*All statistics and prizemoney figures are correct at time of publication

Champion Australian General Sire

Yulong Stud stallion Written Tycoon amassed $17,004,493 in prizemoney from 379 runners to claim his first Champion Australian General Sire award.

He was responsible for Group 1 winners Ole Kirk, Odeum and Pippie along with a further six individual Group winners.

Written Tycoon will stand the upcoming breeding season at Yulong Stud for a service fee of $165,000 (inc GST).

Champion New Zealand General Sire

Savabeel continued his stallion dominance with a seventh consecutive Grosvenor Award.

He also claimed a sixth Centaine Award for worldwide progeny earnings and regained his Dewar Award for combined Australian and New Zealand progeny earnings.

The star Waikato Stud resident’s progeny headlined by G1 New Zealand Oaks Amarelinha (NZ) brought home NZ$2,986,642 in prizemoney on New Zealand shores alone.

His more prolific offspring Probabeel (NZ) and Mo'unga (NZ) combined for three Group 1 victories on Australian soil.

He will stand the upcoming breeding season for a service fee of NZ$100,000 (inc GST).

Leading Australian First Season Sire

Newgate Farm stallion Extreme Choice narrowly denied barnmate Capitalist despite being represented by just 15 first-crop runners compared to the latter’s 61.

His record-breaking figure of $3,392,085 in prizemoney was buoyed by G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Stay Inside and G2 BRC Sires’ Produce S. winner Tiger Of Malay, who combined for $3,063,600.

Leading New Zealand First Season Sire

The Allan Sharrock-trained Yeaboi’s (NZ) second-placed performance in the Listed Courtesy Ford Ryder S. on the final day of the season was enough to see Haunui Farm’s Belardo (Ire) overhaul Newgate Farm phenom Capitalist by just NZ$1626.

He amassed NZ$208,194 in prizemoney from 20 individual runners and was responsible for the Listed Welcome S. winner Avonallo (NZ).

Belardo will stand the upcoming breeding season at Haunui Farm for a service fee of NZ$10,000 (plus GST).

Leading Australian Second Season Sire

Vinery Stud’s Headwater followed the lead of star Widden Stud sire Zoustar by kickstarting his stud career as a leading first and second-season sire.

His progeny amassed $3,552,866 in prizemoney and his star performers were the G2 Percy Sykes S. winner Jamaea and Listed Manihi Classic winner Mileva.

He will stand for a service fee of $16,500 (inc GST) at Vinery Stud this upcoming breeding season.

Leading New Zealand Second Season Sire

Mapperley Stud stallion Contributer (Ire) rose to the top of the second season standings after his progeny accumulated NZ$354,916 in prizemoney.

The G1 Ranvet S. winner was best represented by G2 Lowland S. winner and G1 New Zealand Oaks third placegetter Llanacord (NZ).

Leading Australian Broodmare Sire

Encosta De Lago bettered Redoute’s Choice in this category for the first time in two seasons.

He has now been the best-performed Australian broodmare sire in five of the last seven seasons.

The progeny of his daughters amassed $29,738,766 in prizemoney. The Everest winner Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt) would account for $7,132,000 of that total.

Classique Legend is out of Encosta De Lago’s maiden winner Pinocchio.

Leading New Zealand Broodmare Sire

Zabeel (NZ) returned from a two-season hiatus to claim his sixth success in this category after seeing the progeny of his daughters bring home NZ$3,557,355 in prizemoney.

His most prolific money-spinner was the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas and R. Listed Karaka Million 3YO Classic winner Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}), who himself is out of Zabeel’s one-time winner Toss Up (NZ).

Aegon would go on to win the G2 Hobartville S. at Rosehill Gardens before finishing outside the placing in the G1 Randwick Guineas and G1 Doncaster H.

It is also worth mentioning that Zabeel finished fourth overall on the Australian broodmare sires' table with $18,145,760 in earnings.

