Statue Of Liberty’s return to Victoria is a boost at a time when

Victoria is looking for a sire to replace the loss to NSW of the reliable Testa Rossa (by Perugino), now standing at Vinery, Scone.

Statue Of Liberty (br or blk h 2000, Storm Cat (USA)-Charming Lassie (USA), by Seattle Slew (USA)) will stand at Eliza Park Stud, Kerrie, near Romsey, after he was seemingly lost to Japan, post EI. He last stood in Victoria at Blue Gum Farm, Euroa, in 2006 when he covered 72 mares at a fee of $8800.

The boost in interest in Statue Of Liberty comes from the result of three very good Stakes winners from his first crop – the unbeaten rising star Mic Mac, Dan Baroness and Elysees – and the Magic Millions 3YO winner Tempest Tost.

It’s a shame Blue Gum missed out on Statue Of Liberty. I believe they played all their cards to get the job done, but Eliza Park’s bid was too strong.

Statue Of Liberty joins Coolmore’s Tale Of The Cat as a flag-bearer for the Storm Cat sire-line in Australia, after a string of high profile flops that include the great racehorses Giant’s Causeway, Hennessy and Hennessy’s son Johannesburg.

Storm Cat has 10 North American sons that have produced Group 1 winners, but the jury is out about his long-term influence on the breed outside his home country.

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The biggest talking point among Australian breeders is what will

happen with service fees in 2009. Certainly they will – must – come down in the wake of a dramatic drop in yearling sale returns, but by how much?

Just as important an issue, and not getting the same degree of debate, is stallion covering numbers – they are just too high in any commercial climate, let alone this depressed one.

Owners can hardly justify the covering of between 200 and 250 mares by individual stallions and expect brood mares owners to run a successful commercial outcome with the resultant progeny. In recent times, we have seen Bel Esprit (266) and Fastnet Rock (257 and 249) cover monster books.

Australia’s two leading living stallions are Redoute’s Choice (2008 fee $330,000) and Encosta De Lago ($302,500). Their 2006 fees (2009 sale

yearlings) were $270,000 and $176,000 respectively. So far from the 2009 Australia and New Zealand yearling sales Encosta De Lago has had 19 yearlings from 43 sold (44%) unable make more than the 2006 service fee (not counting pass ins). In Redoute’s Choice’s case it is six from 21 (29%).

At the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale next month, these two stallions form the backbone of an entry of 500 in the green book – Redoute’s Choice will be represented by 75 youngsters, while Encosta De Lago has 71 catalogued. In 2006, Redoute’s Choice covered 224 mares for 159 live foals. Encosta De Lago served 230 mares for 173 live foals*.

In 2008, Redoute’s Choice’s demand (at a fee of $330,000) waned to the point he covered a reduced book of 144 mares (partly a commercial decision by Arrowfield Stud, but also partly because of competition in the Hunter from Encosta De Lago), which is good news

for those with Easter quality yearlings to sell in 2011. On the other hand, the drive by Coolmore Stud to gather mares for Encosta De Lago continued this season; he served 227 mares at his increased fee of $302,500 (from $220,000).

Vinery Stud’s CEO Peter Orton, an astute market reader, already is envisaging a reduction in covering numbers for the Scone farm, particularly for the in-demand Testa Rossa. “No decision has been made, but I tend to think that his fee ($38,500 inc GST) will stay about the same but we will restrict his book to around 100 to 120 mares (TR averaged 150 mares in the last five years),” Orton told The Breed. The numbers are simple to imagine, with a greater chance of a quality yearling providing a greater return to a broodmare owner off a 100-cover season, than a 150-cover season.

Interesting times lie ahead.*FIGURES, STUDBOOK.COM.AU

DANNY POWER

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Choisir earns his stripesHands up those who thought Choisir’s lack of female pedigree would be his downfall as a sire ... let me continue typing with one hand.

Choisir (ch h 1999, Danehill Dancer (IRE)-Great Selection, by Lunchtime (GB)) has had a wonderful 2009, siring the brilliant Group-winning 3YO fillies Champagne Harmony (ex Hansuyen, by Zabeel (NZ)) and Gold Water (ex Float (USA), by Devil’s Bag (USA), and the exceptional Stakes-winning 2YOs, WA-trained colt Kid Choisir (ex Friendly Seas, by Mister C. (USA)) and Gai Waterhouse’s Golden Slipper contender Horizons (ex Ubiquity, by Hurricane Sky).

