Breeding Exposed

Why are yearling buyers fixated with purchasing the progeny of sires (eg Redoubte's Choice, Encosta De Lago) renowned predominantly for producing sprinters? They may be doing themselves a disservice, as I will attempt to illustrate in this article.

Top-end players in our racing and breeding industry have had the blinkers on for some time, and as a result, our thoroughbreds are unable to compete on the international stage in some of the global classics. This fixation with winning races such as the Golden Slipper, Blue Diamond and Magic Millions, I think has been detrimental to our industry and this is becoming increasingly apparent.

Considering that the majority of prize-money is kept for the classic and staying races, it doesn't make sense that so much time is spent in breeding sprinters that only race for a few seasons. Stayers can race on until seven or eight years of age at a high level. Obviously the stakes on offer for winning the 2yo Group Ones (and the restricted races such as Magic Millions and Inglis Classic) make a very good selling-point in catalogues and in the sales-ring especially when the adrenalin is rushing and common-sense may have gone out the window. The problem is further exacerbated, when a number of 2yo's with some black-type against their name, are retired to stud, in some cases, not even making it onto the track as a 3yo. This seems all the more short-sighted when you consider that the recently retired Sadler's Wells has been the most successful sire in the world over the past fifteen years and he was a sire of stayers.

Until Australian thoroughbreds can compete in, and win, such staying classics as the Prix De L'Arc De Triomphe, Breeders Cup, Japan Cup and Dubai World Cup, we cannot expect to be taken seriously at a global level. We are no longer producing horses that can be competitive in such events, blind Freddy can see the problem revolves around the fact that we are not breeding horses with the required stamina and resolve to win these high quality staying contests.

When you consider that the Golden Slipper is the only sprint race in Australia less than 1600m in distance that is worth over One Million Dollars, you wonder why we persist with the fixation of breeding for just speed.

On my site you will see an outline of our major races, what they are worth and which sires provided these winners over the past 12 months.

You will note that with exception of the Doncaster Hcp and Railway Stakes, (which is generally accepted that you need a good 2000m horse to win those events) they are all staying events. I reiterate there is only one race over a sprinting distance under a mile where prize-money exceeds 1million dollars, that is the Golden Slipper ($3.5mil). After that, compared to the stayers, the sprinters are racing for peanuts.

This years Easter Yearling Sales produced 25 yearlings that were purchased for over 1 million dollars. Twelve were by Redoute's Choice and nine by Encosta de Lago. Neither of these sires won any of our top prizemoney races over the past twelve months. Furthermore, none of the sires of our major staying races, featured in the top 25 yearling purchased at Easter. Houston we have a problem!!!

Adding further merit to my argument, Redoute's Choice hasn't sired a champion racehorse yet. His best horse has been Miss Finland, who won a Golden Slipper as a 2yo and dominated her own sex as a 3yo filly. However, as an older horse she failed to live up to the hype and was retired. Redoute's Choice has failed to produce a champion W.F.A horse and so far his progeny haven't really made their mark as older horses.

Encosta De Lago, has had Group 1 winners over staying distances with the likes of Princess Coup and Sirmione, whilst good horses, they aren't considered champions. Encosta De Lago's best horse to race in Australia, to date, has been 'Racing To Win' and even he wasn't able to dominate W.F.A racing during this years Sydney Autumn Carnival.

Ironically, the stallion with the greatest success in producing champions happens to be a sire of stayers - Zabeel. He has been champion sire Aust and NZ combined, on 12 occasions, yet he had 23 yearlings catalogued at Easter and none of them could make it to the elite million dollar mark when sold. Do buyers live in some sort of bazario parallel universe when they walk onto yearling sales complexes?

Zabeel has produced champion racehorses Might And Power, Octagonal, Vengeance Of Rain, amongst many other outstanding performers over all distances. As well, his progeny get better with age, which is something that owners should be searching for, considering that over 70% of our prize money is distributed towards staying races.

In summary, it is evident that despite the fact prize-money remains far greater for staying races both here in Australia and overseas, we remain fixated with breeding sprinters therefore unable to compete globally in the big-name races. It's sad times for the Australian breeding industry when the second tier Japanese horses can quinella the Melbourne Cup and one time hurdlers from England can win the Melbourne Cup. Lets not even think what would happen if these overseas raiders decide to bring the best W.F.A horses here for our carnivals. I guess it's almost a blessing we are so far away, making it unattractive for them to send their best horses.