Leading Australian 2-Year-Old Sire

The record-breaking success of Extreme Choice’s first crop, headlined by G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Stay Inside and G2 BRC Sires’ Produce S. winner Tiger Of Malay, saw him fend off barnmate Capitalist to finish top of the table in this category with $3,392,085 in earnings.

Extreme Choice and Capitalist's barnmate and fellow first-season sire Flying Artie capped off a year to remember for Newgate Farm by finishing sixth in the standings with $2,056,595 in prizemoney.

Leading New Zealand 2-Year-Old Sire

Outstanding juvenile On The Bubbles gifted Darley stallion Brazen Beau top billing in this category with a debut season that concluded with a dominant 3l romp in the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S.

The Jamie Richards-trained prospect was one of two Brazen Beau juveniles to step out in New Zealand and accounted for NZ$743,550 of his progeny’s NZ$777,750 in earnings.

Brazen Beau will stand for $49,500 (inc GST) at Darley Northwood Park this upcoming breeding season.

Leading Australian 3-Year-Old Sire

Written Tycoon’s ascension to the top of the Australian 3-Year-Old Sire standings was buoyed by the brilliance of his 3-year-old crop, which featured G1 Golden Rose S. and G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Ole Kirk and G1 Thousand Guineas winner Odeum.

The duo accounted for $2,963,400 of the $8,227,435 in prizemoney accumulated by his 115 individual 3-year-old winners.

Leading New Zealand 3-Year-Old Sire

The success of G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Amarelinha ensured that Savabeel fended off Sacred Falls (NZ) by securing NZ$1,311,232 in prizemoney compared to the latter's NZ$1,095,400.

While the aforementioned Jamie Richards-trained filly accounted for NZ$518,700 of his prizemoney total, a further 19 individual winners added to the tally, including G1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic winner Concert Hall (NZ).

Australian Trainers’ Premiership

Chris Waller reigned victorious over the Australian training ranks for a third consecutive season and in turn broke his previous record of 339 winners in a season with 340.5 total triumphs.

Waller’s runners brought home $44,290,548 in prizemoney and saluted at a strike rate of 15 per cent.

New Zealand Trainers’ Premiership

Jamie Richards secured a second consecutive national trainers’ premiership and ultimately bettered his previous record of 101 winners by 59 to bring his total to 160.

The Te Akau-based horseman saw his runners bring in a record NZ$5,969,645 in prizemoney.

Australian Jockeys' Premiership

Chris Parnham managed to secure his 200th winner and first Australian Jockeys' Premiership on the final day of the season with victory aboard the Luke Fernie-trained Mervyn (Henny Hughes {USA}) in the fifth event at Belmont.

The 24-year-old went toe to toe with NSW-based jockey Blaike McDougall for most of the season and ultimately pulled away over the final fortnight to land the premiership by six wins.

New Zealand Jockeys' Premiership

Danielle Johnson denied Lisa Allpress a third consecutive premiership by booting home 151 winners from 824 rides at a strike rate of 5.46 per cent.

The 30-year-old horsewoman's superb season featured her 1000th career winner in February.

Australian Leading Group 1-winning horse

Star mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) cemented her Champion status this season by winning five Group 1 contests.

The Chris Waller-trained galloper kickstarted her spring campaign last August with victory in the G1 Winx S. over 1400 metres before going on to win the G1 Turnbull S. and G1 Caulfield Cup. She would finish fourth and seventh in the G1 George Main S. and G1 Melbourne Cup respectively.

She returned in fine fettle during her Sydney campaign with second-up success in the G1 Chipping Norton S. before turning the tables on archrival Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) in the G1 Ranvet S.

Her campaign and season would conclude with a hard-fought second placing behind the aforementioned international in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. over 2000 metres.

New Zealand Leading Group 1-winning horse

Star Jamie Richards-trained mare Avantage (Fastnet Rock) took her tally to nine Group 1 wins after reigning supreme at the highest level on five occasions this season.