An interesting side note on Choisir’s eight Australian Stakes winners (he has 14 internationally) – five of them are bays, throwing to Danehill Dancer and his champion sire Danehill (who never sired a chestnut) rather than Choisir’s rich chestnut colour that is inherited from his dam-sire Lunchtime, and granddam-sire Biscay.

DANNY POWER

tawqeet calls Argentina homeThe 2006 Caulfield Cup winner Tawqeet (Ch h 2002, Kingmambo (USA)-Caerless (IRE), by Caerleon (USA)), whose racing career ended with failure in the 2007 Melbourne Cup, had a reported initial book of 50 mares at stud in Argentina.

Haras San Ignacio de Loyola in Buenos Aires Province, owned by leading Argentinian breeder Ignacio Pavlovsky, bought Tawqeet from Shadwell Stud last April.

Mark Kelly, who manages Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid

Al Maktoum’s Shadwell business in Australia, said he had discussed Tawqeet’s stud prospects with farms in Australia and New Zealand, but Angus Gold, who manages the sheikh’s racing and breeding interests worldwide, arranged the Argentinian deal.

Tawqeet won two Group 1s over 2400m in Australia in the spring of 2006, the Caulfield Cup and the AJC The Metropolitan, two weeks earlier at Randwick. He was trained by David Hayes and ridden by Dwayne Dunn. Given the performance of Hussonet in this part of the world, it will be fascinating to see the reverse in action – an Australian Group 1 winner working the breed in South America. STEPHEN HOWELL

elvstroem – don’t crow earlyThe breeding doomsayers don’t need much to cross the box of a stallion who hasn’t left a significant mark with his first-season runners, and there are doubters about Elvstroem (by Danehill), who has sired only one winner, the handy Viking Legend (ex Innocent Baby, by Jugah (USA)), trained by Gai Waterhouse.

Just as we saw with Reset last year, and even Redoute’s Choice’s first crop in the

2002-03 season, it is very dangerous to “pot” a stallion too soon, especially one with a pedigree and race performance like Elvstroem.

Anyone who expected Elvstroem to leave precocious runners didn’t do their homework. I suspect that this time next year will be a different story on this well-patronized stallion who stands at Blue Gum Farm, Euroa. DANNY POWER

savabeel’s emotionFirst-starter My Emotion’s win in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday was a first for New Zealand sire Savabeel, too, providing the Zabeel stallion with his initial Stakes win, and gives further hope to the future of the Sir Tristram-Zabeel sire-line, which also is being well represented by Darley’s promising young sires Reset (by Zabeel) and Lonhro (by Octagonal).

The two-year-old filly, from Midnight Rock, by Rory’s Jester, was bought for $230,000 at the Magic Millions Premier Sale. She is from Savabeel’s first crop. The 2004 Cox Plate winner stands at Waikato Stud, Matamata (NZ)

STEPHEN HOWELL

butch gets his raktiSeymour trainer David “Butch” Bourne is one of the more discerning buyers of yearlings. Bourne does a lot of homework and likes to shop frugally. He rarely misses a yearling sale, or yearling, in Australia and New Zealand.

Bourne had one aim in 2009 – to buy a yearling from the first crop of six-times Group 1 winning international champion Rakti (by Polish Precedent USA)), who stands at Chatswood Stud, Seymour, for a $19,250 fee.

Bourne’s liking for the sire has nothing to do with the close proximity of Chatswood to his Seymour stables, nor its marketing arm, but he thanks the boys at rival stud Blue Gum Farm, Euroa. “A few years back they sent me a video of Elvstroem’s racing career, and I spotted Rakti beating Elvstroem a couple of times on the CD,” he said.

Bourne paid $20,000 for a chestnut colt by Rakti from the High Yield mare Perfectly Clear on Monday at the Adelaide Magic Millions Sales.

DANNY POWER

Mac makes hayMacO’Reilly won his second Group 1 of the year on Saturday – the Skycity New Zealand Stakes (2000m) to give another Waikato Stud stallion, O’Reilly, his seventh success at the top level. MacO’Reilly (5yo br g O’Reilly (NZ)-Double Babu (NZ), by Centaine) cost $NZ40,000 at the 2006 NZB Select Yearling Sale. He is the ninth O’Reilly-Centaine cross to win a Stakes race.

