The response to our ‘red flags’ stories regarding factual data from the Australian Studbook has led to another story, this time highlighting a stallion that is setting the pace for two year-old winners this season.
A dual Group I winning sprinter at age six, Spirit of Boom has always been well supported by Queensland breeders since he retired to Eureka Stud in 2014 and covered 641 mares in his first four seasons at a fee of $11,000. When his first progeny hit the ground running everything changed for Spirit of Boom.
He sired 18 first crop winners - five of them SW’s - to be the leading first crop sire by winners in 2017/2018 with Zoustar the next best on 10 winners. While Zoustar took the champion first season sire title by earnings on $3.2million thanks largely to Sunlight, Spirit of Boom was a clear second on $1.9million.
Spirit of Boom was afforded a big jump in service fee as a result of his success attracting the patronage of interstate breeders and his current three year-olds and two year-olds are the first conceived from higher fees.
He sired 23 two year-old winners last season and is on track to surpass that mark this year posting his 22nd juvenile winner of the season on Sunday.
Spirit of Boom runs at an overall strike rate of 72.6% winner to runner and his 21 stakes-winners have come at a strike rate of 4.2%, which will undoubtedly improve with the benefit of consistently better quality books of mares. He is also a stallion that does well with a double up of Danehill and 10 of his stakes-winners are bred this way including his lone Group I winner Jonker, also now standing at stud in Queensland at Aquis.
His current season two and three year-olds include five stakes-winners - De Sonic Boom, Malaboom, Golden Boom, Palazzo Spirit and Get in the Spirit.
Spirit of Boom stands at Eureka Stud at a fee of $38,500 this spring.