When Reliable Man (GB) headed to Westbury Stud in the spring of 2013, it was a small piece of providence on the part of Gerry Harvey. The horse, a dual-hemisphere Group 1 winner, has become one of New Zealand’s most consistent shuttle sires.
Last weekend in Australia, he had three winners spread between Rosehill and Hawkesbury racecourses. They came in the shape of Chris Waller’s gelding Lord Ardmore (NZ), then Count On Me (NZ) for John O’Shea and, for Mark Newnham, the 2-year-old filly Silvakia (NZ).
For any New Zealand-based sire, such an effort in Australia is worth noting.
“It’s been really heartening in the last few months to see another batch of really good horses coming through for Reliable Man,” said Russell Warwick, Westbury’s general manager. “Earlier in the autumn, Benaud ran second to Hitotsu in the Australian Derby, and The Cunning Fox was second in the VRC St Leger, so he’s certainly got some nice ones coming up.”
Russell Warwick, Westbury Stud's general manager | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
In addition to Reliable Man’s three winners last weekend, Warwick also paid attention to a 2-year-old filly that was fourth at Rosehill. Her name is Renaissance Woman (NZ), a filly from the Fastnet Rock mare Mrs Kennedy, the latter a Gerry Harvey mare.
Mrs Kennedy, herself, is a daughter of Miss Jakeo (Unbridled’s Song {USA}), making her a half-sister to four Group winners, including the G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Mrs Onassis (General Nediym).
“She looks a real staying filly for next season,” Warwick said of Renaissance Woman.
“She (Renaissance Woman) looks a real staying filly for next season.” - Russell Warwick
These are smart, upcoming horses for Reliable Man, the stallion rising 15 years old at Westbury Stud. They’re also part of a significant roll that the stallion has been on for a while now.
On Guineas Day at Flemington just last March, he sired a handy pair of Group winners when Annavisto (NZ) won the G3 Frances Tressady S. and Inspirational Girl (NZ) won the G2 Blamey S.
At the time, Warwick said there weren’t many sires getting two big winners on an occasion like Guineas Day, let alone a New Zealand stallion pulling it off.
Doing it both ends
The winners have kept coming for Reliable Man, both in New Zealand and Australia, and the upswing has been obvious the last 12 months.
“I wouldn’t say that his books have improved drastically,” Warwick said. “He was very popular the first three or four seasons, and I think, like with any stallion, breeders start to learn what mares suit him. Through trial and error, things start to come to fruition.”
Reliable Man has served at Westbury Stud since the spring of 2013. That initial season resulted in the Group 2 winner Belle Du Nord (NZ), one of 81 foals born from 131 mares covered.
Belle Du Nord (NZ) when racing | Image courtesy of Sparta Racing
Since then, the striking stallion has covered three-figure books most seasons in New Zealand, with last season dipping slightly to 78 mares.
“He’s had three Group 1 winners already, and there’s probably only Darci Brahma, Per Incanto and Savabeel that have sired more individual Group 1 winners in New Zealand,” Warwick said. “It stands him in good stead but he’s just a very consistent stallion.”
“He’s (Reliable Man) had three Group 1 winners already, and there’s probably only Darci Brahma, Per Incanto and Savabeel that have sired more individual Group 1 winners in New Zealand.” – Russell Warwick
The horse’s three Group 1 winners so far in New Zealand are Inspirational Girl, Sentimental Miss (NZ), who won the G1 New Zealand Oaks, and Miami Bound (NZ), a winner of the G1 VRC Oaks in 2019. They join the list of 10 Southern Hemisphere stakes winners for Reliable Man.
However, worldwide the horse has produced 19 stakes winners and 343 total winners. His Northern Hemisphere duties have been spread between stints at home in Germany, at Gestüt Röttgen, and two years in France. From Europe he has sired the G2 Derby Italiano (Italian Derby) winner Ardakan (GB) and the German Group 2 winner Akribie (Ger).
