Consistency and longevity: Anamoe stands out among first season sires

Cover image courtesy of Darley

Four bloodstock agents from the Federation of Bloodstock Agents Australia, plus New Zealand’s David Ellis, spoke to TTR about how different stallions are perceived in the yearling market.

Which first and second season sires are you most excited about?

David Ellis of Te Akau Racing: “Profondo - I am really looking forward to seeing his horses at Magics and at Karaka, his yearlings have really impressed me and he looks a real chance. He stands at one of the best studs in the world in Windsor Park and I will definitely be trying to buy some. He is the only first-season sire crop sire in New Zealand from that year, which is a bit of a worrying trend. When Sir Tristram first stood in New Zealand, that year there was 28 new stallions across the country.”

Suman Hedge: “We’ve bought weanlings by Anamoe, Jacquinot, Hitotsu, and all those horses have appeal for different reasons. Anamoe is such a good horse, and he seems to tick so many boxes for a stallion. A champion two and 3-year-old with a good pedigree. He’s got great movement, and he seems to have thrown that good action into quite a few of his stock, and you talk to people like Peter O'Brien, and others who have used him quite heavily, they just speak very fondly of him. So, I think they're going to be very popular and hard to buy.

“With his service fee being quite high, from a pricing point of view it will make them a little dearer to buy. I do a fair bit of work for Trilogy and Blue Gum and they’ve got a beautiful colt that they are selling at the Gold Coast they bred who is a half to Queen Of Clubs.”

“I think one that the trainers will warm to is Hitotsu. Physically he’s a little bit different as a stallion, more athletic than bulky, but he was such a highly talented racehorse and what he did was pretty unique with the Guineas and Derby. He’s the kind of horse you can see throwing something quite elite.”

Will Johnson: “It comes as no surprise to say Anamoe. It’s refreshing to see stock from a stallion that won a Group 1 at ages two, three, and four. I’d like to see more of that consistency and longevity here. In Japan and America they keep running (their colts) at four and older. Sovereignty, Journalism, and Fierceness all stayed in work at four. I’ve seen some nice Jacquinot’s too.”

Mathew Becker, Group 1 Bloodstock: “Anamoe’s the big one. He’s the champion that went to stud and the talk has been very high on his first crop of foals. I personally haven’t seen a great deal of them yet, and I’m looking forward to seeing them when I get up there. He’s the sort of horse that we go to the sales to try and buy. For my group, we try to buy horses that were good at two that improve into their second third and fourth racing seasons. We’ll be honing in on those if they are as nice as everyone says.”

Ash Richards, Intel Bloodstock: “Definitely Anamoe, an easy horse to pick. Horse of the year, a precocious horse who was able to train on and win a Cox Plate. A son of Street Boss, who has been rejuvenated lately, out of a champion broodmare sire in Redoute’s Choice. He’s got lovely Northern Hemisphere blood coupled with South Hemisphere blood and stands at a proven farm. His foals sold well, and he’ll be well sought after.

“He’ll be expensive, so bring a budget. I think Artorius too. I like the shape of those and Flying Artie is doing a great job. Artorius, if you look at his mare line, he’s from the family of Southport Tycoon who has been well received here in Victoria. I certainly could get involved in Artorius. The other one I really like is Hitotsu, again out of a Redoute’s Choice mare. The shape of them and their movement at the weanling sales were good. I bought one with Supreme Thoroughbreds at the Sydney Weanling Sale who was a lovely horse.”

Gallery: Some of the first and second season sires that the panel are most looking forward to seeing progeny of at the 2026 yearling sales

Of the second season sires, most agents were happy to stick with what was popular at last year’s sales.

Ellis: “I really like the Home Affairs. We bought a few last year and they can all gallop. I am very impressed with them. Sword Of State is very exciting, he was a Group 1-winning 2-year-old for us, and with the start he has made in Australia, he looks potentially one of the most exciting stallions in the Southern Hemisphere.”

Hedge: “Obviously Stay Inside has started particularly well from his pre-Christmas runner. Every day that passes Extreme Choice just looks like an absolute freak show as a sire, so his sons are going to be highly sought after and they’ve all started well. Extreme Warrior, for a cheap horse, has already thrown a stakes winner and a metro winner.

“Home Affairs, on the back of that first season, you’d think they should continue to improve. He’s a big strong sort himself and was a very good 3-year-old, so everything lends itself to his progeny improving. I think on the back of what’s he’s shown so far, you can buy them with a level of confidence. Captivant, whose had a bit of a lower profile, has had some good trial results and a winner, so he’s one that is worth keeping an eye on to see how he progresses.”

Becker: “Second season sire, we have a Stay Inside filly that we quite like, I’m quite high on him as a potential good stallion, he was a great racehorse and the son of a champion. I’ve liked the look of the stock last year and from what we’ve seen so far at the races and trials. You’d have to be very positive about his chances.”

Richards: “St Mark’s Basilica has made an immediate statement in the Northern Hemisphere and we purchased one with Hayfields racing who ended up being the half-brother to the runner up in the Victoria Derby this year which was good. Consistently, they are really good types of horses and a good sireline too.

“Home Affairs, as we all know had good substance and they are definitely running, so if you can find one with value there. Son of I Am Invincible, so one to target. If you look at who is leading the First Season Sires at the moment, it’s a Victorian stallion in Extreme Warrior whose had a stakes winner pre-Christmas, and he’s by Extreme Choice so he brings a very good sireline. If you wanted a sharp precocious horse by a Victorian based stallion, Extreme Warrior is an easy pick. Pinatubo, they are running and they look good.”