The 5-year-old was forced to settle for minor placings at Group 1 level on three occasions during the spring but came back in 2021 on another level, winning the G1 Sistema Railway S. on New Year’s Day before securing another three Group 1 victories between 1200 and 1600 metres in succession.

She would fall victim to the return of Champion stablemate Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) in the G1 Bonecrusher S. but bounced back to round out her season with victory in April’s G1 Thoroughbred Breeders' S. over 1600 metres.

Beau Rossa back in style in Lightning

Quality 3-year-old Beau Rossa returned to action with a dominant performance in Saturday’s Listed TAB Lightning S. at Morphettville.

Placed in his only start as a 2-year-old last season, the chestnut gelding progressed through the grades with four impressive wins between November and May, culminating in the G2 Tobin Bronze S. He was unplaced in the G1 The Goodwood on May 15 before trainer Will Clarken gave him a winter freshen-up.

The result was obvious a long way from home when Beau Rossa kicked off again on Saturday, cruising up alongside the front-running Esta La Roca (NZ) (El Roca) in the straight while his jockey Todd Pannell sat motionless in the saddle.

Beau Rossa blasted clear in the closing stages of the race, opening up an emphatic margin of 3.25l at the line.

“He was fantastic, he really relished the bit of speed on as he could travel in his own comfort zone,” Clarken said.

“His action looked beautiful on cornering, you could clearly see he was getting through it. I didn't know if I should have run him (on the Heavy 10 track) but I've been franked. He's got a huge engine, that's really helpful.”

Bought for $80,000 from Three Bridges Thoroughbreds’ draft at the 2019 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, Beau Rossa has now had 10 starts for five wins, two placings and $368,675 in stakes.

“He's a different horse to most of mine that have come on the scene in the fact we bought him as a yearling and he's come through our system,” Clarken said. “I'm very proud that we've managed him very well.”

New high for Waller

A winning double with So Wicked and Wairere Falls at Randwick on Saturday has lifted Champion trainer Chris Waller to a new career milestone.

The wins raised Waller’s tally to 340.5 wins for the 2020/21 season – a new personal best, beating his 339 wins in the 2018/19 season.

Waller has now won four national premiership titles in a row, and his 169 metropolitan wins in Sydney also earned him an 11th consecutive Sydney premiership.

“We are proud of our season, it has been a great team effort,” Waller said. “With Covid over the last 12 months it hasn’t been easy, but I’m really proud of my team and results like this make it all worthwhile.”

So Wicked won five Sydney metropolitan races during the season, more than any other horse, and she has now had a total of seven wins, nine placings and $249,018 in stakes from her 32-start career.

Wairere Falls, a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner and the late sire Sacred Falls (NZ), has had 20 starts to date for four wins, eight placings and more than $234,000 in prizemoney.

Two out of three for Zapateo

Promising and well-related Godolphin filly Zapateo added a city win to her CV with a stylish performance in Saturday’s Plant Powered Cleaning H. at The Valley.

A debut winner at Geelong on June 18 and runner-up at Caulfield on July 10, the talented 2-year-old sat back in the field on Saturday before sweeping up around the home turn for jockey Damien Oliver.

The pair finished over the top of the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. placegetter Her Empire (Deep Field) in the straight and scored by a long neck.

“I did think she would just win last start and she didn’t really have an excuse there,” said Oliver, who reached 50 metropolitan winners for the 2020/21 season with Saturday’s win.

“But today, if I learned anything from last time, it was to be a little more patient on her, and she won well.

“It was her third run today and there might be one more left in her. I would suggest either nurse her through to one more, or give her a little breather now and come back later in the spring. I’ll see what James (Cummings) thinks.”

Zapateo is one of five winners from five foals to race for her dam Jerezana (Lonhro), who herself won five races including the Listed Ramornie H., and placed in another four stakes races including the G3 Glenlogan Park S.

Jerezana’s other foals include Osborne Bulls (Street Cry {Ire}), who won the G2 TAB S. at Flemington and placed in the G1 TJ Smith S., Newmarket H., Lightning S., All Aged S. The Everest and Doomben 10,000, along with the multiple black-type placegetter Badajoz (Commands).

