EVERY stud season new young horses are retired for stud duties, with current numbers about 35.
The celebrated Danehill sireline will broaden its branches with new sires including Trapeze Artist, to Widden Stud; Stratosphere to Grenville Stud, Tasmania; Siege Of Quebec, at Aquis, Victoria; Bondi at Lynwood Park Stud, Western Australia, and The Autumn Sun and Showtime at Arrowfield Stud, Scone.
Always impressive as a foal, Showtime developed so well and combined with his pedigree - by champion Snitzel from stakes mare Flidais, he sold for $1.1 million at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
A brother to Group 1 winner Sweet Idea, Showtime burst onto the racing scene, when as an October juvenile he finished second on debut at Randwick.
Following he raced almost exclusively in Group company mixing with the best of his generation which included She Will Reign, Pariah and Invader, before taking on older horses at weight-for-age.
His best wins in the Stutt Stakes-G2 over 1600 metres at Moonee Valley, and the weight-for-age 1400 metre Caulfield feature P B Lawrence-G2, was as a three-year-old.
Wonderful champion international sire More Than Ready returns to Vinery for his 19th shuttle season.
More Than Ready's new stud son includes Prized Icon who retires to Kooringal Stud near Wagga Wagga.
With track earnings of more than $2.1 million, Prized Icon was a Group 1 winning two- and three-year-old taking the ATC Champagne Stakes at Randwick at two-years-old.
He went on to win the VRC Derby at Flemington at three-years-old.
As a juvenile Prized Icon won or placed in six stakes races.
His tough consistency earned him Group 1 placings in four other occasions.
Prized Icon was produced from juvenile Melbourne stakes winner Tropical Affair, a daughter of the great Danehill, also the damsire of other champion gallopers including the successful sires Frankel, Shocking, and Sepoy, while another but younger sought after sire is Vancouver.
Japanese-bred horses are making headlines too.
These include Real Steel, by Sunday Silence champion Deep Impact to Arrowfield Stud; another Deep Impact son Saxon Warrior to Coolmore Stud; Neorealism, by Sunday Silence champion galloper Neo Universe, to Oaklands Stud, Queensland; and Australian performed Brave Smash, by Neo Universe sire son Tosen Phantom to Aquis Farm.
Undefeated and US Triple Crown Series winner Justify leads the pack of US-bred sons of Scat Daddy to stud.
Winner of his six starts as a three-year-old, Justify joins new comer Mendelssohn at Coolmore Stud.
