Haunui
Farm have today announced their service fees for the 2016 breeding season.
New Zealand's leading sire of two-year-olds and last season's Champion 3YO Sire
Iffraaj (GB) (Zafonic), will stand at a fee of $17,500 + GST whilst his barn
mate Showcasing (GB) (Oasis Dream), the leading second season sire and Champion
2YO and First Season Sire of 2014/2015, will stand for $15,000 + GST in the new
season with their books strictly limited to 100 and 125 mares
respectively. They will be joined once
again by G1 Australian Guineas-winner Ferlax, whose fee remains at $7,000 +
GST.
The current season has seen both stallions pick up where they left off in
2014/2015. Last year, it was Showcasing
who stole the limelight on Karaka Million night however in this year's
rendition, it was the elder statesman of the Haunui stallion roster Iffraaj who
was to the fore with Xiong Feng (NZ) (Iffraaj) putting his sire's name up in
lights. Having sired 2015 winner
Hardline (NZ) (Showcasing), Showcasing wasn't to be outdone with three-year-old
colt Raghu an impressive winner of the Karaka Million 3YO Mile whilst filly
Showmeyamoneyhoney (NZ) (Showcasing) almost made it a double for her sire in
the main event finishing runner-up.
Raghu has since gone on to finish second in the Group Two Waikato
Guineas and put in the performance of his career to date when third in the
Group One New Zealand Derby whilst Showmeyamoneyhoney will continue her racing
career on the other side of the Tasman.
Iffraaj
has been among New Zealand's leading sires for some time and 2015/2016 is no different with dual Australian Group
One-winner Turn Me Loose and, Karaka Million-winner Xiong Feng among his
current flag bearers. Recent racing has
seen Iffraaj add to his stakes winning tally in Australia with Who Dat Singa
victorious in the Listed Melvista Stakes in Perth en route to the WATC Derby
and Listen taking out the Selangor Gold Cup.
The start of the European flat racing season has also seen Iffraaj filly
Nathra get her Classic season off to a flyer winning the Group Three Nell Gwyn
Stakes with either the Group One 1000 Guineas at Newmarket or, the Deauville
equivalent, on her immediate agenda.
Stakeswinner number 37 for Iffraaj, Nathra, who was also a Group One
performer at two, is another example of the successful Iffraaj/Danehill cross
which has produced 6 stakes winners to date from 14 starters including Group
One-winners Turn Me Loose and Chriselliam and multiple Group Two-winner, Group
One-performer and Filly of the Year, Fix.
Showcasing hit the ground running with his first
crop and there is no doubt they have trained on at three - his 51% winners to
runners ratio from this first crop is testament to that fact. He has a total of 11 stakes performers in the
Southern Hemisphere to date and a 17% stakes performers to runners ratio is
further proof that he isn't hanging his hat on the performances of a handful of
individuals. Rounding out a stallion's
appeal is the ability of his progeny to perform in our major export markets –
commercially sometimes more important than domestic success – and Showcasing is
ticking the boxes in this regard. He is
five from ten in Australia with a Group Two performer, six from seven in
Singapore with a Group Three performer and he's off the mark in Hong Kong with
his first winner from just five starters.
And the success continues on the European front with three-year-old
filly Quiet Reflection impressing on seasonal debut to become his second
Group-winning three-year-old for the season with flat racing still getting into
full swing.
Group One Australian Guineas-winner Ferlax rounds out the Haunui stallion
roster. It's been well documented in all
of our information about Ferlax, the support he has received from GSA
Bloodstock and as such, the quality of mare he has served in his first two
seasons, is without doubt, the best opportunity a stallion standing in his
service fee bracket will have been given in New Zealand in the same year. Mares by Danehill, Zabeel, Fastnet Rock,
Redoute's Choice, O'Reilly, More Than Ready, Exceed and Excel, Encosta De Lago
and, Flying Spur to name a few.
This opportunity has been enhanced further with a half-sister to New Zealand
Derby runner-up What's the Story delivering a colt foal in 2015 and due to foal
to him again in 2016 whilst he has a weanling half-sister on the ground to
recent Group Two-winner Watch This Space.
Haunui Farm's Managing Director, Mark Chitty says, "I believe we have a
stallion for every breeder on our roster.
Both Iffraaj and Showcasing are at the top of their game, competing with
stallions serving far bigger books of mares and standing in much higher service
fee brackets and, Ferlax has ticked the box on foal type and has it all before
him."