While there is no doubt a sense of pride that the legacy of the breed can continue to be built upon, with every success would come the inevitable feeling of 'what could have been?'
The progeny of former Waikato Stud stallion Sacred Falls (NZ) is enjoying a breakout season, with a trio of stakes winners across Australia and New Zealand, highlighted by G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Aegon (NZ).
The son of O'Reilly (NZ) currently occupies third spot on the New Zealand Sires' Table and sits a very creditable 25th overall in the Australian sires' rankings, with nine winners, among them his first Australian stakes winner in G3 Tibbie S. victress All Saints' Eve.
He tragically died 12 months ago this week after battling a liver illness, having completed his fifth season at stud. While his time at stud was relatively short, his legacy lives on with 41 winners from 95 starters. Zee Falls' victory in the G3 Wellington S. last week means he is now tracking at 3.16 per cent stakes winners/runners ratio.
Zee Falls (NZ) | Image courtesy of Race Images Palmerston North
Those statistics are likely to improve with strong numbers to get to the track from his third crop of 71 foals, of which there has been only one runner to date, and the fourth crop, which numbered 77 and are only yearlings. The numbers of his final crop, foaled this spring, were curtailed by his illness and he served only 61 mares.
Former Aquis stallion Spill The Beans got a breakthrough stakes winner with Tellall in the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial at Ellerslie last week, just reward for the volume of winners he has produced in his first crop and a bit.
"Former Aquis stallion Spill The Beans got a breakthrough stakes-winner with Tellall in the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial at Ellerslie last week, just reward for the volume of winners he has produced in his first crop and a bit."
Aquis announced his tragic passing on November 1 last year, just days after his first winner, Tennessee Boy. He would go on to be the equal leading first-season sire on winners in Australia with 13 and that success has continued to flow this season, with 18 winners, placing him third of all second-season stallions to date.
The late son of Snitzel is likely to feature on stallion tables for some time to come, having served big books in his four seasons, with his current 2-year-olds part of a crop of 98, added to 95 yearlings, and, to date, 58 foals born this spring. He has had 27 winners from 91 starters to date.
Tellall winning the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial at Ellerslie
Sadly, these are not the only stallions lost to the Australasian industry in what has been a difficult couple of years. Whether it be the monumental loss of the great Redoute's Choice, albeit at the grand age of 23, the departure of the wonderfully successful Sebring (aged 13) and Tavistock (NZ) (aged 14), or emerging stallions like those above, there has certainly been a run of significant losses.
A look at the current Top 100 sires on the Australian Sires' table reveals eight of that list has passed away since the start of 2019, while New Zealand has lost four of its current Top 30 in the past 12 months.
The record of selected stallions who have been lost to us in recent years, having stood less than five seasons, reveals the legacy they have left through their progeny.
| Northern Meteor | 4 | 287 | 24 | 368 | 77.99% | 6.52% |
| Unencumbered | 4 | 104 | 3 | 166 | 62.65% | 1.81% |
| Beneteau | 2 | 78 | 10 | 107 | 72.90% | 9.35% |
| Sacred Falls | 5 | 41 | 3 | 95 | 43.16% | 3.16% |
| Ferlax | 3 | 30 | 2 | 61 | 49.18% | 3.28% |
| Spill The Beans | 4 | 27 | 1 | 81 | 33.33% | 1.23% |
| Zebedee | 5 | 26 | 1 | 66 | 39.39% | 1.52% |
| Atlante | 2 | 23 | 3 | 44 | 52.27% | 6.82% |
Table: *Selected stallions who stood for five seasons or fewer
Unencumbered still making his mark
Three Bridges was devastated to lose Unencumbered due to post-surgery complications in March 2018 after just four seasons. The Liston family had enormous faith in the son of Testa Rossa and the subsequent results of his progeny tell us why.
He has had 104 winners from 165 runners since he died, including the stakes-winning trio Felicia, Mirette and No Restriction. Those winners should continue to flow with his final crop of 84 foals having only recently turned two, only one of which has yet made the track. He has had 31 winners in Australia this season, and currently sits 61st in the Sires' Table.
Former Cornerstone Stud shuttle stallion Zebedee (GB) had six Australian winners when he died in October last year but has since had 23 winners from 65 runners, including the dual stakes winner Ecumenical.
Felicia flying the flag for the late Unencumbered
Guineas winners sadly missed
Going back a little further and over to New Zealand, horses like Ferlax (NZ) and Atlante are further examples of promising stallions lost far too early in their careers.
Ferlax only served three seasons at Haunui Farm, which means all his progeny hit the track after his tragic passing. At it stands, the G1 Australian Guineas winning son of Pentire (GB) has produced 30 winners from those three crops, including the multiple Group 2 winner Imelda Mary (NZ) and recent Malaysian Listed winner Shanghai Nights (NZ).
Atlante, the 2013 NZ 2000 Guineas winning son of Fastnet Rock, only served two seasons at Mapperley Stud before his death in a freak accident in December 2016. He has subsequently had 23 winners from his 44 runners, including three stakes winners. Recent G1 Tarzino Trophy winner Callsign Mav (NZ) is his headline performer.
Callsign Mav (NZ) winning the G1 Tarzino Trophy (blue blinkers)
Meteor's mark
The two horses in the past decade which made most impact with less than five seasons at stud were Beneteau and Northern Meteor. They died within six months of each other in 2013, but their legacies have been long lasting.
Northern Meteor did extraordinary things with his four crops at Widden Stud, with 287 winners from 364 starters, including a remarkable 24 stakes winners. When he died of a sudden bout of colic on the penultimate day of the 2012/13, season, he had already produced 18 winners from his first crop, including three at stakes level, and was posthumously crowned Australia's champion first-season sire.
"Northern Meteor did extraordinary things with his four crops at Widden Stud, with 287 winners from 364 starters, including a remarkable 24 stakes winners."
That first crop ended up with 105 winners from 127 runners, and 26 stakes winners. Among them were the Group 1 winners Zoustar, Amanpour and Cosmic Endeavour as well as future stallion Deep Field. In later crops came more Group 1 winners in Shooting To Win, also a stallion of note, and Speak Fondly.
A measure of Northern Meteor's influence is the five sons he currently has at stud in Australia, as well as four grandsons.
Beneteau's time at Arrowfield was even shorter at just two seasons before his sudden death in January 2013. From his two crops came a notable 78 winners from 107 runners, His stakes winners-to-runners ratio was an impressive 9.35 per cent, and included among his 11 stakes winners were the Group 1 winners Prompt Response and Lasqueti Spirit.
The late Northern Meteor