Jerezana is a half-sister to Patina (Anabaa {USA}), who is the dam of Group 1 performer Viridine (Poet’s Voice {GB}).

McKenzie on Keys team’s radar again

Ken and Kasey Keys have made multiple trips to The Valley for the Listed McKenzie S. in recent seasons, and the 1200-metre feature for 3-year-olds could be on their itinerary again on August 21.

The father-daughter training partnership produced Rock Artist for a bold front-running victory in Saturday’s 1000-metre Mia Kleer Hand Sanitiser H. at the same venue, prompting Kasey Keys to mention the McKenzie as a potential upcoming target. Another possibility could be the G3 Vain S. at Caulfield a week earlier.

“We’ll just see how he pulls up and make a decision,” she said. “We won the McKenzie with Rich Enuff in 2014 and ran third with Free To Move last year, so it would be nice to come back. But we’ll wait and see.”

Rock Artist was bought for just $8000 at the 2019 Inglis Sydney Weanling Sale, then Ken Keys Racing secured him for $35,000 at last year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

After his narrow victory over Direct (Siyouni {Fr}) and the favourite Jigsaw (Manhattan Rain) on Saturday, Rock Artist has had four starts for two wins and more than $90,000 in stakes.

“He’s a really nice horse, this bloke,” jockey Craig Newitt said. “I trialled him up before he ran first-up and he trialled alongside Jigsaw, so we got a bit of a measuring stick there.

“We were very confident when we went to the races in a maiden. Coming here today, drawn wide, it was going to be a little unknown where we would end up. But once he flew the lids, I thought I’d press the issue and go forward.

“He’s a funny horse, because I think if you sit off them, he’ll just go with them a bit. But if he’s got his head in front, he’s got a bit of dog about him and he loves a fight. He was holding them all at bay then.”

Rock Artist is out of the Choisir mare Ultima Carta, an unraced half-sister to three stakes performers including the Group 1 winner Good Project (Not A Single Doubt).

El Roca filly rolls home in Ryder

Westbury Stud stallion El Roca sired his second stakes winner when Ima Roca Bee (NZ) charged home from the back to win Saturday’s race for 2-year-olds the Listed Courtesy Ford Ryder S. at Otaki.

Standing at Westbury for a 2021 service fee of NZ$8000 plus GST, El Roca is the sire of 64 winners from 121 runners. Ima Roca Bee became the second of those to win at stakes level, joining the Group 1 winner Travelling Light (NZ). El Roca is also the sire of Flash Mary (NZ), who finished third in Saturday’s race.

Ima Roca Bee was runner-up behind Danger Strykes (NZ) (Astern) in the Listed Castletown S. in her previous appearance, and she went one better on Saturday after apprentice jockey Erin Leighton eased her back to second-last through the early stages of the end-of-season juvenile feature.

Impressive debut winner Yeaboi (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) had taken control at the top of the straight and kicked clear in what looked like a winning move, but Ima Roca Bee unleashed a potent finish down the outside and quickly reeled in that rival. She charged past and stretched out to win by 1.25l, handing Leighton her first win in a black-type race.

Ima Roca Bee is trained by Karyn McQuade, who also bred and owns the filly in partnership with her husband Hamish. From four starts, the filly has now had a win and a second placing, both at stakes level.

Ima Roca Bee is out of Shelly Bee (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), who is a half-sister to the G1 Metropolitan H. winner Herculian Prince (NZ) (Yamanin Vital {NZ}).

Shelly Bee is the dam of four winners from four foals to race, and a colt by Complacent was bought for NZ$70,000 from Mapperley Stud’s draft at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale earlier this year.

Belardo tops New Zealand’s First Season Sires

Yeaboi’s second placing in Saturday’s Ryder S. clinched New Zealand Champion First Season Sire honours for Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Belardo (Ire).

Belardo finishes the New Zealand season with four winners from 20 runners, with three black-type performers and total progeny prizemoney of NZ$208,194.

