Value Sires Part 3: ‘his weanlings look like he’ll be the next Tassort, if not Vinnie’

Cover image courtesy of Coolmore

In this edition of TTR AusNZ, we continue our ‘Value Sires Series’, reaching out to industry participants—whether they breed, sell, buy, or race—to see who they perceive as offering the best value from the recently announced fees.

We take a look at stallions in four price categories - proven stallions standing for $50,000 and over, proven stallions at a fee of $40,000 and below, second and third season stallions yet to have runners and the new boys on the block.

Proven $50,000 and over

Renowned bloodstock agent James Bester puts forward Coolmore’s shuttler Wootton Bassett (GB), whose 2024 fee has yet to be announced. “Notwithstanding a big fee hike from 2023, Wootton Bassett still represents value,” said Bester.

“He is not only proven internationally at the highest level—in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, and the United States—but his sale yearlings are also capable of achieving high-end prices.

“I personally bought three of his yearlings this year, each the best progeny to date of their respective dams. In the absence of Justify (USA), Coolmore will send many spectacular mares to him and, with a limited book, there may not be many ‘outside’ nominations available and relatively fewer rivals at the sales.”

Wootton Bassett is the sire of 42 stakes winners worldwide, including nine individual Group 1 winners. He stood for $93,500 (inc GST) in 2023, while his 2024 average from 73 yearlings sold sat at $374,652, with a median of $275,000. Wootton Bassett had a gross of $27,349,630 and a top overall price of $2.1 million.

Jock Ferguson of the highly successful boutique operation Bell River Thoroughbreds told The Thoroughbred Report, “It would have to be Zoustar for an elite mare by either the likes of I Am Invincible, Fastnet (Rock), or Snitzel. Purely because I know that cross at the moment is probably one of the best crosses in the Australian Stud Book.

“However, if I was looking at the bottom end of that fee, it would probably have to be Alabama Express, this year, off the back of his results and the quality of mares Yulong have sent to him in the past year. He’s probably not ‘quite proven,’ but I’d be of the opinion we’re in a bit of a grey area at the moment with what stallions are proven and who’s not.

“We have four stallions that stand above $200,000, I think there’s only two more above $100,000, and then you’ve got around a dozen that stand between $50,000 and $100,000. The boys at the top are doing a phenomenal job—Extreme Choice, Vinnie, Snitzel, and Zoustar.”

Widden Stud’s Zoustar has enjoyed an exceptional season on and off the track. Since August last year, the son of Northern Meteor has sired 21 stakes winners worldwide, including four Group 1 winners. His progeny offered at the sales this year have averaged $483,586, with a median of $400,000 and a top price of $2.2 million. Zoustar will stand the 2024 breeding season for $275,000 (inc GST).

Alabama Express, who stands at Yulong, was given a fee rise to $55,000 (inc GST) from $22,000 (inc GST) last year after his first runners made a positive impression. The son of Redoute’s Choice has had 12 runners, of which eight individual winners have won 10 races. Among them are six stakes-performed 2-year-olds, headed by the Listed victor Discretion Rules.

Sitting at the top of the tree in this category is Newgate Farm’s Capitalist for the astute syndicator Joe O’Neill of Prime Thoroughbreds.

“I think Capitalist is good value. He’s doing an excellent job and he’s got a lot of good horses out there and he was a good horse himself. I think at $66,000 (inc GST) he represents good value if you send the right mare to him.”

The son of Written Tycoon, won a G1 Golden Slipper and the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Capitalist has sired 19 individual stakes winners and has been represented by 43 stakes performers.

Proven $40,000 or less

Jock Ferguson's pick in this category is Newgate Farm’s first-season sire, Tassort, who sired the Group 1-winning filly Manaal in his first crop.

“If you’re looking at a horse that’s up and coming, you probably can’t look past Tassort. He’s got a Group 1 winner in his first crop in Manaal. She found a wet track in the Champagne S. and had the track bias against her. Manaal was also arguably unlucky not to win the Golden Slipper as well; it was quite a big run.

“Additionally, Tassort is getting winners across the country and is working with a variety of different mares. You’ve also got all those Emirates mares that were bred to Tassort still to come. They’ve supported him heavily, and we (Bell River) have believed in the horse from day one. We’re lucky enough to have five pregnancies to him currently on the farm, so we’re thrilled.”

Tassort stood his first four seasons at $11,000 (inc GST). However, after an electric start by his first runners, the son of Brazen Beau will stand the 2024 season for $38,500 (inc GST). Tassort has sired six individual winners of 11 races from 18 runners.

Joe O’Neill rates Yarraman Park’s Hellbent, who has been a popular choice so far. The son of I Am Invincible has sired two Group 1 winners this season with his outstanding daughters Magic Time and Benedetta.

“Hellbent is fantastic value at $38,500. He’s a very, very good horse and sires plenty of winners.”

James Bester selects Coolmore’s Pride Of Dubai. The son of Street Cry’s (Ire) outstandingly tough daughter, Bella Nipotina, claimed her second Group 1 success in the Doomben 10,000 on Saturday. Additionally, Pride Of Dubai has been represented by the extraordinary Pride Of Jenni, whose romp in this year’s G1 Queen Elizabeth S. will be long remembered.

“Pride Of Dubai, no contest,” Bester told The Thoroughbred Report. “Just look at his position on the General Sires List the past couple of seasons.

“He can get a Pride Of Jenni, a Dubai Honour, or Bella Nipotina. Certainly the best-value breed-to-race sire in the land.”

Pride Of Dubai has sired 23 individual stakes winners and 35 stakes performers. He currently occupies fourth on the Australian General Sires list for the 2023/24 season and will stand the 2024 breeding season at a reduced fee of $22,000 (inc GST).

