T J Smith Stakes in June) the 22 year-old stallion was represented via his sire sons Snitzel, Not A Single Doubt, Beneteau and Time Thief also each siring Group 1 winners last season.
Standing alongside Redoute’s Choice at Arrowfield Stud, Scone, Snitzel sired Estijaab (won Golden Slipper), Redzel, Russian Revolution and Trapeze Artist; Not A Single Doubt sired Mighty Boss; and the short-lived Beneteau sired Prompt Response (won Doomben’s Tatt’s Tiara the last Group 1 of the season).
The other Redoute’s Choice horse, Time Thief sired the Benjamin Smith Newcastle trained mare In Her Time to win The Galaxy at Randwick in April. Time Thief is another horse who is now considered non-commercial or unfashionable, and after five stud seasons at Godolphin, Aberdeen, he was sold to South Africa in 2015.
Sir Tristram remains present
AUSTRALIAN Horse Of The Year and champion sire Lonhro is the major thread to multiple champion Australian and Sir Zealand sire Sir Tristram, the Irish bred son of Sir Ivor who changed the face of Australasian breeding and racing in the 1980s and 1990s when standing at Sir Patrick Hogan’s Cambridge Stud.
Tracing to Sir Tristram through his champion sire son Zabeel, then via his Australian Horse Of The Year sire Octagonal, Lonhro had Group 1 winners Kementari and Impending, while his champion racing son Pierro is now making his presence felt from stud duties at Coolmore Stud, Jerrys Plains. Pierro was represented with first crop three-year-olds Levendi (ATC Derby) and Pinot (VRC Oaks).
Zabeel’s New Zealand based champion sire son Savabeel sired Shillelagh, while Sir Tristram’s Yamanin Vital was represented with Chris Waller’s grand campaigner Who Shot Thebarman winning the ATC Sydney Cup.
Northern Dancer’s great Sadler’s Wells
THE influence of the great Irish US-bred Sadler’s Wells continued to shine in Australia last season via his deceased Irish bred stud son High Chaparral sire of Group 1 winners Ace High, Hiyaam, Youngstar and the Irish bred and trained Rekindling winner of last year’s Melbourne Cup.
High Chaparral’s celebrated Coolmore Stud son So You Think sired D’Argento (won Rosehill Guineas) and Sopressa (SAJC Australasian Oaks). Sadler’s Wells’ iconic sire son Galileo provided Irish import Foundry who won Randwick’s ATC Metropolitan Handicap, while Galileo’s prominent Godolphin owned sire son Teofilo sired Sydney’s popular $6 million earner Happy Clapper, and New Zealand bred Humidor.
The Great Britain-bred import Hartnell (MRC C F Orr Stakes) and Pounamu (WATC Kingston Town Classic) also represents the Sadler’s Wells sireline through his son Montjeu, via his son Authorized, winner of the 2007 Epsom English Derby.
Red Ransom recalled
IN the late 2000s numerous commercial stud masters put their faith into US bred Roberto horse Red Ransom via his stud sons, and who shuttled for 10 seasons to Vinery Stud, Scone. While all of these sire sons have moved to different properties, those breeders/buyers who took a punt on these sires after they lost some stud “gloss” have reaped some dividends. Red Ransom sire sons Duporth, Domesday and All American were all represented with Group 1 winners last season (Hey Doc, Daysee Doom and Dark Dream, winning).
