Cover image courtesy of Joan Faras
Snitzel’s passing in 2025 left a hole in the fabric of the stallion population that has been felt industry-wide, but never more keenly than at his home of Arrowfield Stud. In his absence, another son of Redoute’s Choice has more than stepped up to the plate, and in 2026, The Autumn Sun received a well earned fee increase to $137,500 (inc GST) to head the Arrowfield roster.
| The Autumn Sun | $137,500 | $66,000 |
| Dundeel | $66,000 | $88,000 |
| Castelvecchio | $60,500 | $49,500 |
| Maurice | $44,000 | $55,000 |
| Lead Artist | $27,500 | New in 2026 |
| Vandeek | $22,000 | $22,000 |
| Hitotsu | $16,500 | $22,000 |
Table: Arrowfield Stud's 2026 service fees, including GST
Passing the torch
The Autumn Sun rises from a fee of $66,000 (inc GST) last year, and a quick look at his stock’s performances makes a good comparison to the trajectory on Snitzel.
The Autumn Sun’s oldest crop are now five, and from 235 runners, he has recorded 145 winners at a strike rate of 61.7%. His tally of 11 stakes winners includes eight Group winners, five of whom have struck at Group 1 level, highlighted this season by multiple Group 1 winners Autumn Glow and Autumn Boy.
The Autumn Sun | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
In 2013, Snitzel was at the same point of his career, and their statistics look quite similar. From Snitzel’s 235 runners at the time, he had 165 winners, 13 of whom were stakes winners. By contrast, he only had one Group 1 winner at that stage - G1 TJ Smith Stakes winner Sizzling - from nine Group winners. His performers include a crop of 51 born from one season shuttling to Japan.
Both have had Group winners at ages two, three, and four. It would only take four more years before Snitzel earned the first of his four Australian Champion Sire titles and he is on track for a posthumous fifth this season, with The Autumn Sun currently ranked third.
John Messara | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“The arrival of Autumn Glow from his second crop, and Autumn Boy from his third crop confirm our assessment of The Autumn Sun as a very significant sire for this part of the world,” said Arrowfield Chairman John Messara. “He is likely to finish in the top three or four stallions on the general sires’ premiership this season with half the runners of his immediate competitors.”
“The arrival of Autumn Glow... and Autumn Boy confirm our assessment of The Autumn Sun as a very significant sire for this part of the world.” - John Messara
Jon Freyer | Image courtesy of Inglis
“He’s on a very upward trajectory,” said Arrowfield’s Bloodstock Manager Jon Freyer. “On the sires’ list, he is alternating between second and third with Zoustar, with half the runners. He's probably a Champion Sire in waiting, and we do see him on the same path as Snitzel. Snitzel is one of the great sons of Redoute’s Choice, there have been several and we have been fortunate enough to stand a few.”
“He's (The Autumn Sun) probably a Champion Sire in waiting.” - Jon Freyer
“The Autumn Sun served a wonderful book of 178 mares in 2025, and we’ve backed our own judgement with 30 Arrowfield mares in foal to him, because we believe he will succeed Snitzel and Not A Single Doubt as a champion sire son of Redoute’s Choice,” Messara said.
The High Chaparral line continues to hold strong
The father and son duo of Dundeel (NZ) and Castelvecchio will stand for almost the same fee in 2026, in recognition of the latter’s top performers and raised sales averages. Dundeel will command a fee of $66,000 (inc GST), down from $88,000 (inc GST), and Castelvecchio rises to $60,500 (inc GST), up from $49,500 (inc GST) in 2025.
Dundeel recorded his 10th Group 1 winner over the autumn carnival when Idle Flyer won the G1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes, thoroughly denying Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel) and Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) and bringing him to a total of 40 stakes winners.
A total of 26 of his Australian stakes performed have placed at Group 1 level, and he achieved a fourth million dollar lot at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, for a colt out of multiple Group winner Fiesta (I Am Invincible).
Dundeel (NZ) | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
He currently sits 15th in the Australian sires’ list and is just two winners shy of recording 500 individual winners.
“Dundeel is quite incredible,” Freyer said. “He’s had a great season, and his sons are doing very well. Castelvecchio is having a great year and the amount that Coolmore paid to bring Super Seth to Australia is a great endorsement for Dundeel. Celestial Legend has been well received as well.
“In terms of producing sire sons, the High Chaparral line has been so dominant in Australia. Aside from Dundeel, there is the likes of Toronado and So You Think. It’s an amazing line.”
