Mapperley Stud drops stallion fees

Mapperley Stud has opted to reduce its service fees across the board, with spearhead Contributer (Ire) to stand for NZ$10,000 + GST.

Contributer stood for $12,500 + GST last year, but in a bid to assist breeders ahead of the upcoming breeding season, has had his fee reduced.

“We feel reducing our service fees in this climate is the right thing to do,” Mapperley Stud principal Simms Davison said. “We firmly believe it is a time for the breeding industry to be resilient and work together to carry our industry forward.

“Although we are working through a challenging time at present, it is important to remember the decisions we make this year will determine the product we have available to sell and race in 2023, where we expect the industry to be in a considerably stronger position.”

Complacent will stand at NZ$4000 + GST, a reduction of 20 per cent, while Puccini (NZ) will stand for NZ$3000 + GST, a reduction of NZ$2000.

Vancouver gets fourth winner

Coolmore's Vancouver has produced his fourth winner, with Dunbar victorious in a Pinjarra maiden.

A $180,000 purchase from the 2019 Inglis Ready2Race Sale, Dunbar out of Koonya (Nadeem), a half-sister to stakes-winners Mr Utopia (Elusive Quality {USA}) and Brazuca (Teofilo {Ire}). He is owned by Bob Peters and is trained by Grant and Alana Williams, while William Pike was the successful jockey in a tight finish.

“He has always shown plenty at home and has only ever had one gallop (where he won his trial by 5l) so he was a bit soft today," Peters said.

"We would’ve preferred to run him over 1000 metres, but the only option was to go straight to 1200 metres. He will improve out of sight with the run and hopefully there are bigger races in store for him in the future.”

Vancouver has had four stakes-placed horses from his first crop and Dunbar joins Vangelic, Postcode and Montia as winners by the sire.

Stockwell holds for 2020

Stockwell Thoroughbreds has confirmed that the fees for Artie Schiller (USA) and Al Maher will remain unchanged at $11,000 (inc GST) and $8800 (inc GST) respectively for 2020.

The Victorian-based stud will keep the prices of the two established stallions at existing levels

"We are very fortunate to be standing two highly successful and proven stallions in a market that does not often offer such consistency of results year in and out," Stockwell’s Brodie Becker said.

“Artie Schiller and Al Maher have established results, both in the yearling market and on the racetrack, through a genuine and hard-earned legacy.

“Neither was afforded the massive books of high-grade commercial mares to launch their careers others have been gifted, but both have proven to be genuine upgraders and with records to be extremely proud of.”

Artie Schiller, who has 52 stakes winners in total, including 14 in Australia, has had 40 winners in Australia this year, while Al Maher, who has 35 stakes winners in total, has had 51 winners in 2019/20.

“We recognise the commercial trends in the industry and that some stallions are considered “hot” each season, but in a year of revision and reality - such as has been imposed heading into the coming season - we could not be more proud to offer two stallions who deliver each year and protect mare owners from exposure to expensive risks,” Becker said.

Small changes for Grenville Stud

Tasmania's Grenville Stud has confirmed its stallion fees for the 2020 season, with Zululand and Stratosphere staying the same, while Mawingo (Ger) has had a price cut.

Zululand, a son of Fastnet Rock, stays at $5500 (inc GST) having produced his first foals last spring, while Stratosphere, who is by Snitzel, served 69 mares in his first season and stands at $4400 (inc GST).

Mawingo has produced eight winners, including city winners Soldier Of Love and Gee Gees Lovebeer, and sees his fee reduce from $4400 to $3300 (inc GST) in 2020.

Caulfield Cup date change being considered

Melbourne Racing Club is considering whether to shift the G1 Caulfield Cup to after the Melbourne Cup in 2020.

The Victoria Racing Club has said it is not interested in shifting the traditional date of the Melbourne Cup, despite uncertainty over what the event will look like given the disruption caused by coronavirus, and possible clashes with other sports.

MRC chief executive Josh Blanksby said his club was happy to canvas all options when considering what was in its best interest when it came to scheduling its major races.

"At the moment we are in unprecedented times with coronavirus and how it is going to work. We're looking at three options," he said.

"There's the status quo and we play on and see how we are with crowds and clashes that would occur with other sports. We could move the whole carnival back four weeks but the VRC have ruled that out and we understand that.

"Then there's the third option, which is we flip and we move maybe certain races including the Caulfield Cup Carnival and possibly the Cox Plate Carnival after Flemington."

Moonee Valley Racing Club chief executive Michael Browell said that while his club is also mulling its options, as it stands it was committed to staging the G1 Cox Plate on October 24.

Fred Best suits Stradbroke approach

Co-trainer Adrian Bott has confirmed R. Listed Inglis Scone Guineas winner Dawn Passage (Dawn Approach {Ire}) will head to the G3 Fred Best Classic before taking on the G1 Stradbroke H. next month.

Speaking to Racenet, Bott, who trains the colt with Gai Waterhouse, said there was no guarantee Dawn Passage would get straight into the Stradbroke and may need to qualify the week prior.

"The owners were a bit concerned about the back-up but I said I wouldn't be worried, it is probably actually a positive," Bott said. "We have had great success in doing it and we wouldn't be afraid to do it if it was necessary.

"If it was going to be detrimental to his chances in the Straddy, well, then he just wouldn't be there, full-stop. We wouldn't be afraid of the back-up by any means.

"We are realistic in that if we want to go to the Stradbroke then it (the Fred Best) is probably the path we will have to take."

Flying Start Trainees announced

The 12 Godolphin Flying Start Trainees for 2020-2022 have been announced.

Split evenly between the sexes and hailing from Australia, France, Ireland, the UK and the USA, the dozen students will participate in the Thoroughbred Industry Management and Leadership Program where they will study and work in Ireland, the UK, the USA, Australia and Dubai.

The course is accredited by University College Dublin Michael Smurfit Business School as a Graduate Certificate in Management. The trainees are as follows:

George Broughton, UK, Samantha Bussanich, USA, Devon Dougherty, USA, Solène Hudbert, France, Thomas Lyon-Smith, UK, Donncha McCarthy, Ireland, Erin McLaughlin, USA, Marine Moussa, France, Brigitte Murphy, Ireland, Tom Murphy, Ireland, Angus Robertson, Australia, David Skelly, Ireland .

NZB National Weanling Sale entries open

Entries for New Zealand Bloodstock's National Weanling Sale, to be held on the Gavelhouse Plus digital platform from Thursday, June 11 to Sunday, June 21, are now open.

The new look sale will see quality weanlings offered online due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Weanlings offered in the Sale will be eligible to enter in the Karaka Million Series featuring two NZ$1 million races available for graduates as two and 3-year-olds, plus the NZ$100,000 CollinsonForex Karaka Cup for the duration of their career.

Among recent weanling graduates for NZB have been G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), who was a NZ$5000 weanling purchase in 2017 as well as Group 1 winners Gingernuts (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}), Yourdeel (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) and Puccini (NZ) (Encosta De Lago).