When a first season sire goes to stud he needs two things in his first book of mares to become a commercial success, he firstly needs numbers, but he also needs quality, so we’ve taken a look at the books of mares covered by first season sires in Australia last season.
To make a real commercial impact a first book of 100 or more mares is a good place to start and the list below shows the top 20 first season sires from 2020 sorted by number of mares covered.
Sire |
Fee |
Served |
Stud |
Yes Yes Yes |
$38,500 |
205 |
Coolmore |
Zousain |
$19,800 |
188 |
Widden |
Brutal |
$27,500 |
177 |
Newgate |
Pierata |
$44,000 |
168 |
Aquis |
Dubious |
$13,200 |
162 |
Aquis |
D'Argento |
$16,500 |
152 |
Bowness |
Cosmic Force |
$16,500 |
146 |
Newgate |
Exceedance |
$38,500 |
142 |
Vinery |
Alabama Express |
$27,500 |
141 |
Yulong |
Castelvecchio |
$33,000 |
141 |
Arrowfield |
Tassort |
$11,000 |
137 |
Newgate |
Too Darn Hot (GB) |
$44,000 |
130 |
Darley NSW |
Blue Point (IRE) |
$44,000 |
128 |
Darley Vic |
Magna Grecia (IRE) |
$22,000 |
122 |
Coolmore |
Microphone |
$38,500 |
117 |
Darley NSW |
I Am Immortal |
$13,750 |
116 |
Swettenham |
Strasbourg |
$11,000 |
109 |
Rosemont |
Omaha Beach (USA) |
$22,000 |
104 |
Spendthrift |
Vino Rosso (USA) |
$13,750 |
103 |
Spendthrift |
Royal Meeting (IRE) |
$11,000 |
88 |
Leneva Park |
A sire that will eventually become a champion stallion does not need much in the way of quality mares as he will upgrade whatever comes his way as we have seen with stallions such as I Am Invincible, Not a Single Doubt and Written Tycoon
In their first seasons, I Am Invincible covered 133 mares at an $11,000 fee, Not a Single Doubt covered 128 mares at $13,750 and Written Tycoon covered 118 at $8,250.
Most stallions won’t be champion sires, so they need help from the other side of the fence.
The reality is quality mares will take a young sire a long way and will put his progeny into the major yearling sales from where they will then enter major stables and be given every chance to succeed under the care of our leading trainers.
Below are the same first season sires sorted by the total number of stakes-winners and stakes producers they covered last year with Darley’s Too Darn Hot (GB) heading the list.
His class and credentials were not lost on Australian breeders and his book last year included no fewer than eight Group I winners and the dams of four more Group I winners!
Sire |
Fee |
Served |
Stud |
Stakes-Winners |
Stakes Producers |
Total |
Too Darn Hot (GB) |
$44,000 |
130 |
Darley NSW |
36 |
16 |
52 |
Pierata |
$44,000 |
168 |
Aquis |
29 |
20 |
49 |
Blue Point (IRE) |
$44,000 |
128 |
Darley Vic |
33 |
19 |
49 |
Yes Yes Yes |
$38,500 |
205 |
Coolmore |
23 |
15 |
38 |
Brutal |
$27,500 |
177 |
Newgate |
18 |
16 |
34 |
Microphone |
$38,500 |
117 |
Darley NSW |
27 |
14 |
31 |
Exceedance |
$38,500 |
142 |
Vinery |
17 |
12 |
29 |
Cosmic Force |
$16,500 |
146 |
Newgate |
10 |
17 |
27 |
Alabama Express |
$27,500 |
141 |
Yulong |
8 |
12 |
20 |
Zousain |
$19,800 |
188 |
Widden |
11 |
8 |
19 |
Castelvecchio |
$33,000 |
141 |
Arrowfield |
8 |
10 |
18 |
Tassort |
$11,000 |
137 |
Newgate |
8 |
10 |
18 |
Omaha Beach (USA) |
$22,000 |
104 |
Spendthrift |
8 |
7 |
15 |
Dubious |
$13,200 |
162 |
Aquis |
7 |
6 |
13 |
I Am Immortal |
$13,750 |
116 |
Swettenham |
3 |
10 |
13 |
Vino Rosso (USA) |
$13,750 |
103 |
Spendthrift |
5 |
6 |
11 |
D'Argento |
$16,500 |
152 |
Bowness |
6 |
4 |
10 |
Magna Grecia (IRE) |
$22,000 |
122 |
Coolmore |
5 |
5 |
10 |
Strasbourg |
$11,000 |
109 |
Rosemont |
3 |
4 |
7 |
Royal Meeting (IRE) |
$11,000 |
88 |
Leneva Park |
4 |
3 |
7 |