The other Group 1 at Ellerslie, the Ford City Diamond Stakes (1200m) for 2YOs, went to $NZ65,000 purchase Kaaptan (Bl g Kaapstad (NZ)-Fanny Black (NZ), by Chem (USA)). It was the eighth Group 1 winner for the Sir Tristam sire Kaapstad (dec.) STEPHEN HOWELL

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Danasinga, rising 18 years old, had the most important boost to the Australian chapter of his stud career when Metal Bender (B g 2005, from Jacqwin, by Bluebird (USA)) won the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick. The win gave Danasinga (B h 1991, Danehill ((USA)-Princess Tracy (IRE), by Ahonoora (GB)), his third Group 1 success as a sire, after standing from 1996 and 2004 at the famed Waikato Stud in New Zealand before moving to Baerami Thoroughbreds, in the Hunter Valley in 2005.

Less significantly, but importantly nonetheless, was Danasinga’s juvenile winner, the well-named We Sing We Dance (B g 2006, from Tongsai Bay, by Desert Prince (IRE)) in the Armidale Slipper (1100m) at Armidale on Monday. It was Danasinga’s second juvenile winner of the season (joining Southern Skye, Wyong, Feb 22) from his first Baerami crop.

While the Armidale Slipper is an Ugg boot in comparison to the STC’s Golden Slipper at Rosehill, We Sing We Dance, trained by Luke Griffith at Scone, showed he is a horse that will train on to better things.

Danasinga covered 99 and 100 mares in his first two Australian seasons, but last season that figure dropped to 52. He deserves better because he is a proven sire who should nick just as well with Australian speed-line mares as he did with the staying blood in New Zealand. Danasinga’s 2008 fee was $16,500.

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If you are thinking of going to the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in a couple of weeks

and, thanks to the GEC (Global Economic Crisis), expect to snaffle a cheap yearling – at least in comparison to recent Easter Sales – you are right on the mark ... if you are buying a colt.

However, buyers will be disappointed if they expect to get a filly cheap. In fact, the demand for richly-bred fillies will be so strong, the figures from the sale might surprise.

I know of at least one major buyer who expects that Easter fillies will sell to the market price of 2008! Not a sniff of a 30 or 40 per cent drop as we have seen at the national sales so far in 2009. These A-grade fillies of great type and pedigree are the thoroughbred industry

equivalent of investing in gold during a recession.

Last year, the Easter yearling sale prices, despite some worrying reports from overseas about the economic climate (read pending storm), were through the roof, producing a record average or $372,712 (up 13 per cent on 2007), and a median price of $250,000 (an increase of 25 per cent on 2007).

There is talk that Bob Ingham – 23 yearlings for $17.88 million in 2007 – won’t be buying this year, and that Darley’s John Ferguson (20 lots at $19 million) will be spending but nowhere near to that level, and the same goes for Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack Farm. When you add in the prospect that the Hong Kong Jockey Club will boycott the sale – reports are unconfirmed – over Racing

NSW’s decision to grant a riding licence to Chris Munce, then you have a big chunk of last year’s buying bench either out of the equation or taking backward steps.

But where there is some money – hoarded from the good times – is in the pockets of breeders who have had such a favourable run for the past five or so years, and the time is ripe to re-invest in a quality, high-residual filly. The word around the traps at the recent Melbourne Premier Sale was that many filly buyers were keeping their “powder dry” for Easter because of the prospect of good buying.

For them, the worry is that the competition for these fillies will hold the market higher.

The Inglis Easter Yearling Sale (session 1, 500 yearlings) starts on Sunday, April 5.

DANNY POWER

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Easter yearling fillies will be in great demandPHOTO: SEan GaRnSWORTHy

The BreedbloodlinesdAnny power

encosta de versatileThere is no doubting that the versatility of leading sire Encosta De Lago (1993, by Fairy King (USA)) stands him above most of his peers.

It was emphasised last weekend, when the Coolmore-based stallion sired four Group winners (three new Stakes winners), and what a diverse lot they were – a brilliant 2YO, a mare, a tough stayer and a ‘miler’.

The most significant of the four was Redoute’s Choice’s half-brother Manhattan Rain (B c 2006, from Shantha’s Choice, by Canny Lad), who won the Group 3 Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick, a performance that elevated him into Golden Slipper contention.

Grinding stayer Newport (Gr g 2002, from Sibelienne (GB), by Nishapour (FR)), winner of the 2008 Group 1 AJC The Metropolitan, warmed-up for the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m, Randwick) by winning the Group 3 Randwick City Stakes (2000m, Randwick); and the giant Largo Lad (B g 2004, from Lady Marion, by Danehill (USA)), finally reached his potential by winning the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.