First-season sire (new to stud or without runners)

O’Neill’s Prime Thoroughbreds has enjoyed a strong record of selecting progeny by first-season sires at the yearling sales. O’Neill purchased Rubisaki from the first crop of Rubick. She was an $85,000 purchase and went on to win the G2 AV Kewney S. and two Group 3 events.

Flattered, one of Yes Yes Yes’s leading performers from his first crop, was also purchased by Prime Thoroughbreds.

As the new season approaches, a new generation of first-season sires' progeny will hit the track. O’Neill has been pleased with the progeny of Darley’s Bivouac but, from a value perspective, he rates Yulong’s Lucky Vega (Ire).

“I like Lucky Vega. I think they’re pretty nice horses. I bought one, a filly, and I think she’s a good filly (ex Pageantry (I Am Invincible)) for $40,000.

“I’ve had good luck buying progeny of the first-season sires such as Rubick’s Rubisaki, Seonee from Winning Rupert’s first crop, Flattered by Yes Yes Yes, the Extreme Choice filly Xtremetime, and Casa De Lago, who was one of the best performers by Delago Deluxe.”

Yulong’s Lucky Vega, a son of Lope De Vega (Ire), won the G1 Phoenix S. and will stand the 2024 breeding season for a fee of $16,500 (inc GST).

Picking from the recently retired generation, Bester picks another Coolmore horse, the G1 Golden Slipper victor Shinzo, who still stand his debut season for $55,000 (inc GST) at Coolmore Stud this season, “Shinzo for me - his sire’s (Snitzel) best-looking, best-bred and best-performed son to go to stud.

“Hard to go past a Golden Slipper winner at only $55,000 (inc GST). All who supported Farnan at that fee have (a) been well-rewarded in the ring and (b), most unusually, seem him hold steady at that fee for the first three-seasons and if anything, prove more popular from season to season.”

Ferguson is in agreement with Shinzo, “I’d probably say either Shinzo or King’s Gambit. Both were extremely talented 2-year-olds.

“For example, King’s Gambit, horses don’t really do what he did on debut at Caulfield. He beat them by a big margin on debut and especially being trained in Sydney and having his first-up on the other leg. That was quite impressive and I think his raw talent will go a long way with him.

“As for Shinzo, he’s very well-placed at $55,000 for a Golden Slipper winner. I think history shows that if you support Slipper winners in their first year, you get a good dividend when yearling time comes around.”

Newgate Farm’s King's Gambit, is a son of I Am Invincible. He won the G2 Roman Consul S. and the Listed Debutant S. Additionally, he was placed in the G1 Golden Slipper, the G2 Silver Slipper and the G3 Canonbury S. King’s Gambit is standing his debut season at a fee of $22,000 (inc GST).

Second and Third season sires

Bester pivoted off Coolmore for this genre, telling The Thoroughbred Report, “Home Affairs, I’m sure, is the best of them. But best-value? I’m going to have to go with Wild Ruler, he could be ‘anything’ and if his first 2-year-olds come up, those who sell off this year’s fee are going to look very clever indeed.

“And if Acrobat proves as good as he and his weanlings look like he’ll be the next Tassort, if not Vinnie, at the same kick-off fee and potentially change both addresses and, as Vinnie did, even lives!”

Wild Ruler, a victor of the G1 Moir S., will stand the 2024 season at a fee of $27,500 (inc GST) at Newgate Farm. Wild Ruler was represented by his first weanlings at the 2024 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, where 16 of the 19 sold at an aggregate of $727,000, averaging $45,437 with a median of $42,500.

The regally bred Acrobat will stand at Coolmore for $13,750 (inc GST). Like Wild Ruler, he was also represented by his weanlings, recording an average price of $20,045.

Ferguson selected Kia Ora Stud’s Farnan as his ‘value’ third-season sire. “Farnan would be my third-season pick. We’ve heavily supported him. He’s a Golden Slipper winner from the Not A Single Doubt sire line; I don’t think you can really fault the way Farnan has been received in the marketplace.”

Farnan’s first yearlings were offered across sales this season, resulting in an average of $228,919 and a median of $175,000. Ferguson’s Bell River Thoroughbreds were responsible for Farnan’s top price of $1.2 million when they sold the colt from their brilliant mare I Am Excited (Snitzel) at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“Farnan had a lot of ability as a 2-year-old. He had so much raw talent and was an extremely fast horse.”

Home Affairs is Ferguson’s second-season pick. “I loved him as a racehorse. What Home Affairs did at two was quite extraordinary, especially for an I Am Invincible, and then to go on and win two Group 1s as a 3-year-old is a great testament to him and his longevity in his career compared to a lot of other horses who are almost finished as two.

“From all reports, his first crop of foals overall are exceptional. We’ll probably get more of a guide on what they’re like physically at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Weanling Sale, but there were three or four at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale. Among them, there was one standout, the Extra Olives colt, but you couldn’t really say you didn’t like the others; you could see the quality he’s left in them.”

Home Affairs is standing at Coolmore Stud for a reduced fee of $82,500 (inc GST).

Taking a different approach and electing a stallion with his third-season runners, O’Neill rates Yarraman Park’s Brave Smash (Jpn) highly.

“He’s an excellent value. I really like Brave Smash; he’s proving to be a very good stallion.”

Brave Smash is standing the 2024 season for $33,000 (inc GST). From just 54 runners, he has sired 29 individual winners of 49 races. Among his best-performed progeny is his star daughter Kimochi, a victress of the G2 Light Fingers S. and a multiple Group 1 placegetter, alongside the ill-fated Brave Mead, who won the G3 Manfred S. and two other stakes races.

Prime Thoroughbreds have also achieved success with the progeny of Brave Smash, racing his son Power Of The Brave, an $80,000 purchase and a dual winner from only nine starts.