Gallery: Some of the second season sires whose progeny is of appeal to the panel

Who are your best value sires?

Hedge: “So You Think. He's a stallion that I don't think the buying bench truly appreciates. But he’d not just a one trick pony. He’s not just about stayers, he can get a good sprinter, he gets colts and fillies and geldings, and he’s already started to make a bit of a mark as a broodmare sire. And now he’s gone, they aren’t making any more.

“Hellbent is another one who's chipping away and always seems to have a nice horse. When he started he was a bit filly dominant, but he’s had a couple of geldings come through and he’s at a nice price point. I feel he’s still got some levels to go, and he’s gaining a market in Hong Kong as well, (Hellbent) would be one that I’d look at, especially for a young trainer looking to get plenty of winners.”

Johnson: “Starspangledbanner, you could argue he’s doing better in Europe but I’m looking forward to seeing his yearlings.”

Ellis: “Cool Aza Beel is good value sire, we have quite a few nice ones in the stable and he has left a Group 1-winning colt from his first crop (Cool Archie), and Cool Aza Rene has won a Group 3 for us. I think he is very good value for what he is achieving.”

Becker: “Per Incanto is grossly undervalued. We’ll be heading back to New Zealand to have a look at them. His statistics at the moment are phenomenal. We’ve got Jimmysstar and Gringotts and a couple of young ones coming through that we quite like. I think the market grossly undervalues him for what he’s doing.”

Richards: “If you look at Victoria, with VOBIS, I like the look of Hanseatic. I’ve bought two for 50 and 60 and they’ve both won jumpouts. The one with Reece Goodwood looked nice at Pakenham. He’s good value.”

Gallery: Stallions who represent good value according to the panel

Who is your most underrated sire?

Becker: “The market is so responsive that there isn’t exactly one stallion who is underrated. The yearling market tends to underrate those good middle-distance stallions because the yearling market chases speed, so any of those good middle-distance horses like So You Think and the likes are always underrated by the market.”

Hedge: “Shamus Award’s often are quite awkward looking yearlings, but they're richly talented. Commercially they can be a little bit tricky. Flying Artie is another. Statistically over the last year, I think he's done quite a good job and obviously got an internationally recognised sprinter with Asfoora. Again that Artie Schiller sire line, they aren’t pretty, but they are workmanlike and do a good job, and he’s a stallion who is probably quite underrated by the market.”

Johnson: “All Too Hard fits. Maybe this is the year Harry Angel goes from being underrated to being one of the most sought after, maybe this is a transition year for him.”

Richards: “I don’t mind Shalaa, I still think he’s got value. I think Trapeze Artist is good value. I’ve purchased a couple, one goes very good in Big Swinger. B2B have a very good filly by Trapeze Artist. He’s underrated. They have big joints but they are lovely horses.”

Gallery: Stallions that the panel believes to be underrated

If a client gives you $1 million for one yearling, which sires are you targeting?

Hedge: “That's actually a really good question. I've got a heap of respect for Extreme Choice, he is a freak, he’s so much better than everything else that it’s not funny. But my answer would probably sound like it's biased because I would say Zoustar.” Hedge found Zoustar as a yearling.

“The thing about him is that he gets a really good type with certain attributes consistently. It’s where I’ve bought actively at that end of the market. We bought Schwarz, Millane, Brereton. Two of them didn’t go on to be stallions but they won stakes races and that was one of our goals for the Victorian Alliance. So, for me personally, I've got more of an affinity with Zoustar and it's worked for me. If I had that money, I'd be reasonably confident I could find a good horse for the client. Another one is I Am Invincible, if you buy a pretty filly they are consistent (on the track). His hit rate is very good for those expensive fillies.”

Ellis: “Top of the list is I Am Invincible, he consistently leaves top class horses and we have had Imperatriz and Move To Strike. A close second would be Snitzel, we have had a lot of luck with horses by Snitzel, he has been such a wonderful stallion.”

Johnson: “I Am Invincible fillies. Long term, if you find the right one, your million dollars get multiplied out with the commercial realisation. She’s more than likely going to have good looking stock, which is a self-perpetuating prophesy,” said Johnson. “It’s a play on the percentages too. If you go through how much (I Am Invincible mares) average at the broodmare sales, they are making a fortune.”

Gallery: If given funds to spend at the top end of yearling sales, the panel explain which stallions hold the most appeal for them

Becker: “I don’t like to spend a million bucks on one yearling. I’d be asking my client to let me buy two! But you have to look at the proven stallions if you are spending that sort of money, you need to look at the stallions who consistently get stakes winners and high class Group winners. You’d hone in on the Snitzel and Vinnies. I do think there is a good bunch of young stallions coming through, that if the type is there, you’d be happy to spend a bit of money on them. We spent half a million on a Stay Inside filly last year.”

Richards: “I’d actually buy a first season horse. I think I’d target a filly from a great family as she’s still value if unraced, and then I Am Invincible, Snitzel, Zoustar are obvious targets, but to be honest, I’d buy a first season filly by Anamoe with a great family. What we find is that first season stallions hit their mares very hard and have a great statistic of producing stakes winners, then they tether off second and third crop and come back in their fourth if they are good. We love to buy first season sires.”