The release of Australian Studbook official covering statistics is always interesting for our first season sires as all the marketing in the world won’t convince a broodmare owner to use a first season horse unless they actually like him when they see him.
As a dual Group I winning three year-old sprinter by champion sire I Am invincible, Coolmore young gun Home Affairs was the highest priced first season horse in 2022 and breeders liked what they saw and he duly covered 202 mares.
As a Golden Slipper winning son of Extreme Choice, Newgate Farm’s Stay Inside was always going to be hard to resist so it’s no surprise to see the top two busiest sires also the most expensive, but further down the list it gets a lot more interesting!
Top 20 Most Popular First Season Sires
Stallion (sire of ) |
Mares |
Service Fee |
StudOrOwner |
State |
Home Affairs (AUS) 2018 I Am Invincible |
202 |
$110,000 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
Stay Inside (AUS) 2018 Extreme Choice |
188 |
$77,000 |
Newgate Operations |
NSW |
Acrobat (AUS) 2018 Fastnet Rock |
188 |
$13,750 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
Wild Ruler (AUS) 2017 Snitzel |
175 |
$38,500 |
Newgate Operations |
NSW |
Tiger Of Malay (AUS) 2018 Extreme Choice |
164 |
$16,500 |
Newgate Operations |
NSW |
St Mark's Basilica (FR) 2018 Siyouni |
159 |
$44,000 |
Coolmore Australia |
NSW |
Profiteer (AUS) 2018 Capitalist |
136 |
$16,500 |
Newgate Operations |
NSW |
Pinatubo (IRE) 2017 Shamardal |
131 |
$55,000 |
Godolphin Australia |
NSW |
Captivant (AUS) 2018 Capitalist |
126 |
$27,500 |
Kia Ora Stallions |
NSW |
Splintex (AUS) 2016 Snitzel |
118 |
$11,000 |
Mr CB Atwell |
WA |
Jonker (AUS) 2015 Spirit of Boom |
115 |
$16,500 |
Aquis Farm |
QLD |
Extreme Warrior (AUS) 2018 Extreme Choice |
113 |
$24,750 |
Rosemont Stud |
VIC |
Portland Sky (AUS) 2017 Deep Field |
105 |
$27,500 |
Widden Stud Australia |
NSW |
Palace Pier (GB) 2017 Kingman |
96 |
$55,000 |
Godolphin Australia |
NSW |
Glenfiddich (AUS) 2017 Fastnet Rock |
91 |
$8,800 |
Aquis Farm |
QLD |
Barbaric (AUS) 2017 I Am Invincible |
86 |
$8,800 |
Lyndhurst Stud Farm |
QLD |
Wooded (IRE) 2017 Wootton Bassett |
84 |
$22,000 |
Swettenham Stud |
VIC |
Victor Ludorum (GB) 2017 Shamardal |
78 |
$24,750 |
Godolphin Australia |
NSW |
Aclaim (IRE) 2013 Accalamation |
77 |
$24,200 |
Aquis Farm |
QLD |
Delaware (GB) 2016 Frankel |
51 |
$9,900 |
Woodside Park |
VIC |
Stay Inside was one of three sons of Extreme Choice to go to stud this spring and the other two, Tiger of Malay in NSW for Newgate and Extreme Warrior in Victoria for Rosemont both covered more than 100 mares.
The real surprise packet was Fastnet Rock’s bargain priced son Acrobat, who raced just once for a brilliant debut victory in the Listed Inglis Nursery and covered 188 mares at a fee of $13,750.
Coolmore never stand a horse with as little on their race record, but pedigree, type and their faith in his female family (he is a brother to the dam of Learning to Fly) earned him a crack at commercial success and now he has the numbers to give himself a shot.
What is interesting is that on the other side of the country, his close relation Splintex has also been given a great opportunity covering 118 mares at Darling View Thoroughbreds to be the second busiest sire in WA outside of his barn mate Playing God.
Splintex was a multiple Group II winning sprinter by Snitzel and is from Group II placed Acquired, a half-sister to Group II winner Hips Don’t Lie, the dam of Acrobat.
Both stallions have the profile to suggest they could sire early winners, so their progress is going to be well worth watching… which will have more 2YO winners come the end of their first season?