The vastly improved mare Fifth Avenue Lady (Br m 2004, from Miss Jakeo, by Unbridled’s Song (USA)) broke through for her first Stakes win by taking out the Group 3 Matron Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.

DANNY POWER

long wait for another starIt’s safe to say that the late Robert Sangster expected a lot of the Caerleon mare My First Star (1986, from Border Dawn (IRE), by Pitcairn (IRE)) when he imported her to

Australia in 1988, and his vision was rewarded when her second foal, Slapstick (by Rory’s Jester) won the 1993 Listed Debutant Stakes (900m) at Caulfield.

My First Star’s value increased rapidly when her 1994 filly Star Alight (by Kenmare) won the 1998 Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) at Randwick, but reached fever pitch 12 months later when another brilliant daughter Isca (by Rory’s Jester) emerged as a 3YO filly to win the Group 1 Flemington straight double, the Lightning Stakes (1000m) and Newmarket Handicap (1200m).

It has taken a while for My First Star, who died in November 2007, to produce another good horse, but Sadalbari’s five-length Mornington win last Sunday – his fifth from nine starts for in-form trainer Mick Kent – suggests she has produced another smart runner.

Sadalbari is from Orpen’s (by Lure) last crop of 129 foals (2003) after serving four seasons at Coolmore, Jerry’s Plains, before he was banished back to Europe. Kent paid $40,000 for Sadalbari at the 2005 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.

My First Star produced 12 foals – nine fillies – and her last foal, a filly born in 2006, is by Niello (by Octagonal)

DANNY POWER

fire burnsfor bollingerThe weekend win by Friesan Fire (B c 3, A.P. Indy (USA)-Bollinger, by Dehere (USA)) in the Louisville Derby (1700m) in New Orleans in one of the early lead-up races to the Kentucky Derby (2000m) on May 2 has attracted Australian attention.

Bollinger (B m 1999, from Bint Marscay, by Marscay) impressed on the track when trained by Gai Waterhouse, winning the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) and the Group 2 Surround Stakes (1400m), both in 2003.

Now, she gets the chance to add more fame to an already famous line through Friesan Fire, trained by Larry Jones – the seven-length winner of the Group 2 $US600,000 Louisiana Derby is ranked third in BloodHorse.com’s Steve Haskin’s Derby Dozen after his romp on a sloppy dirt surface.

Cindy Jones, Larry Jones’s wife and assistant trainer said: “Friesan Fire just loved it out there ... now we don’t have to worry about what the weather is like on Derby Day.”

Vinery Stables in the US kept Friesan Fire after he failed to reach his sale reserve, and race the colt in partnership with Fox Hill Farm. Vinery Stables’ Tom

Simon retains ownership of land and stallions at Vinery Stud in the Hunter Valley, where John Singleton and Gerry Harvey have their mares – the Simon link could indicate that Friesan Fire has a stud future in Australia.

Bollinger’s half-sister Mannington (by Danehill (USA)) is the dam of the multiple Stakes winner Romneya. STEPHEN HOWELL

isca in the chamberIncidentally, Isca, after leaving the Stakes-winner Langness (B m 2002, by Danehill (USA)), hasn’t been able to produce foal since, but The Breed can report that there is confidence the dual Group 1 winner (the 1999 Lightning Stakes and Newmarket Handicap) will get in foal with the help of a hyperbaric chamber, which is meant to encourage oxygen flow in the bloodstream.

Last spring, Isca was covered by three stallions – Fastnet Rock and Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) at Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley, before she returned empty to go to Magnus at Eliza Park, Kerrie, in Victoria. She eventually tested positive to Magnus, but has since slipped.

Isca was bought by Paul Guy’s Heritage Bloodstock, bidding on behalf of Sean Buckley, at the 2008 dispersal sale of Swettenham Stud’s breeding stock at Inglis, Sydney, for $85,000, which at the time was considered a hefty speculation on a mare who hadn’t produced a live foal for six years.

Buckley’s farm, Ultra Thoroughbreds, at Kilmore has its own hyperbaric chamber which the mare visited a number of times during the spring, and Buckley also has called on the help of internationally respected fertility veterinarian Dr Angus McKinnon to treat her.

DANNY POWER

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Friesan Fire winning the Louisiana Derby. PHOTO COURTESy OF BLOODHORSE .COM

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