A good showing from a young stallion whose first crop weanlings are being offered at the Gold Coast usually equates to mare bookings, so let's take a look at the sires in the cross hairs.
The catalogue features 567 lots and some 157 are by first season sires.
The stallions that are standing here again this spring and have four or more weanlings on offer are Adelaide (IRE), Better Than Ready, Brazen Beau, Deep Field, Dissident, Hallowed Crown, Olympic Glory (IRE), Rubick, Shooting to Win, Sidestep, Toronado (IRE), Wandjina, Whittington and Zebedee (GB).
The stallions with larger drafts that are really subjecting themselves to some sort of commercial judgment in the marketplace are: Better Than Ready (14), Deep Field (32), Dissident (18), Olympic Glory (IRE) (10), Rubick (21), Shooting to Win (14) and Wandjina (15).
Below we have summarized their credentials and run a link to their weanlings on offer in alphabetical order.
Better Than Ready is a Listed winning sprinter by champion sire More Than Ready (USA) that stands at Lyndhurst Stud in Queensland. Has covered books of 138 and 134 mares in his first two seasons at stands at a fee of $9,900.
Click to see his weanlings.
Deep Field is a Group II winning son of ill-fated Northern Meteor that stands at Newgate Farm in the Hunter Valley. Has covered books of 257 and 203 mares in his first two seasons and stands at a fee of $22,000.
Click here to see his weanlings.
Dissident is an Australian Horse of the Year and five-time Group I winner by Sebring that stands at Newgate Farm. Has covered books of 197 and 213 mares in his first two seasons and stands at a fee of $33,000.
Click here to see his weanlings, although his original draft of 18 has been cut heavily with 10 withdrawals.
Olympic Glory (IRE) is a Champion European Miler and four-time Group I winner by Choisir that stands at Arrowfield Stud. He has covered books of 122 and 79 mares in his first two seasons and stands at a fee of $16,500.
Click
here to see his weanlings, although his draft has been halved with five
withdrawals.
Rubick is a Group II winning son of Encosta de Lago from the family of Redoute's Choice that stands at Coolmore. He has covered books of 214 and 162 mares in his first two seasons and stands at a fee of $17,600.
Rubick is a Group II winning son of Encosta de Lago from the family of Redoute's Choice that stands at Coolmore. He has covered books of 214 and 162 mares in his first two seasons and stands at a fee of $17,600.
Click here to see his weanlings.
Shooting to Win is a full brother to Deep Field, won the Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas and stands at Darley in the Hunter Valley. Has covered books of 156 and 148 mares in his first two seasons and stands at a fee of $33,000.
Click here to see his weanlings.
Wandjina won the Group I VRC Australian Guineas and is the second son of Snitzel to stand at Newgate Farm following on from Sizzling, whose first yearlings sold this year. Has covered books of 153 and 165 mares in his first two seasons and stands at a fee of $27,500.
Click here to see his weanlings.
The National Weanling Sale is a very small taste of things to come and these sires will be back in force at the yearling sales in 2018.