Akribie (Ger) was a winner of the G2 Diana-Trial (Oaks trial) in Germany | Image courtesy of Westbury Stud
“He’s also got a couple of really nice horses up in Hong Kong, and I think that market is starting to open up for him,” Warwick said. “He’s very versatile and, like most stallions, if you can crack it in Australia it gives you a good platform.”
Of Reliable Man’s 343 winners worldwide, 128 have come from Australia, 83 from New Zealand and 43 from Europe. On that alone, it would be simple to assume he’s gone better in the Southern Hemisphere.
Reliable Man (GB) in the paddock | Image courtesy of Gestüt Röttgen
“I thought that myself but just looking at his numbers the other day, stakes-winners wise, he’s even-stevens,” Warwick said. “He’s had almost equal numbers in each hemisphere. He's a dual Group 1 winner in each place himself and he's doing a good job as a stallion now in both hemispheres.”
Warwick thinks Reliable Man might not have had the same opportunities in Europe as he’s had in New Zealand, and he puts that down to smaller books in Germany at the start of the horse’s career. Reliable Man's two years in France didn’t work out as well as expected, either.
“He’s had a bit of a niche with the German breeders and he’s been able to produce some quite nice horses up there,” Warwick said, alluding to the likes of Ardakan and Akribie, but also German Group 3 winners Adrian (Ger), Erasmus (Ger) and Narella (Ire).
Narella (Ire) was the first stakes winner for Reliable Man (GB) | Image courtesy of Sebastian Weiss
Number crunching
Arguably, Reliable Man is one of the prettiest horses in the Stud Book. He’s gone from the smokey-grey complexion of his racing days to a near-white specimen, and his thick, white tail has become something of a trademark.
“He’s got this very unique, grey tail,” Warwick said. “It’s very white at its end, and we’ll often see grey horses on racedays with these really full tails. Nine times out of 10 they’ll be a Reliable Man horse. It’s quite amazing that he’s leaving so many horses with it.”
Reliable Man (GB) | Standing at Westbury Stud
Reliable Man leaves England next week for his long return to Westbury Stud. He departed Germany already on the first leg of the journey, and Warwick is expecting him in New Zealand around the second week of August.
“He covered 80-odd mares last year and I’d say he’ll cover a similar number again this season,” he said. “It will be a nice book for a 14-year-old stallion serving in both hemispheres, with him doing about 40 to 50 mares in Germany.
“Those numbers give him 120 to 150 mares between the two hemispheres each year, which is a tidy number.”
“Those numbers give him (Reliable Man) 120 to 150 mares between the two hemispheres each year, which is a tidy number.” - Russell Warwick
The shuttling process has become an expensive one, with the trip to New Zealand costing a considerable amount more than the return journey for Reliable Man in December.
However, so far it’s been a justifiable expense for Westbury Stud because the stallion’s sale-ring returns have been excellent.
“With a Reliable Man, if you get a good-looking one and you go to the sales, you’ll probably get a very good return,” Warwick said. “A NZ$16,000 service fee from a horse that’s had three Group 1 winners and a multitude of Group 1 performers, if you can get $200,000 or $300,000 for a good Reliable Man, it’s a good investment for breeders.”
“With a Reliable Man, if you get a good-looking one and you go to the sales, you’ll probably get a very good return.” – Russell Warwick
To date, the stallion’s Australian best-seller at auction has been the 3-year-old gelding Excelman (NZ), who won the greys’ race at the 2021 Melbourne Cup Carnival. As a colt, Excelman cost $400,000 when sold at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, consigned by Westbury Stud and going to trainer Richard Laming.
His best-selling filly so far is Rina Bettina (NZ), consigned by Haunui Farm to the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale and sold to Bruce Perry Bloodstock for NZ$320,000.
Gallery: Two of Reliable Man's (GB) best-selling Southern Hemisphere progeny
This overall sales season, with a much smaller crop (just 26 yearlings as against 44 in 2021), Reliable Man’s sales average was still double his service fee, which will be NZ$16,000 (plus GST) in the spring upcoming. Alongside consistent winners on this side of the Tasman, it’s looking a bargain.