That gives him a last-gasp victory over Capitalist, who topped the table through the last six months of the New Zealand season with NZ$206,568 from just three runners – most notably Sneaky Shark, who was runner-up in the R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO in January.

Belardo, who will return to Haunui Farm in 2021 at a service fee of NZ$10,000 + GST, has sired a worldwide total of 40 winners from 114 runners. He has been represented by five stakes winners, headed by the Group 2 winner Isabella Giles (Ire).

Avonallo (NZ) was the headline act among Belardo’s first New Zealand crop, winning the Listed Welcome S., finishing third in the Karaka Million and fourth in the G2 Eclipse S.

Fonsalette (NZ) was runner-up in the G2 Matamata Breeders’ S. and G2 Wakefield Challenge S., while the promising Yeaboi joined that black-type group on Saturday’s final day of the season.

Belardo has also made a promising start in Australia with two winners from five runners in his debut crop.

Cover image courtesy of Three Bridges Thoroughbreds

Leading the way this season is exciting Adelaide 3-year-old Beau Rossa, who comes from Unencumbered’s second-to-last crop in 2017.

Co-bred by Three Bridges Thoroughbreds, who sold him for $80,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, the Will Clarken-trained chestnut recorded his second stakes win with a dominant performance in Saturday’s TAB Lightning S. at Morphettville. He romped to victory by 3.25l, improving his overall record to five wins and two placings from just 10 starts to date.

Beau Rossa is the best-performed of five stakes winners for Unencumbered, who won the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic in 2014 and retired to stand at Three Bridges in Victoria later that same year.

After covering a total of 489 mares across his four seasons at Three Bridges, Unencumbered sadly died in March of 2018 from complications after having throat surgery to treat progressive chondritis. He is now the sire of 128 winners from 206 runners to date.

Beau Rossa heads that list with victories in the G2 Tobin Bronze S. and Saturday’s Lightning S., while Felicia and Mirette have been Group 3 winners and Free To Move and No Restriction have scored at Listed level. Free Of Debt finished third in the G1 Blue Diamond.

Three Bridges’ Peter Liston has taken real pleasure from Beau Rossa’s impressive performances in Adelaide this season.

“He’s done a very good job,” he said. “I was out working this afternoon and didn’t actually see today’s race, but I was pleased to come in and read about it afterwards.

“The horse’s dam (the Choisir mare My Choisir) is owned by some very good clients of ours. They come to the farm quite often, and they happened to notice some of the progeny of Unencumbered that we had here on the property. They really liked the look of them and decided to send the mare to him the following season.

“Beau Rossa was always a lovely horse, a very nice type and we really liked him. I think $80,000 was right on the reserve, and Will Clarken and his team have developed him very well. It’s been great to see.”

Beau Rossa’s heroics have been part of a season of racetrack and sale-ring success for the Three Bridges team and their graduates.

Their yearlings have sold for up to $700,000 – a colt by I Am Invincible out of Solar Moon (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who was bought by the Hong Kong Jockey Club at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale – while the racing stars include Haut Brion Her (Zoustar), co-bred and part-owned by Liston.

The Chris Waller-trained mare has had 13 starts for six wins and four placings, earning more than $1.4 million in stakes to date.

Haut Brion Her has claimed Group 2 victories in the Rose of Kingston S. and Sheraco S., as well as a second placing in the $1 million Yes Yes Yes S., fifth in the $15 million The Everest and fifth in the G1 The Galaxy.

“She’s provided a few highlights for us this season, and she’s down with the pre-trainers at the moment and coming along well,” Liston said. “She’ll hopefully head back to Chris Waller again soon, and we’ll see what she can do next season. She’s an exciting mare.

“We’ve also had some great results in yearling sales, and I just think it’s been an amazing year for the sales despite all the challenges of COVID. The good results have just kept coming, and it’s been an incredible year. It’s a real credit to all of the sales companies, and it just shows the remarkable resilience of the industry.”