Advanced technology has enabled thoroughbreds to fly around the world in ease and safety, with quarantine conditions more favourable and quicker direct air travel now assisting faster transitions from one hemisphere to another.
US bred stallions Bluebird (by Northern Dancer's Storm Bird) and Alzao (by Northern Dancer's Lyphard) were among early northern hemisphere bred shuttle stallions to head south, and who both initially landed in Australia for its 1989 breeding season.
Shuttle stallions are now the "norm" on the Australian breeding landscape.
In recent times a number of Australian bred stallions are now on the reverse shuttle to stand the northern hemisphere breeding season, with champions Octagonal and Redoute's Choice among the earlier travellers.
Godolphin's Exceed And Excel is among the longest and most regular Australian bred shuttlers travelling north to stand at either Dalham Hall Stud in England, or Kildangan Stud, Ireland, every year since 2003.
Like his arch breeding rival and Coolmore Stud's stalwart Danehill horse Fastnet Rock, who has also been a regular reverse shuttler to Ireland since, but not every season, from 2004.
Among the younger Australian bred sires to spend a number of stud seasons in the northern hemisphere are Lonhro, Epaulette, Sidestep, Brazen Beau, Kuroshio, and Starspangledbanner, with Pride Of Dubai, Vancouver, Divine Prophet, Spill The Beans, and Astern, beginning in the previous two seasons.
This trans-verse of hemisphere shuttling thoroughbreds on a regular basis has developed an international thoroughbred industry.
Much success of Australian bred shuttle sires on the northern hemisphere stage is evident.
In recent times, French bred Redoute's Choice gelding Danceteria added another stakes win to his record recently when taking the Longchamp La Coupe-G3 in France.
Exceed And Excel has also thrust his name into the spotlight as a broodmare sire of racing star Ten Sovereigns, a three-year-old No Nay Never colt who stakes his claim as champion European sprinter after taking the July Cup-G1 at Newmarket, England last month. The Danehill stallion is also the damsire of northern hemisphere bred Star Terms, who recently took a stakes race in France.
The Godolphin Australian bred Exceed And Excel sire son, Kuroshio sired his first stakes winner, however not in his home country, but in England when his UK bred daughter, Kurious, won the Scurry Stakes-LR at Sandown.
Interestingly, Kuroshio is a full-sister to Melbourne group winning mare Believe'n'succeed, who is the dam of star colt Anthony Van Dyck, winner of the world acclaimed English Epsom Derby-G1 in June.
Sire of this year's Golden Slipper-G1 winner Kiamichi, Sidestep is another young sire making a mark overseas. Among his first European crop are German foaled stakes winning colt Real Appeal who won the Prix La Fleche-LR, at Maisons-Laffitte in France.
Boom Time retires to Rangal Park
Boom Time - winner of the Caulfield Cup-G1 - has been retired to stand at Eric Buttler's Rangal Park at Euroa, Victoria.
An outstanding middle-distance galloper, Boom Time won eight races including three stakes on both sides of Australia and more than $2.5 million.
Set to continue the iconic Danehill sireline via his champion Australian sire Flying Spur, Boom Time is a three-quarter-brother to Magnus, a Flying Spur sire that has continually been a leading sire in Victoria for several seasons, with more than 300 winners including 41 stakes winners and about $38m.
Both Magnus and Boom Time belong to the celebrated female family of legendary and undefeated mare Black Caviar and her half-brother All Too Hard, the latter finishing in second spot on the leading third season Australian sires list.
Boom Time may have preferred 2000 to middle distances, but family members Magnus and Black Caviar were pure speedsters along with other family stakes winning sprinters including Scandinavia, Wilander, and Sydney two-year-old group winner Scandiva.
Producer of Boom Time is Bit Of A Ride, a daughter of outstanding Lunchtime sire Snippets, winner of the first Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic race on the Gold Coast in 1986.
