In The NZ Breeding Barn…….Stallion News

In The NZ Breeding Barn…….Stallion News (as of 22/7/24)

Rob Courtney

Recent seasons have seen the number of broodmares being served in our harness breeding season dramatically reduced from the highs of the late 80’s.

One could take that a step further and suggest that it hasn’t been the ‘commercial’ breeders that have been cutting back or lost to the industry altogether but the small/hobby breeders with 1 or 2 mares who have found the increasing costs vs the lack of financial return too much to warrant the continuation of their hobby.

As the various stallion rosters come out with another breeding season just around the corner, there are those farms, especially with ‘home bred’ stallions, who are doing their best to provide a viable option for those breeders with restricted budgets.

It’s a hypothetical situation, but what job would some of these ‘homebreds’ do if they were patronised by the very best of our commercial broodmares?

At Wai Eyre in North Canterbury, the owners of Sky Major have been very proactive in reducing his new season fee to $1000 + gst. (previously $2500 + gst) The 1:50.4 son of the mighty Art Major won races in 3 countries (15 all up) and will always remain special in our history annuals after winning Harness ‘Jewels’ at 2, 3 & 4.

Helium (6 wins + $74k), from a Bettor’s Delight mare and Indasky.

(5 wins + $48k), from a Grinfromeartoear mare, have both posted sub 1:56 MR winning performances. Montgomery Burns, from a Sands A Flyin mare, has also gone under 1:56 in winning 5 from only 9 starts and is unbeaten this season in Australia, winning all 3 of his new campaign.

Sky Major served 21 mares in 2023, his lowest total since going to stud in the 18/19 season.

If my memory serves me right, he was ‘free’ in that first season as his owners attempted to attract as many mares as possible to his court.

Another at Wai Eyre who started off in a similar ‘free’ vein was young trotting sire Carlton, still owned by the Hopes at Woodend Beach.

From that initial crop of just 9, the son of Dream Vacation has already left the multiple 2yo placegetter in Carla Pixie who has recently been sold to Brent Lilley’s Victorian stable for ‘good money’ and if one is to believe owner/breeder Greg Hope, he has a yearling colt at home who has broken in as good as any young horse he has ever trained.

Carlton’s Love You dam is already a Group 1 producer in Australia and is a full sister to former star 2 & 3yo Enghiem (16 wins + $407k).

Carlton served just the 10 mares last season.

He will stand this coming season for just $500 + semen collection fees.

At Phoebe Standardbreds, stud principal Grant Beckett can’t get over how good the foals are by Habibi Inta.

After a slow start to last season, a late flurry saw the son of Love You serve 33 mares @ $2500 + gst (down to $2k if paid by September)

That price remains in place for the coming season.

Let us remember, he was good enough to win three as a 2yo, won a ‘Jewels’ at 4 before destroying the Dominion field (the NZ Cup for trotters) at six.

Habibi Inta belongs to a super family that has really stood up over the last 20 years, producing a steady stream of high-quality trotters and he has a real chance to succeed at stud if Beckett’s observations are accurate.

The recent win of Royal Del, his 10^th  (& $112k), was a timely reminder of the quality progeny that Royal Aspirations has brought to our tracks.

2023 was a huge boost to the 18 win son of Monarchy when he served 107 mares, a number not normally associated with a ‘homebred’ trotting stallion in NZ.

*** The feat has been achieved in recent times by What The Hill, Father Patrick & Majestic Son.

Foals from that crop are just weanlings & obviously are some time from getting onto the track but the probability of leaving a few really good horses would seem very high.

After all, the stallion ‘game’ is about numbers on the ground, is it not ?

As to illustrate the fickle nature of being a stallion owner, trotting breeders did not go back to Royal Aspirations in the 23/24 season, with him serving a greatly reduced 27 mares.

 

Continuing on a theme of ‘cheap alternative options’ for harness breeders, the journey of Waterloo Sunset has been somewhat of a ‘cinderella’ story. The son of Sundon from a Group 1 Rowe Cup winner in Inspire won 7 (from 40 starts) and has been available to breeders for almost 10 years but in none of those seasons has he served more than 9 mares at a time. He has only 14 foals registered 2yo and older and most of those have been trained by his part owner, master trotting trainer Paul Nairn.

Gil Favour (7 wins + $95k), Tu Tangata (4 wins + $85k), Bella Button (8 wins + $82k), Fulla Hope (6 wins + $79k) & Head Em Up (6 wins + $56k) have been super adverts for their sire and 2yo Waterloo Station looks like adding to that list of winners in the near future.. Another 3 have qualified and that makes his $1000 + gst service fee look rather attractive for those breeders prepared to support a well bred ‘homebred’.