Snitzel has been
setting new benchmarks in Australia this year with a record breaking haul of
two year-old winners for an Australian sire, but in the UK the talk is all
around Kodiac, who sired his 30th two year-old winner for 2017
overnight and it's still only July.
The Northern Hemisphere season is still in full swing, so while Snitzel's current
35 winners is a figure coming at the end of our season, Kodiac's 30 has been
racked up with months still to come of the Northern Hemisphere flat season.
Kodiac's total of 30 winners is double that of his nearest rival Zebedee (GB)(by
Invincible Spirit), another noted precocious sire who shuttles to Cornerstone
Stud this year and will have his first Australian yearlings at the sales in
2018.
A three-quarter brother by Danehill to champion sire Invincible Spirit,
stakes-placed Kodiac is being tipped as a great chance to chase down his own
European record for two year-old winners of 43 set in 2014.
He set that record at the expense of his sibling Invincible Spirit, who held
the previous record of 42 set in 2010.
The precocity of this Invincible Spirit bloodline has been demonstrated admirably
in Australia through his superstar Aussie bred son I Am Invincible, who has
sired 27 two year-old winners this season and is second to only Snitzel in that
department.
Standing at Tally Ho Stud at a fee of 50,000 euros, Kodiac is a sire on the up
and may well have a shot at the world record for two year-old winners which is
held by Japanese legend Sunday Silence, who set the mark in 2004 with 51
winners.
It's a lofty goal that might not be out of reach given he has a crop of 189
foals running for him.
Australian breeders seeking to tap into the Invincible Spirit bloodline this
spring are spoiled for choice.
Of course there is I Am Invincible, who is fully booked at a fee of $110,000 at
Yarraman Park, but outside of him come a wide range of options.
There are his sires sons, horse such as Brazen Beau (Darley $44,000) and Super
One (Newgate $11,000), as well as four new sons of Invincible Spirit to shuttle
into Australia along with the previously mentioned Zebedee.
Arrowfield Stud will stand Shalaa (IRE) at a fee of $33,000, Darley have
Territories at $22,000, Woodside Park have Cable Bay (IRE) at $19,800 and
Chatswood Stud will stand Ajaya (GB) at $13,200.
The rise of the Green Desert sireline is breathing new life into the Danzig
sire dynasty, which has dominated Australian racing since the arrival of Danehill
in 1990.