When the tough times come as they most surely have, you need to remove as much risk as possible and astute breeders will be looking for the value sires doing a great job and in Victoria that means Magnus.
A solid performer in the Top 20 active sires on the Australian General Sires List by earnings, Magnus has had his usual great season with nine stakes horses led by Group I winner Streets of Avalon and progeny earnings in excess of $5 million.
The Victorian flagbearer for his champion sire Flying Spur, Magnus has been Mr Reliability for a long while now and with a big crop of 100 plus current two year-olds has the promise of even better to come and a crop of 100 rising yearlings for the sales next year.
With an overall strike rate of nearly 70% winners to runners and 21 stakes-winners including four Group I winners, Magnus is the complete package as a sire.
All four of his Group I winners – Streets of Avalon, Malaguerra, Magnifisio and Great Shot – have earned over $1million in prizemoney and won multiple stakes races to go with their Group I victories.
These are racetrack warriors that have brought their owners monetary success as well as years of racetrack enjoyment, proving tough and sound competitors over many seasons.
These are proper racehorses like all breeders aspire to produce.
Current star Streets of Avalon was handled patiently earlier in his career and allowed to work through his grades before this year scoring a career defining win over Caulfield Guineas winner Super Seth and New Zealand Horse of the Year Melody Belle in the Group I MRC Futurity Stakes (1400m) at WFA.
It’s a pattern we see frequently with the progeny of Magnus, as they just get better with maturity and keep delivering for their owners.
With 11 winners since the start of May including metropolitan winners Magnufighter, News Girl and Star Hills, Magnus is powering towards the end of another successful season.
Magnus comes from the revered female family of Black Caviar and All Too Hard which was boosted again this season with the emergence of another exciting stakes-winning juvenile In Written Tycoon's Ole Kirk.
Written Tycoon might have packed his bags for the Hunter Valley, but owners of Written Tycoon mares in Victoria would do well to consider a mating to Magnus as the Written Tycoon x Flying Spur nick has already had success producing Group I winner Booker and stakes-winner Banquo.
Written Tycoon also carries Golden Slipper winning speed influence Vain in his pedigree as does Magnus and we know how potent that can be in a double cross.
Some 49 stakes-winners carry the double cross of Vain including nine Group I winners headed by Black Caviar and Golden Slipper winner Crystal Lily, as well as Magnus’s $1.8 million earner Malaguerra and Written Tycoon’s Pippie .
Magnus stands at Sun Stud the reduced fee of $15,400 in 2020.