News

Fastnet Rock Crowned Leading Sire For The First Time

1st Aug 2012

ANZ Bloodstock News - Wednesday, 1 August 2012

The 2011-12 season has seen Fastnet Rock (Danehill) claim his first Champion Sire title after a profitable season, topped by the exploits of the filly Mosheen, who has earned her sire $1,976,000 after winning six races, the Edward Manifold Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m), the Crown Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m), the Manfred Stakes (Listed, 1200m), the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m), the Randwick Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and the Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).

As reported in ANZ previously, Fastnet Rock is now ahead of his sire Danehill (Danzig), in regards to individual stakes winners, with Danehill siring 32 after his first four crops had hit the racecourse and Fastnet Rock siring 33 in his first four crops. However, by this point in his stud career Danehill had 12 Group One winners to his name, with Fastnet Rock two behind on ten, with those being Atlantic Jewel, Planet Rock, Irish lights, Wanted, Rock Classic, Sea Siren, Foxwedge, Lone Rock, Rock ‘N’ Pop and of course Mosheen.

From the table below we can see that Fastnet Rock has made the leading sire top ten in the two previous seasons, finishing tenth at the end of the 2010 - 11 and ninth in 2009-10. With his earnings more than doubling this season, and with many promising juveniles last season, who will be lively contenders for the classics in 2012 - 13, Fastnet Rock is sure to be a putting in another claim for champion sire honours this season.

Lonhro (Octagonal), who won the 2010 - 11 Champion Sire crown, finished second in 2011 - 12 despite his progeny earning over $500,000 more prize money than in the previous season. Lonhro’s best runner in 2011 – 12 was Pierro with earnings of $2,946,150 after winning six stakes races, including the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), the Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and the Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m). Lonhro was third in the table in the 2009-10 season after shooting up the ranks from 43rd the previous year. Lonhro’s fee has increased from $77,000 in 2011 to $110,000 this season.

The consistent Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) was third in 2011 – 12 and has been in the top three for the last four seasons, with his progeny earnings increasing by over $1million this season but him falling one place on the overall sire ranks. Another consistent top ten sire is Vinery Stud’s More Than Ready (Southern Halo), whose progeny earnings rose again in 2011 - 12 to push him one place up the overall sires table. He has been in top ten for the last five seasons, as has Darley’s Commands (Danehill) and Coolmore’s Encosta De Lago (Fairy King).

Due to the continued success of the Champion Mare Black Caviar, Eliza Park’s Bel Esprit (Royal Academy) gained his second top ten leading sire placing, again finishing sixth, even though his progeny earned slightly less than last season. Another consistent sire is Testa Rossa (Perugino), who has finished in the top ten for the fourth time in a row with Ortensia being his leading earner with prize money this season of $396,500. The mare who won the Al Quoz Sprint (Gr 1, 5f) at Meydan in March is in Britain after her fourth place finish in the July Cup (Gr 1, 6f) and is being targeted at the Nunthorpe Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) at York on 24 August.

Leading Australian Sires Of The 2011-12 Season By Earnings And Their Earnings For The Last Five Seasons

2011-12 Rank | Year To Stud | 2011-12 | 2010-11 | 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2007-08 : ----- | ------- | ------ | ------ | ------- | -------- | ------- :

1. Fastnet Rock | 2005 | $12,683,189 | $5,651,553 (10) | $5,715,922 (9) | $892,479 | (N/A)
2. Lonhro | 2004 | $9,391,368 | $8,752,995 (1) | $7,514,311 (3) | $2,421,334 (43) | $655,230 (N/A)
3. Redoute’s Choice | 2000 | $8,648,647 | $7,451,396 (2) | $9,110,132 (1) | $9,502,663 (2) | $4,552,624 (9)
4. More Than Ready | 2001 | $7,831,145 | $7,101,227 (5) | $5,888,456 (7) | $7,457,224 (5) | $6,509,431 (2)
5. Commands | 2000 | $7,197,975 | $7,309,225 (3) | $6,407,915 (5) | $6,720,843 (6) | $5,001,508 (6)
6. Bel Esprit | 2003 | $6,575,510 | $7,100,211 (6) | $3,606,663 (22) | $2,951,238 (35) | $1,689,012 (N/A)
7. Encosta De Lago | 1997 | $6,227,297 | $7,185,547 (4) | $8,748,605 (2) | $9,932,263 (1) | $10,448,608 (1)
8. Exceed And Excel | 2004 | $6,156,460 | $4,908,894 (15) | $3,576,267 (23) | $3,392,008 (22) | $1,103,680 (N/A)
9. Snitzel | 2006 | $5,782,889 | $2,622,006 (39) | $1,267,318 | (N/A) | (N/A)
10. Testa Rossa | 2001 | $5,457,320 | $6,232,346 (8) | $5,904,537 (6) | $5,433,856 (8) | $3,671,958 (12)