“In terms of producing sire sons, the High Chaparral line has been so dominant in Australia.” - Jon Freyer
Castelvecchio’s progeny has been led by his daughter Aeliana (NZ), who recorded back to back Group 1 wins earlier in the autumn when claiming the G1 Tancred Stakes and the G1 Ranvet Stakes. The market has recognised this, and he averagd 6.3 times his 2023 service fee ($27,500 inc GST) across the whole yearling sales season, with an average of $300,000 achieved at the recent Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Castelvecchio | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
Castelvecchio currently sits level with where he finished on last year’s sires’ list, but it is what is to come that has Freyer most excited for the young stallion.
“Standing them at virtually the same fee is an endorsement of what Castelvecchio has done so far,” he said.
Trusting the process with Hitotsu
The other father and son duo on the Arrowfield roster, Maurice (Jpn) and Hitotsu meet the market with slight fee reductions in 2026. Maurice will return for a fee of $44,000 (inc GST) down from $55,000 (inc GST), and Hitotsu stands his fourth season at stud for $16,500 (inc GST), down from $22,000 (inc GST).
Maurice produced his seventh Group 1 winner in December when his son Cosmic Crusader (NZ) was victorious in the G1 Northerly Stakes during the Perth racing carnival. Eleven of his 35 stakes winners are Australian, including Mazu who won the G3 Hall Mark Stakes for the third time at the weekend, and he currently operates at a strike rate of 64% winners to runners.
Maurice (Jpn) | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
“Dundeel and Maurice are both thoroughly proven Group 1 sires in the ‘sweet spot’ of their prime time, when research tells us they will leave most of their best performers,” said Messara. “That makes them tempting value at their new fees, and we will certainly continue to support them ourselves.”
“Dundeel and Maurice are both thoroughly proven Group 1 sires in the ‘sweet spot’ of their prime time, when research tells us they will leave most of their best performers.” - John Messara
Three-time Group 1 winner Hitotsu’s first yearlings headed through the ring this season and with a top price of $480,000 for a half-brother to Autumn Angel (The Autumn Sun) and Baraqiel (Snitzel), he achieved an average of $83,204 for his 51 yearlings sold, returning 4.2 times his inaugural service fee (GST removed). He has 190 foals on the ground between his first two crops and covered 97 mares in 2025.
Hitotsu | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
“Relative to his service fee, his first yearlings sold very well,” said Freyer. “They were very popular, especially with traders. He had some very good sales and they sold consistently well for good money, and we are very pleased with that.
“He has had good numbers all the way through and we are very positive about him, but in that difficult fourth season, we elected to just make a modest reduction to his service fee. But I wouldn't be surprised if he gets some early 2-year-olds that spark a lot more interest in them ahead of next year.”
“He (Hitotsu) has had good numbers all the way through and we are very positive about him.” - Jon Freyer
European blood proving popular
Anticipating the arrival of his first foals in 2026, Cheveley Park’s Vandeek (GB) returns to stand his second season at the same fee of $22,000 (inc GST). The Champion 2YO son of Havana Grey (GB) covered a full book of 151 mares in 2025, including daughters, siblings, and dams of horses like Snitzerland (Snitzel), Dundeel, Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice), and Ortensia (Testa Rossa).
“He was absolutely full,” said Freyer. “We had a lot more applications for mares to visit him. I think he will be very popular again next year.”
Vandeek | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
His own pedigree received a boost in 2025 courtesy of his half-brother Gstaad (GB) (Starspangledbanner), who won the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and the G2 Coventry Stakes in 2026 as well as never finishing further back than second in his four runs at Group 1 level.
Debuting in 2026 to round out the roster is Juddmonte’s Lead Artist (GB), who will stand his first season for a fee of $27,500 (inc GST). By Dubawi (Ire) out of a Frankel (GB) granddaughter of blue hen Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}), Lead Artist was a dual Group 3 winner as a 3-year-old and never finished further back than third that season, even venturing to Bahrain to run second in the G2 Bahrain International Trophy.
Lead Artist (GB) | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
As a 4-year-old, he won the G1 Lockinge Stakes over the mile, a race also on the resume of horses like Frankel, Baaeed (GB), Palace Pier (GB), and the influential Kris (GB). He achieved a career best World Thoroughbred Ranking of 118 in 2025 for his performance.
“I haven’t been this excited about a new stallion since we acquired Danehill from Juddmonte in 1989,” said Messara. “Lead Artist fills the bill for me on every count, pedigree, performance and physique, and I know he is going to match what many other breeders are looking for too.”
“I haven’t been this excited about a new stallion since we acquired Danehill from Juddmonte in 1989.” - John Messara
“The response to Lead Artist has been outstanding,” Freyer said. “John Messara is very positive on him and we will be supporting him strongly with our own mares. We are very excited to be involved with Juddmonte and to be bringing him down. He will be one of the most popular first season horses we've stood for a long time, I believe.”
And if he can follow in the footsteps trodden by Danehill (USA), those who get into Lead Artist early could be very well rewarded.
